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The Standard Theatre Awards 2009: Longlist revealed
By Louise Jury, Evening Standard 02.11.09
Longlist: we celebrate the best of the stage
In the running: Enron is a contender for the best play while its star, Samuel West, is up for best actor
Special award: the Best Actress award is in honour of Natasha Richardson
It has been a year when Sam Mendes finally returned to London theatre, Jude Law and David Tennant were mobbed as Hamlet and audiences flooded the West End as never before.
With 2009 set to be a blockbuster year at the box office, today's longlist for the London Evening Standard Theatre Awards proves it has been 12 months of critical as well as commercial success.
Stalwarts such as Simon Russell Beale and Henry Goodman turned in performances to delight their fans, while faces from film or TV took centre stage, including Kevin Spacey, artistic director of the Old Vic, whose performance in Inherit The Wind is recognised.
The depth of talent was such that even acclaimed performances by Law, Dominic West and Gillian Anderson failed to make the running for the awards, chosen by our panel of London critics.
Matthew Kelly makes the longlist for two productions, Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf and Troilus And Cressida. Ken Stott is recognised for his turn as Eddie Carbone in Arthur Miller's A View From The Bridge and is joined by co-star Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio.
The shortlist will be unveiled next week and the winners announced on 23 November at the Royal Opera House, in a ceremony hosted by Evening Standard executive director Evgeny Lebedev and compered by Kirsty Young.
The best actress award is named in tribute to Natasha Richardson — pictured left — who died after a skiing accident in Quebec in March. Mr Lebedev said: “This year we lost one of the great stage talents of our age in a tragic accident.
Natasha Richardson was not only an exceptional actress but a loving mother, sister, daughter and wonderful friend.
“She was loved by all whose lives she touched with her radiance, kindness and unforgettable glow of talent. We hope the London Evening Standard Natasha Richardson award for best actress will honour her achievements and her memory.”
The judges are Henry Hitchings of the Standard, Susannah Clapp of The Observer, Matt Wolf of the International Herald Tribune, Georgina Brown of The Mail on Sunday and Charles Spencer from the Daily Telegraph.
Standard deputy editor Sarah Sands chairs the panel and Mr Lebedev will present his own special award.
Blockbuster year: The Awards Longlist
Best Actor
Bertie Carvel The Pride
(Royal Court)
Michael Feast Plague Over England (Duchess)
Henry Goodman Duet For One (Almeida/Vaudeville)
David Harewood The Mountaintop (Theatre 503/Trafalgar Studios)
Matthew Kelly Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf (Trafalgar Studios) Troilus And Cressida (Shakespeare's Globe)
Ian McKellen Waiting For Godot (Theatre Royal Haymarket)
Simon Russell Beale The Winter's Tale (Old Vic)
Mark Rylance Jerusalem
(Royal Court)
Kevin Spacey Inherit The Wind (Old Vic)
Ken Stott A View From The Bridge (Duke of York's)
David Tennant Hamlet (RSC Stratford/Novello)
David Troughton Enjoy (Gielgud) Inherit The Wind (Old Vic)
Samuel West Enron (Royal Court)
The Natasha Richardson Award for Best Actress
Samantha Bond Arcadia (Duke of York's)
Deanna Dunagan August: Osage County (Steppenwolf/ National)
Penny Downie Helen (Shakespeare's Globe)
Rebecca Hall The Winter's Tale (Old Vic)
Pauline Malefane The Mysteries (Garrick)
Lyndsey Marshal The Pride (Royal Court)
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio A View From The Bridge (Duke of York's)
Amy Morton August: Osage County (Steppenwolf/ National)
Juliet Stevenson Duet For One (Almeida/Vaudeville)
Michelle Terry England People Very Nice (National)
Rachel Weisz A Streetcar Named Desire (Donmar Warehouse)
Best Play
August: Osage County Tracy Letts (Steppenwolf/National)
England People Very Nice Richard Bean (National)
Enron Lucy Prebble (Royal Court)
Jerusalem Jez Butterworth (Royal Court)
Our Class Tadeusz Slobodzianek/Ryan Craig
(Steppenwolf/National)
Pornography Simon Stephens (Tricycle)
Punk Rock Simon Stephens (Lyric Hammersmith)
Tusk Tusk Polly Stenham
(Royal Court)
When The Rain Stops Falling Andrew Bovell (Almeida)
The Ned Sherrin Award for Best Musical
A Little Night Music (Menier Chocolate Factory/Garrick)
Been So Long (Young Vic)
Hello, Dolly (Open Air, Regent's Park)
The Mysteries (Garrick)
Spring Awakening (Lyric Hammersmith/Novello)
Sunset Boulevard (Comedy)
Best Director
Howard Davies Burnt by the Sun (National)
Marianne Elliott All's Well That Ends Well (National)
Richard Eyre The Last Cigarette (Trafalgar Studios) and The Observer (National)
Rupert Goold Enron (Royal Court)
Jeremy Herrin Tusk Tusk (Royal Court)
Janice Honeyman The Tempest (RSC Stratford/Richmond)
Sean Mathias Waiting For Godot (Theatre Royal Haymarket)
Sam Mendes The Winter's Tale (Old Vic)
Ian Rickson Jerusalem (Royal Court)
Anna D Shapiro August: Osage County (Steppenwolf/National)
Best Design
Jon Bausor Kursk (Young Vic)
Miriam Buether Judgement Day (Almeida)
Lez Brotherston Dancing At Lughnasa (Old Vic)
Bob Crowley Phedre (National)
The Power Of Yes (National)
Rob Howell The Observer (National)
Mamoru Iriguchi Mincemeat (Cardboard Citizens/Cordy House, Shoreditch)
Peter McKintosh Prick Up Your Ears (Comedy)
Vicki Mortimer Burnt by
The Sun (National)
Christopher Oram Hamlet/Madame de Sade/Twelfth Night (Donmar at Wyndham's)
A Streetcar Named Desire (Donmar Warehouse)
Todd Rosenthal August: Osage County (National)
Ultz Jerusalem (Royal Court)
The Charles Wintour Award for most promising playwright
Alia Bano (Shades/Royal Court)
Kieron Barry (Stockwell/Landor & Tricycle)
Lucy Kirkwood (It Felt Empty When The Heart Went At First But It Is Alright Now/Arcola)
Molly Davies (A Miracle/Royal Court)
Katori Hall (Mountaintop/Theatre 503 & Trafalgar Studios)
Ella Hickson (Eight/Trafalgar Studios)
Alexi Kaye Campbell (The Pride/Royal Court & Apologia/Bush)
The Milton Shulman Award for Outstanding Newcomer
Naana Agyei-Ampadu (Been So Long/Young Vic)
Aneurin Barnard (Spring Awakening/Lyric Hammersmith)
Lenny Henry (Othello/Northern Broadsides at Trafalgar Studios)
Ruth Negga (Phedre/National)
Bel Powley (Tusk Tusk/Royal Court)
Toby Regbo (Tusk Tusk/Royal Court)
Tom Sturridge (Punk Rock/ Lyric Hammersmith)
Charlotte Wakefield (Spring Awakening/ Lyric Hammersmith & Novello)
Phoebe Waller-Bridge (2nd May 1997/Bush)
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Reader views (9)
Best Director must go to Janice Honeyman for her stupendous, creative, amazing The Tempest.
- Liane Swift, Cape Town, South Africa
I think Patrick Stewart is the best Actor for Hamlet /McBeth/ Twelfth Night.
I Think Kate Fleetwood is the Best Actress for working with Patrick Stewart for
McBeth/ Twelfth Night
- Claire Nedzela, Ottawa
Yes, Gillian Anderson's performance definitely one of the best I've seen this year.
My money is on 'Enron' to sweep the board.
- Paul, Wilds of Woolwich
Priscilla Queen of the Desert should surely have deserved at least a nomination, given that it has the terrific Oliver Thornton, wildly creative set and costume designs and an overall huge entertainment value? The theatre show managed to improve on the blockbuster film as well, quite an achievement. But perhaps the nominations for 'Hello Dolly', 'A Little Night Music' and 'Sunset Boulevard' illustrate that it was all a bit to 21st century for the judges?!
- Adrie Van Der Luijt, London
Gillian Anderson should have been nominated for her powerful, nuanced performance in A Doll's House. Hers was one of the best performances I've seen this year.
- Natalie, London
Happy to see Ken Stott on the list. However, Gillian Anderson's lack of a nomination for Best Actress list is a disgrace.
- Sam, Hampstead, UK
Rebecca Hall gave a stunning performance in the Winter's Tale, and I would put her marginally ahead of Juliet Stevenson in Duet for One. I am delighted that Michael Feast has made the longlist for Plague Over England, and there is nothing to equal A Little Night Music in the musical category.
- Blue Baby, London
Best Actress award must go to Juliet Stevenson for her powerful, intelligent and moving performance in Duet for One.
- Andy,, Potters Bar, Herts
Yes, the lack of nominations for Gillian Anderson and "Doll's House" is a glaring omission.
- Rob, Encore, Antract
