Evening Standard Theatre Awards winners announced, including Andrew Scott, Nicole Scherzinger, Patsy Ferran and Anjana Vasan

The winners have been announced for the 2023 Evening Standard Theatre Awards has been unveiled.

Andrew Scott and co-winners Patsy Ferran and Anjana Vasan won for their turns in Vanya and A Streetcar Named Desire respectively, while the Best Play nod went to Jack Thorne’s The Motive and the Cue. 

A series of Editor’s Awards were given out, including to Ruth Wilson for her 24-hour performance in The Second Woman, as well as to Elton John for his contributions to the world of musicals. Director Sam Mendes picked up the Lebedev Award for his body of work.

Star Nicole Scherzinger and director Jamie Lloyd won for Sunset Boulevard, though the Best Musical prize went to Guys and Dolls. 

Hosted by Susan Wokoma on the night, the awards’ judgin panel included Baz Bamigboye of Deadline Hollywood, Sarah Crompton of WhatsOnStage and the Observer, Evening Standard’s chief theatre critic Nick Curtis, freelance critic Farah Najib, Alice Saville, culture writer for Exeunt, Time Out and Financial Times; and Matt Wolf of the New York Times. The judging is chaired by Evening Standard culture editor, Nancy Durrant.

The full list (winners in bold) is as follows:

Best Design 

Bunny Christie, Guys and Dolls, Bridge Theatre

Robert Jones, Dancing at Lughnasa, National Theatre

Georgia Lowe, The Good Person of Szechwan, Lyric Hammersmith (in a co-production with ETT and Sheffield Theatres)

Tom Pye, My Neighbour Totoro, Royal Shakespeare Company/Barbican Theatre

Charles Wintour Award for Most Promising Playwright  

Matilda Feyiṣayọ Ibini, Sleepova, Bush Theatre

Kimber Lee, Untitled F*ck M*ss S**gon Play, Young Vic Theatre

Anoushka Lucas, Elephant, Bush Theatre

Isley Lynn, The Swell, Orange Tree Theatre

Emerging Talent 

Andrew Richardson, Guys and Dolls, Bridge Theatre

Taylor Russell, The Effect, National Theatre

Tatenda Shamiso, NO I.D, Royal Court

Jack Wolfe, Next to Normal, Donmar Warehouse

Milton Shulman Award for Best Director 

Rebecca Frecknall, A Streetcar Named Desire, Almeida Theatre

Rupert Goold, Dear England, National Theatre

Nicholas Hytner, Guys and Dolls, Bridge Theatre

Jamie Lloyd, Sunset Boulevard, Savoy Theatre

Best Musical 

Guys and Dolls, Bridge Theatre

Standing at the Sky’s Edge, National Theatre (National Theatre and Various Productions present the Sheffield Theatres production)

A Strange Loop, Barbican Theatre

Tammy Faye, Almeida Theatre

Best Musical Performance 

Kyle Ramar Freeman, A Strange Loop, Barbican Theatre

Nicole Scherzinger, Sunset Boulevard, Savoy Theatre

Charlie Stemp, Crazy For You, Gillian Lynne Theatre

Marisha Wallace, Guys and Dolls, Bridge Theatre

Best Actor 

Paapa Essiedu, The Effect, National Theatre

Mark Gatiss, The Motive and the Cue, National Theatre

Paul Mescal, A Streetcar Named Desire, Almeida Theatre

Andrew Scott, Vanya, Duke of York’s Theatre

Natasha Richardson Award for Best Actress in association with Mithridate  

Patsy Ferran, A Streetcar Named Desire, Almeida Theatre

Sophie Okonedo, Medea, @sohoplace

Rachael Stirling, Private Lives, Donmar Warehouse

Anjana Vasan, A Streetcar Named Desire, Almeida Theatre

Best Play 

Dear England, James Graham, National Theatre

A Mirror, Sam Holcroft, Almeida Theatre

The Motive and the Cue, Jack Thorne, National Theatre

Retrograde, Ryan Calais Cameron, Kiln Theatre