Amber Riley in Dreamgirls (Photo: Brinkhoff & Mogenburg)

Amber Riley, Andrew Garfield and Andrew Scott on Evening Standard Theatre Awards shortlist

By Robin Johnson Published 17 November 2017

The London Evening Standard has revealed the shortlist for its 2017 Theatre Awards, the winners of which will be revealed in a ceremony on Sunday 3 December at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.

Celebrating a spectacular year for the London stage, star names shortlisted include the likes of Amber Riley for Best Musical Performance in Dreamgirls, and Andrew Garfield (for Angels In America at the National Theatre) and Andrew Scott (for Hamlet at the Almeida Theatre and West End) for Best Actor.

Andrew Garfield in rehearsals for Angels In America at the National Theatre (Photo: Helen Maybanks)

Andrew Scott (Hamlet) in Hamlet at the Harold Pinter Theatre (Photo: Manuel Harlan)

Multi-nominated productions included Jez Butterworth’s new play, The Ferryman, which is up for four Awards including Best New Play, as well as James Graham’s witty play about the birth of The Sun newspaper, Ink, and Dominic Cooke’s revival of Sondheim’s musical classic Follies.

The thriving relationship between London’s subsided and commercial theatre was reflected by the number of productions to have achieved successful West End transfers (Hamlet, Ink, The Ferryman, Oslo).

The annual awards, marking their 63rd year, will be co-hosted by the newspaper’s owner, Evgeny Lebedev, American Vogue editor-in-chief, Dame Anna Wintour, star of stage and screen Cate Blanchett and Hamilton creator and original star Lin-Manuel Miranda. The on-stage host for the evening is Phoebe Waller-Bridge.

The winners will be announced on Sunday 3 December.

Best Actor

Bertie Carvel – Ink (Almeida & Duke of York’s)
Andrew Garfield – Angels in America (National Theatre)
Andrew Scott – Hamlet (Almeida & Harold Pinter Theatre)

Best Actress

Laura Donnelly – The Ferryman (Royal Court & Gielgud)
Victoria Hamilton – Albion (Almeida)
Glenda Jackson – King Lear (Old Vic)

Best Musical Performance

Janie Dee – Follies (National Theatre)
Robert Fairchild – An American In Paris (Dominion)
Amber Riley – Dreamgirls (Savoy)

Best Play

The Children – Lucy Kirkwood (Royal Court)
The Ferryman – Jez Butterworth (Royal Court & Gielgud)
Ink – James Graham (Almeida & Duke of York’s)
Oslo –  JT Rogers (National Theatre & Harold Pinter Theatre)

Best Director

Dominic Cooke – Follies (National Theatre)
Robert Icke – Hamlet (Almeida & Harold Pinter)
Sam Mendes – The Ferryman (Royal Court & Gielgud)

Best Design

Jon Bausor – Bat Out of Hell – The Musical (Coliseum)
Bunny Christie – Heisenberg: The Uncertainty Principle (Wyndham’s)/The Red Barn (National Theatre)/Ink (Almeida &Duke of York’s)
Soutra Gilmour – Twelfth Night (National Theatre)

Most Promising Playwright

Branden Jacobs-Jenkin – An Octoroon (Orange Tree)
Al Smith – Harrogate (High Tide Festival & Royal Court)
Katherine Soper – Wish List (Royal Exchange Manchester & Royal Court)

Emerging Talent Award

Sheila Atim – Girl From The North Country (Old Vic)
Tom Glynn-Carney – The Ferryman (Royal Court & Gielgud)
Luke Thallon – Albion (Almeida)

Best Musical

An American In Paris – Dominion
Bat out Of Hell – The Musical – Coliseum
Dreamgirls – Savoy
Follies – National Theatre
School Of Rock The Musical – New London Theatre
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 ¾ The Musical – Menier Chocolate Factory
She Loves Me Menier Chocolate Factory

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