Standard Theatre Awards 2017

Andrew Garfield has picked up the Best Actor Award at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards this year, eleven years after winning Outstanding Newcomer in the same awards.

The Spiderman actor was recognised for his role in the National Theatre’s production of Angels in America, which was directed by Marianne Elliott. He fended off stiff competition in his category from Bertie Carvel and Andrew Scott.

Legendary actress and politician Glenda Jackson won the Natasha Richardson Award for Best Actress for her turn as King Lear at the Old Vic. The performance marked her return to the stage after a hiatus of over 25 years.

The Best Musical Performance was picked up by Amber Riley as Effie White in Dreamgirls which opened at the Savoy Theatre in December last year.

The Ferryman took home three out of the four awards it was nominated for, with Sam Mendes winning for Best Director, Jez Butterworth winning for Best Play and Tom Glynn-Carney winning the Emerging Talent Award. Bat Out of Hell won the audience voted Radio 2 Best Musical Award.

The 63rd awards took place at a ceremony today at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. Past winners have included Judi Dench, Albert Finney, Laurence Olivier, Ian McKellen, Simon Russell Beale, Tom Hiddleston and Sheridan Smith.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge hosted the event on stage, while the Evening Standard’s owner Evgeny Lebedev, American Vogue editor-in-chief, Dame Anna Wintour, Cate Blanchett and Hamilton creator and original star Lin-Manuel Miranda co-hosted the evening.

The winners of the awards were decided by a judging panel which this year included journalist Baz Bamigboye, London Evening Standard’s chief theatre critic Henry Hitchings; broadcaster Mark Lawson; WhatsOnStage’s Sarah Crompton and Matt Wolf, London Theatre Critic of the International New York Times. They were joined by the London Evening Standard’s editor George Osborne and chaired by ESI Media chairman Justin Byam Shaw.

The winners in full
Best Actor
Andrew Garfield for Angels in America (National Theatre)

Natasha Richardson Award for Best Actress
Glenda Jackson for King Lear (Old Vic)

Best Musical Performance
Amber Riley for Dreamgirls (Savoy)

Best Play
The Ferryman by Jez Butterworth (Royal Court & Gielgud)

Best Director
Sam Mendes for The Ferryman (Royal Court & Gielgud)

Best Design
Bunny Christie for Heisenberg: The Uncertainty Principle (Wyndham’s)/ Ink (Almeida & Duke of York’s) /The Red Barn (National Theatre)

Most Promising Playwright
Branden Jacobs-Jenkins for An Octoroon (Orange Tree)

Emerging Talent Award
Tom Glynn-Carney for The Ferryman (Royal Court & Gielgud)

Radio 2 Audience Award for Best Musical
Bat out of Hell The Musical (Coliseum)