Standard Publishes Judges’ Longlists for First TimeDate: 1 November 2007
For the first time in its history, London’s Evening Standard newspaper has published the long list of contenders in its annual Evening Standard Theatre Awards, which includes big names such Daniel Radcliffe, Billie Piper, Lee Evans, Jessica Lange, Patrick Stewart and Maggie Smith.
The first prize-giving of the awards season – ahead of the Critics’ Circle, the Laurence Olivier and Whatsonstage.com’s own Theatregoers’ Choice Awards, all of which are announced in the new year – the Evening Standard Awards are announced at the Savoy on 27 November 2007, with shortlists published in the paper next week.
The Standard Awards are decided by a panel of critics from the Mail on Sunday (Georgina Brown), Observer (Susannah Clapp), Times (Benedict Nightingale) and Daily Telegraph (Charles Spencer) as well as the Standard itself (Nicholas de Jongh). The longlist comprises every individual and production submitted by the judges as awards-worthy.
Nicholas de Jongh explained: “The whole notion of introducing the longlist is to draw attention to the very high quality which we regularly enjoy across the full gamut of theatre. There has been this past six months a considerable range of fine acting and directing. Often as many as four or five people could be worthy winners in the closest-run categories, such as best actor and actress … Everyone of the longlist deserves their moment of glory.”
Historically, the thinking of the Standard judges was much more of a mystery. Until 2001 when the newspaper began announcing the shortlists in advance of the awards presentation (See News, 6 Nov 2001), only the winners themselves were ever publicly revealed.
In previous years, the Standard awards ceremony was hosted by broadcaster, writer and director Ned Sherrin (pictured), who passed away last month at the age of 76 (See News, 2 Oct 2007). In Sherrin’s memory, the award for Best Musical has been renamed in his honour. This year’s 53rd annual Evening Standard Theatre Awards ceremony will be hosted by actor-director Richard Wilson, who has also compered the Laurence Olivier Awards for the past three years.
- by Terri Paddock
The full longlists of contenders in this year’s 53rd annual Evening Standard Theatre Awards, which covers openings up until the end of October 2007, are (in no particular order):
BEST PLAY
A Disappearing Number - Simon McBurney and Complicite The Last Confession - Roger Crane The Masque Of The Red Death - Felix Barrett Moonlight & Magnolias - Ron Hutchinson Nothing But The Truth - John Kani The Pain And The Itch - Bruce Norris Rafta, Rafta - Ayub Khan-Din The Reporter - Nicholas Wright BEST ACTOR
David Bradley - The Caretaker Tom Brooke - Dying For It Ben Chaplin - The Reporter Mackenzie Crook - The Seagull Charles Dance - Shadowlands Lee Evans - The Dumb Waiter Peter Eyre - Terre Haute Rhys Ifans - Don Juan In Soho Paterson Joseph - The Emperor Jones Will Keen - Kiss Of The Spider Woman Rory Kinnear - The Man Of Mode Robert Lindsay - The Entertainer Stephen Moore - The History Boys Harish Patel - Rafta, Rafta Daniel Radcliffe - Equus Mark Rylance - Boeing Boeing John Simm - Elling Toby Stephens - Betrayal Patrick Stewart - Macbeth David Suchet - The Last Confession Mark Umbers - The Glass Menagerie Samuel West - Betrayal BEST ACTRESS
Eileen Atkins - There Came A Gypsy Riding Janie Dee - Shadowlands Anne-Marie Duff - Saint Joan Lindsay Duncan - That Face Kate Fleetwood - Macbeth Amanda Hale - The Glass Menagerie Felicity Kendal - Amy's View Jessica Lange - The Glass Menagerie Lesley Manville - All About My Mother Carey Mulligan - The Seagull Billie Piper - Treats Rosamund Pike - Gaslight Portia - A Member Of The Wedding Kristin Scott Thomas - The Seagull Fiona Shaw - Happy Days Maggie Smith - The Lady From Dubuque Frances de la Tour- Boeing Boeing Harriet Walter - Antony And Cleopatra Zoe Wanamaker - The Rose Tattoo Penelope Wilton - John Gabriel Borkman THE NED SHERRIN AWARD FOR BEST MUSICAL
The Enchanted Pig Fiddler on the Roof Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Little Shop of Horrors The Lord of the Rings Parade Porgy and Bess Rent The Sound of Music Take Flight Hairspray THE SYDNEY EDWARDS AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTOR
Rob Ashford - Parade Dominic Cooke - The Pain And The Itch Howard Davies - Philistines Marianne Elliott - Much Ado About Nothing Marianne Elliott & Tom Morris - War Horse Richard Eyre - The Reporter Rupert Goold - Macbeth Jamie Lloyd - The Caretaker Anna Mackmin - Dying For It Roger Michell - Betrayal Ian Rickson - The Seagull/The Hothouse Tim Supple - A Midsummer Night's Dream Deborah Warner - Happy Days BEST DESIGN
Felix Barrett - The Masque Of The Red Death Hildegard Bechtler - The Seagull/The Hothouse Lez Brotherston - Much Ado About Nothing Miriam Buether - My Child Robin Don - The Emperor Jones William Dudley - Betrayal Soutra Gilmour - The Caretaker Michael Levine - A Disappearing Number Peter McKintosh - John Gabriel Borkman Christopher Oram - Don Juan In Soho Rae Smith & Adrian Kohler for The Handspring Puppet Company - War Horse Antony Ward - Macbeth Matthew Wright - The Glass Menagerie THE CHARLES WINTOUR AWARD FOR MOST PROMISING PLAYWRIGHT
Hassan Abdulrazzak - Baghdad Wedding Mike Bartlett - My Child Lucy Caldwell - Leaves Dennis Kelly - Love And Money Polly Stenham - That Face Marius Von Mayenburg - The Ugly One THE MILTON SHULMAN AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING NEWCOMER
Arthur Darvill - Terre Haute Amanda Hale - The Glass Menagerie Colin Morgan - All About My Mother Carey Mulligan - The Seagull Matt Smith - That Face Stephen Wight - Dealer's Choice/Don Juan In Soho Related Content
