Morning:
3°c
Redgrave to present Standard theatre prize in Natasha's memory
Louise Jury, Chief Arts Correspondent16.11.09
Vanessa Redgrave is to present the best actress award in memory of her daughter, Natasha Richardson, at this year's London Evening Standard Theatre Awards.
The star, who has herself been honoured four times by the Standard, will join a roll-call of presenters including Anna Friel and Tom Hollander.
Redgrave, whose father Michael twice won the best actor category, will announce whether Penny Downie, Juliet Stevenson, Rachel Weisz or American actress Deanna Dunagan has taken the coveted prize.
The Natasha Richardson award for best actress was renamed after the star's death aged 45 following a skiing accident in March.
Friel, currently starring in Breakfast At Tiffany's, will hand over the outstanding newcomer award. In a curious year for stage debuts, TV favourite Lenny Henry finds himself in contention at the age of 51 for his performance as Othello, also still running in the West End.
He will join much younger rivals Naana Agyei-Ampadu, Bel Powley and Tom Sturridge at the awards, which he will attend with his wife, Dawn French. Hollander, star of films including In The Loop and Pirates Of The Caribbean between his own stage appearances, will name the most promising playwright.
Battling for the title and a £5,000 cheque will be Alia Bano, shortlisted for Shades, and Alexi Kaye Campbell, for The Pride - both seen at the Royal Court - as well as Katori Hall for The Mountaintop, seen at Theatre 503 and Trafalgar Studios.
The money, which is augmented by £1,000 each for the runners-up, is jointly donated by Evgeny Lebedev, executive director of the London Evening Standard, and American Vogue editor Anna Wintour, the daughter of the late Standard editor Charles Wintour, after whom the award is named. The shortlists and winners are chosen by a panel of London critics. Led by the Standard's Henry Hitchings, they are Susannah Clapp of The Observer, Matt Wolf of the International Herald Tribute, Georgina Brown of The Mail on Sunday and Charles Spencer of the Daily Telegraph, with Standard deputy editor Sarah Sands chairing.
Mr Lebedev will host the lunchtime ceremony in the Paul Hamlyn Hall at the Royal Opera House on 23 November.
It will be presented by broadcaster Kirsty Young and guests will include previous winners Sir Ian McKellen, Claire Bloom, director Rupert Goold and playwright Polly Stenham.
