Judi Dench, James McAvoy, Helen Mirren make Evening Standard longlist, Damian Lewis presents

The longlist for the this year's Evening Standard Theatre Awards, which will be presented on 17 November 2013, has been announced.

Among those in contention for the acting awards include Judi Dench, Lenny Henry, James McAvoy, Helen Mirren, Billie Piper, Kristin Scott Thomas, Tom Sturridge and Dominic West.

The awards will be presented in a ceremony compered by Homeland star Damian Lewis at the Savoy Hotel on 17 November.

Five productions see two actors from their show longlisted; these are Rory Kinnear and Adrian Lester in Othello (National), Anna Chancellor and Toby Stephens in Private Lives (Gielgud), Billie Piper and Jonjo O'Neill in The Effect (National), Jenna Russell and Mark Umbers in Merrily We Roll Along (Menier/Harold Pinter) and Kristin Scott Thomas and Lia Williams in Old Times (Harold Pinter).

This year also sees the introduction of an award for Best Musical Performance, with people including Rosalie Craig, Gavin Creel, Cynthia Erivo and Douglas Hodge in the ring.

There are nine longlisted Awards, with a further six special awards to be presented on the night, which include the Emerging Talent Award in Partnership with Burberry and the Award for Comedy.

The full longlist is:

Best Actor
Chiwetel Ejiofor for A Season in the Congo (Young Vic)
Henry Goodman for The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (Chichester & Duchess)
Harry Hadden-Paton for The Pride (Trafalgar Studios)
John Heffernan for Edward II (NT Olivier)
Lenny Henry for Fences (Theatre Royal Bath & Duchess)
Rory Kinnear for Othello (NT Olivier)
Adrian Lester for Othello (NT Olivier)
James McAvoy for Macbeth (Trafalgar Studios)
Jonjo O’Neill for The Effect (NT Cottesloe)
Clarke Peters for Race (Hampstead)
Toby Stephens for Private Lives (Chichester & Gielgud)
Tom Sturridge for No Quarter (Royal Court)
Dominic West for The River (Royal Court)
Benedict Wong for Chimerica (Almeida & Harold Pinter)

Natasha Richardson Award for Best Actress
Linda Bassett for Roots (Donmar Warehouse)
Anna Calder-Marshall for The Herd (Bush)
Anna Chancellor for Private Lives (Chichester & Gielgud)
Judi Dench for Peter and Alice (Noel Coward)
Lucy Ellinson for Grounded (Gate)
Lesley Manville for Ghosts (Almeida)
Helen Mirren for The Audience (Gielgud)
Billie Piper for The Effect (NT Cottesloe)
Michelle Terry for A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare’s Globe)
Kristin Scott Thomas for Old Times (Harold Pinter)
Harriet Walter for Julius Caesar (Donmar Warehouse)
Lia Williams for Old Times (Harold Pinter)

Best Play
The Audience by Peter Morgan (Gielgud)
Chimerica by Lucy Kirkwood (Almeida & Harold Pinter)
Cocktail Sticks by Alan Bennett (NT Lyttelton)
The Dark Earth and the Light Sky by Nick Dear (Almeida)
The Effect by Lucy Prebble (NT Cottesloe)
Handbagged by Moira Buffini (Tricycle)
The Night Alive by Conor McPherson (Donmar Warehouse)
Peter and Alice by John Logan (Noel Coward)
The River by Jez Butterworth (Royal Court)
Table by Tanya Ronder (NT Shed)

Ned Sherrin Award for Best Musical
The Book of Mormon (Prince of Wales)
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Theatre Royal Drury Lane)
The Light Princess (NT Lyttelton)
Merrily We Roll Along (Menier Chocolate Factory & Harold Pinter)
Once (Phoenix)
The Sound of Music (Regent’s Park Open Air)
Titanic (Southwark Playhouse)

Best Director
Stephen Daldry for The Audience (Gielgud)
Richard Eyre for Ghosts (Almeida)
Rupert Goold for The Effect (NT Cottesloe)
Michael Grandage for Privates on Parade (Noel Coward)
Nicholas Hytner for Othello (NT Olivier)
Jonathan Kent for Private Lives (Chichester & Gielgud)
Jamie Lloyd for Trafalgar Transformed (Trafalgar Studios)
Phyllida Lloyd for Julius Caesar (Donmar Warehouse)
James Macdonald for Roots (Donmar Warehouse)
Rufus Norris for The Amen Corner (NT Olivier)
Ian Rickson for Old Times (Harold Pinter)
Josie Rourke for The Weir (Donmar Warehouse)
Lyndsey Turner for Chimerica (Almeida & Harold Pinter)

Best Design
Felix Barrett, Livi Vaughan
& Beatrice Minns for The Drowned Man: A Hollywood Fable (Punchdrunk at Temple Studios, W2)
Lizzie Clachan for Port (NT Lyttelton)
Bob Crowley for People (NT Lyttelton) & The Audience (Gielgud) & Once (Phoenix)
Es Devlin for Chimerica (Almeida)
Tim Hatley (design) &
Peter Mumford (lighting) for Ghosts (Almeida)
Christopher Oram for Michael Grandage Company season at Noel Coward
Rae Smith for The Light Princess (NT Lyttelton)
Hildegard Bechtler for Roots (Donmar Warehouse)

Charles Wintour Award for Most Promising Playwright
Rachel De-lahay for Routes (Royal Court)
Rory Kinnear for The Herd (Bush)
Nathaniel Martello-White for Blackta (Young Vic)
Janice Okoh for Three Birds (Bush)
Jessica Swale for Blue Stockings (Shakespeare’s Globe)
Anna Wakulik for A Time to Reap (Royal Court)
Phoebe Waller-Bridge for Fleabag (Soho)

Milton Shulman Award for Outstanding Newcomer
Daniel Boyd for 4000 Miles (Print Room)
Caoilfhionn Dunne for The Night Alive (Donmar Warehouse)
Max Irons for Farragut North (Southwark Playhouse)
Jennifer Kirby for Pride and Prejudice (Regent’s Park Open Air)
Seth Numrich for Sweet Bird of Youth (Old Vic)
Kate O’Flynn for Port (NT Lyttelton)
Luke Thompson for A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare’s Globe)
Olivia Vinall for Othello (NT Olivier)

Best Musical Performance
Rosalie Craig for The Light Princess (NT Lyttelton)
Gavin Creel for The Book of Mormon (Prince of Wales)
Zrinka Cvitešić for Once (Phoenix)
Cynthia Erivo for The Color Purple (Menier Chocolate Factory)
Douglas Hodge for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Theatre Royal Drury Lane)
Cecilia Noble for The Amen Corner (NT Olivier)
Jenna Russell for Merrily We Roll Along (Menier Chocolate Factory & Harold Pinter)
Mark Umbers for Merrily We Roll Along (Menier Chocolate Factory & Harold Pinter)
Charlotte Wakefield for The Sound of Music (Regent’s Park Open Air)