The Stage

Dennehy, Jacobi and Russell Beale vie for Evening Standard honour

Published Thursday 10 November 2005 at 16:55

Brian Dennehy, Derek Jacobi and Simon Russell Beale will compete for the Best Actor accolade at the 2005 Evening Standard Theatre Awards, in a year that has seen commercial West End productions scoop an impressive 18 nominations.

The National Theatre, which has recently dominated the awards, has had a disappointing year, receiving only one nomination for Mike Leigh’s 2000 Years.

Meanwhile, the West End’s first all-black British musical The Big Life is in the running for the Best Musical prize, up against Billy Elliot - the Musical and Mary Poppins, and directorial heavyweights Richard Eyre, Michael Grandage and Jonathan Kent will battle it out in the Best Director category.

The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony held on November 28 at the Savoy Hotel. The full list of nominees is as follows:

Best Play: 2000 Years by Mike Leigh, Bloody Sunday by Richard Norton-Taylor, Harvest by Richard Bean, The Home Place by Brian Friel.

Best Actor: Brian Dennehy - Death of a Salesman, Derek Jacobi - Don Carlos, Simon Russell Beale - The Philanthropist.

Best Actress: Eve Best - Hedda Gabler, Clare Higgins - Death of a Salesman, Kristin Scott Thomas - As You Desire Me, Harriet Walter - Mary Stuart.

The Sydney Edwards Awards for Best Director: Richard Eyre - Hedda Gabler and Mary Poppins, Michael Grandage - Don Carlos and Grand Hotel, Jonathan Kent - As You Desire Me.

Best Musical: The Big Life, Billy Elliot, Mary Poppins.

Best Designer: Paul Brown - As You Desire Me, Bob Crowley - Mary Poppins, Christopher Oram and Paule Constable - Don Carlos.

The Milton Shulman Award for Outstanding Newcomer: Menier Chocolate Factory co-directors David Babani and Danielle Tarento, Daniel Kramer for his direction of Hair and Woyzeck, Ben Silverstone for his performance in Man and Boy.

The Charles Wintour Award for Most Promising Playwright: Ryan Craig - What We Did to Weinstein, Nell Leyshon - Comfort Me with Apples, Simon Mendes da Costa - Losing Louis.