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Stars vying to win our 52nd stage awards
By Tom Teodorczuk, Evening Standard 09.11.06
Movie star: Kathleen Turner is nominated for best actress
Nominee: Frank Langella in Frost/Nixon
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Is this Tom Stoppard's year, will Frost/Nixon take the honours, or is Conor McPherson going to sail to glory with The Seafarer ?
Perhaps Hollywood stars Kevin Spacey and Kathleen Turner will emerge victorious.
There is plenty of intrigue thrown up by the shortlist for the 52nd Evening Standard Theatre Awards, unveiled today.
The play depicting what happened behind the scenes of David Frost's series of 1977 television interviews with disgraced former US president Richard Nixon transfers to the West End's Gielgud Theatre from the Donmar Warehouse tonight.
Writer Peter Morgan, director Michael Grandage and Michael Sheen, who portrays Frost, now have something extra to celebrate.
The play, Grandage and Sheen are all on the shortlist to win a statuette when the prestigious awards take place at The Savoy Hotel on 27 November.
But Frost/Nixon faces stiff competition from Stoppard's political and musical saga Rock 'N' Roll, a huge hit at both the Royal Court and in its current West End home, the Duke of Yorks.
Stars Rufus Sewell and Sinead Cusack are nominated for best actor and best actress and Rock 'N' Roll is also up for best play.
The best play category nominations are completed by The Seafarer, playing at the National Theatre. Spacey has rounded off a turbulent year at the Old Vic in style by landing a best actor nomination for his performance in the Eugene O'Neill revival A Moon For The Misbegotten.
As well as Sewell and Sheen, Spacey is up against American actor Bill Irwin for Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf ? The revival of Edward Albee's classic 1962 marital warfare drama has also earned Kathleen Turner a best actress nomination.
Also nominated in this category is Frances O'Connor for Tom And Viv, which has just finished its run at the Almeida Theatre.
Competition for the best musical will be particularly fierce, with Eric Idle's irreverent phenomenon Spamalot doing battle with the revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's Evita. Other nominees include Stephen Sondheim's Sunday In The Park With George and Tony Kushner's civil rights musical Caroline, Or Change, currently at the National.
The theatre has been further rewarded for its revival of Ibsen's Pillars Of The Community with Marianne Elliott nominated for the Sydney Edwards award for best director. Other directors nominated are Anthony Page for Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf ? and last year's winner Grandage for Frost/Nixon, The Wild Duck and Evita.
The Milton Shulman award for outstanding newcomer will be contested between actors Chris New and Andrew Garfield, Evita actress Elena Roger and innovative theatre group Punchdrunk.
The winners of the special award and the Charles Wintour award for most promising playwright will be announced on the day. The latter award comes with £30,000 donated jointly by Lord Rothermere, chairman of the Daily Mail and General Trust, publisher of the Evening Standard, and American Vogue editor Anna Wintour, daughter of the late Charles Wintour, a former editor of the Evening Standard.
AND THE EVENING STANDARD NOMINEES ARE...
BEST PLAY
Frost/Nixon by Peter Morgan
Rock 'N' Roll by Sir Tom Stoppard
The Seafarer by Conor McPherson
BEST ACTOR
Bill Irwin in Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?
Rufus Sewell in Rock 'N' Roll
Michael Sheen in Frost/Nixon
Kevin Spacey in A Moon For The Misbegotten
BEST ACTRESS
Sinead Cusack in Rock 'N' Roll
Frances O'Connor in Tom And Viv
Kathleen Turner in Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?
THE SYDNEY EDWARDS AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTOR
Marianne Elliott for Pillars Of The Community
Michael Grandage for The Wild Duck, Frost/Nixon and Evita
Anthony Page for Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?
BEST MUSICAL
Caroline, or Change
Evita
Spamalot
Sunday In The Park With George
BEST DESIGN
David Farley (set and costume design) and Timothy Bird (projection design) for Sunday In The Park With George
Borkur Jonsson for Metamorphosis
Christopher Oram for Evita and Frost/Nixon
THE MILTON SHULMAN AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING NEWCOMER
Andrew Garfield for Beautiful Thing, Burn, Chatroom, Citizenship and The Overwhelming
Chris New for Bent
Punchdrunk Theatre Group
Elena Roger for Evita
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Reader views (8)
I was so impressed by Eve Best's wonderful performance in Moon for the Misbegotten, I thought she should win awards this year. Brilliant casting in a not entirely sympathetic part.
- Richard, Boston, USA
Four Best Actor nominees, but only three for Best Actress? Eve Best (A Moon For the Misbegotten) and Jodhi May (Blackbird) should be on the list. As should Sinead Matthews (The Wild Duck) for Best Newcomer.
- Solveig Isaksen, London UK
Well Done, Rufus Sewell and Sinead Cusack in being nominated for Rock and Roll..these nominations plus Sir Tom Stoppard for best play are justified. It was an inspiring piece of theatre. All the best for awards night.
- Nadine, Tasmania, Australia
Sam Buntrock and Tim Bird's designs were a delight and take forward the work begun by Richard Williams and Julie Andrews' ex-husband, Tony Walton, in the 60s, combining animation and theatre. Intelligent, witty and integral to the action, throwing the topsy turvy and pointless projections of Woman in White into the shade. As Sunday in the park is now off to Broadway, it's appropriate that the Evening standard support its innovation and artistry.
- Tim Wilson & Necati Zontul, Oxford
Rock N Roll was excellent; and Rufus Sewell and Sinead Cusack were tremendous - they certainly deserve their nominations if not to win. Whatever happened to Blackbird - very sensitive subject matter, but amazing play and fantastic acting by Roger Allam and Jodhi May. Thank heavens Wicked didn't get shortlisted, it was terrible!
- Alex Boakes, London, England
Punchdrunk are BAC Supported Artists. BAC's Supported Artists Scheme forms part of BAC's work to develop and champion artists working in the theatre sector. The scheme selects individuals and companies that have shown special talent as theatre-makers and provides extensive help, support and inspiration for artists, allowing them to develop their practice and move their work in fresh directions.
So they're defintely a company to watch. Very deserving of this Evening Standard Theatre Award.
- BAC, London
Its has to be Rufus Sewell and Sinead Cusack...brilliant acting, great play..Stoppard gives us hope..
- Oz Girl, hobart, tasmania
Well done to Evening Standard judges for selecting the gems from the midst of some exciting theatre. Sunday in the Park with George deserves to get the design award!
- Editor @ Uktheatre Net, London
