The Stage

Macbeth scoops double commendation at 53rd Evening Standard Theatre Awards

Published Tuesday 27 November 2007 at 15:20 by Lalayn Baluch

Rupert Goold’s production of Macbeth starring Patrick Stewart led the way at this year’s Evening Standard Theatre Awards, winning for both best actor and director.

The Shakespeare revival, which was reimagined by Goold with forties staging, transferred from Chichester’s Minerva studio to the West End’s Gielgud Theatre in September. Goold won for Best Director, while Stewart picked up Best Actor for his performance in the title role, marking the second time he has received the honour, after taking the same prize at this year’s Theatrical Management Association Awards.

Anthony Ward, the production’s designer, lost out on the Best Design award to Rae Smith and Adrian Kohler of the Handspring Puppet Company for their work on the National Theatre’s Christmas show War Horse.

Meanwhile, Anne-Marie Duff was named Best Actress for her appearance as Saint Joan in the NT’s Olivier Theatre, and the newly titled Ned Sherrin award for Best Musical, named after the broadcaster, writer, director and satirist who compered the ceremony for many years, was given to Hairspray.

Polly Stenham took Most Promising Playwright for her work That Face, which played at the Royal Court Upstairs earlier this year, and received a prize of £25,000 donated by Daily Mailand General Trust chairman Lord Rothermere and American Vogue editor Anna Wintour, daughter of former Evening Standardeditor Charles Wintour, who founded the awards.

Evening Standard theatre critic and member of the judging panel Nicholas de Jongh commented: “It is fantastic to see such a diversity of work take home awards this year - nowhere else in the English speaking world could you hope to see a radical version of Macbeth, Hairspray and War Horse all in one week. There are also encouraging signs, and our short-list reflects the fact, that the straight play in the West End is not now quite the endangered species we feared in 2006 that it was becoming.”

The full list of winners is:

• Best Play: A Disappearing Number, Barbican
• Best Actor: Patrick Stewart - Macbeth, Chichester Festival and Gielgud Theatre
• Best Actress: Anne-Marie Duff - Saint Joan, National Theatre
• The Sydney Edwards Award for Best Director: Rupert Goold - Macbeth, Chichester Festival and Gielgud Theatre
• The Ned Sherrin Award for Best Musical: Hairspray, Shaftesbury Theatre
• Best Design: Rae Smith and Adrian Kohler, The Handspring Puppet Company - War Horse, National Theatre
• The Milton Shulman Award for Outstanding Newcomer: Stephen Wight - Dealer’s Choice, Menier Chocolate Factory and Don Juan in Soho, Donmar Warehouse
• The Charles Wintour Award for Most Promising Playwright: Polly Stenham - That Face, Royal Court Upstairs
• Special Award: Steve Tompkins for radical architectural designs