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Gillian Anderson wins best actress award for A Streetcar Named Desire Gillian Anderson wins best actress award for A Streetcar Named Desire
(35 minutes later)
Gillian Anderson’s powerful performance as the emotionally fragile southern belle Blanche Dubois in A Streetcar Named Desire won her a major prize at the UK’s longest running theatre awards on Sunday.Gillian Anderson’s powerful performance as the emotionally fragile southern belle Blanche Dubois in A Streetcar Named Desire won her a major prize at the UK’s longest running theatre awards on Sunday.
Anderson won the Natasha Richardson best actress award at the 60th London Evening Standard theatre awards.Anderson won the Natasha Richardson best actress award at the 60th London Evening Standard theatre awards.
She was chosen from a strong shortlist that included Helen McCrory for Medea, Kristin Scott Thomas for Electra, Billie Piper for Great Britain and Tanya Moodie for her performance in Intimate Apparel.The role is always a great one for actors with Rachel Weisz and Claire Bloom winning the same award for their roles as Blanche in 2009 and 1974.She was chosen from a strong shortlist that included Helen McCrory for Medea, Kristin Scott Thomas for Electra, Billie Piper for Great Britain and Tanya Moodie for her performance in Intimate Apparel.The role is always a great one for actors with Rachel Weisz and Claire Bloom winning the same award for their roles as Blanche in 2009 and 1974.
Anderson’s performance at the Young Vic last summer had been lavished with praise by the critics, with the Guardian’s Michael Billington describing it as “stellar” and the Observer’s Susannah Clapp calling it “utterly compelling”. Anderson’s performance at the Young Vic last summer was lavished with praise by the critics, with the Guardian’s Michael Billington describing it as “stellar” and the Observer’s Susannah Clapp calling it “utterly compelling”.
Anderson, who for some will always be Special Agent Scully, is back on British TV screens in the second series of BBC2’s The Fall.Anderson, who for some will always be Special Agent Scully, is back on British TV screens in the second series of BBC2’s The Fall.
She received her award at a starry ceremony at the London Palladium with other major prizes going to Tom Hiddleston, Tom Stoppard and Kate Bush.She received her award at a starry ceremony at the London Palladium with other major prizes going to Tom Hiddleston, Tom Stoppard and Kate Bush.
It was a good night for the Young Vic with The Scottsboro Boys winning the Ned Sherrin award for best musical, beating the Kinks show Sunny Afternoon, the Imelda Marcos musical Here Lies Love and Southwark Playhouse’s Dogfight. Anderson said: “Oh my god, this is extraordinary! I’ve wanted to do Streetcar for 30 years and have tried for the past 10 to get it off the ground.”
On paper, The Scottsboro Boys is one of those shows that should not work. Based on the true story of nine black youths in 1930s Alabama who were wrongly jailed for raping two white women, it uses a minstrel format to expose the pervading racism and bigotry of the time. She said she burst into tears when she heard Benedict Andrews had agreed to direct the play at the Young Vic. “I don’t know if I ever want to work at a theatre other than the Young Vic again.”
It was a good night for the Young Vic with The Scottsboro Boys winning the Ned Sherrin award for best musical, beating the Kinks show Sunny Afternoon, the Imelda Marcos musical Here Lies Love and Southwark Playhouse’s Dogfight.On paper, The Scottsboro Boys is one of those shows that should not work. Based on the true story of nine black youths in 1930s Alabama who were wrongly jailed for raping two white women, it uses a minstrel format to expose the pervading racism and bigotry of the time.
Written by John Kander and the late Fred Ebb (Cabaret, Chicago), it lasted only three months on Broadway in 2010. But audiences at the Young Vic adored it and, after a sell out run a year ago, it finally transferred to the Garrick in the West End in October.Written by John Kander and the late Fred Ebb (Cabaret, Chicago), it lasted only three months on Broadway in 2010. But audiences at the Young Vic adored it and, after a sell out run a year ago, it finally transferred to the Garrick in the West End in October.
The evening’s other top acting honour went to Tom Hiddleston (Loki in Thor) who won best actor for his performance as Coriolanus at the Donmar Warehouse a year ago. He won from a shortlist that also included Ben Miles for his performance as Thomas Cromwell in the RSC’s Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies; and Mark Strong for A View from the Bridge, at the Young Vic. The evening’s other top acting honour went to Tom Hiddleston (Loki in Thor) who won best actor for his performance as Coriolanus at the Donmar Warehouse a year ago. He won from a shortlist that included Ben Miles for his performance as Thomas Cromwell in the RSC’s Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies; and Mark Strong for A View from the Bridge at the Young Vic.
Hiddleston paid tribute to Strong and Miles who he watched from standing room when he was a student actor. “It is an honour to be mentioned in the same breath,” he said.
The award for best play went to Rona Munro’s trilogy of plays about the Scottish kings, James I, II, and III. The National Theatre of Scotland’s James Plays, seen in Edinburgh in August and then the National Theatre in London shortly after, won from a shortlist that included King Charles III, Intimate Apparel, and The Nether.The award for best play went to Rona Munro’s trilogy of plays about the Scottish kings, James I, II, and III. The National Theatre of Scotland’s James Plays, seen in Edinburgh in August and then the National Theatre in London shortly after, won from a shortlist that included King Charles III, Intimate Apparel, and The Nether.
Jeremy Herrin picked up the Milton Shulman award for best director for Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies, the sold out adaptations of Hilary Mantel’s Man Booker prize-winning novels.Jeremy Herrin picked up the Milton Shulman award for best director for Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies, the sold out adaptations of Hilary Mantel’s Man Booker prize-winning novels.
Four special awards were announced at the ceremony, compered by Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon. They included Sir Tom Stoppard, who was acclaimed as “the greatest living playwright” as he received the Lebedev award, named after the owner of the Standard, Evgeny Lebedev.Four special awards were announced at the ceremony, compered by Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon. They included Sir Tom Stoppard, who was acclaimed as “the greatest living playwright” as he received the Lebedev award, named after the owner of the Standard, Evgeny Lebedev.
Kate Bush received the editor’s award for her brief return to live performance at the Hammersmith Apollo earlier this year – “a new high in music performance”, according to the citation.Kate Bush received the editor’s award for her brief return to live performance at the Hammersmith Apollo earlier this year – “a new high in music performance”, according to the citation.
Here Lies Love, David Byrne and Fatboy Slim’s exuberant telling of the Imelda Marcos story, received a Beyond Theatre award “for pushing the boundaries of a musical”.Here Lies Love, David Byrne and Fatboy Slim’s exuberant telling of the Imelda Marcos story, received a Beyond Theatre award “for pushing the boundaries of a musical”.
And Skylight, the Stephen Daldry-directed production of David Hare’s play, won a special revival of the year award.And Skylight, the Stephen Daldry-directed production of David Hare’s play, won a special revival of the year award.
Other awards included an emerging talent award, in partnership with Burberry, which was won by Laura Jane Matthewson for her performance in Dogfight, an adaptation of a little remembered River Phoenix film from 1991 about marines out on the prowl before they go to Vietnam.Other awards included an emerging talent award, in partnership with Burberry, which was won by Laura Jane Matthewson for her performance in Dogfight, an adaptation of a little remembered River Phoenix film from 1991 about marines out on the prowl before they go to Vietnam.
The best design award went to Es Devlin, for American Psycho at the Almeida; and the Charles Wintour award for most promising playwright went to Beth Steel, for her miner’s strike drama Wonderland at the Hampstead theatre. She won from a shortlist that also included Barney Norris for Visitors at the Arcola and Dan O’Brien for The Body of an American at the Royal and Derngate in Northampton and the Gate in Notting Hill. The best design award went to Es Devlin, for American Psycho at the Almeida; and the Charles Wintour award for most promising playwright went to Beth Steel, for her miner’s strike drama Wonderland at the Hampstead theatre. She won from a shortlist that included Barney Norris for Visitors at the Arcola and Dan O’Brien for The Body of an American at the Royal and Derngate in Northampton and the Gate in Notting Hill.
The awards are not theatre’s biggest – that’s the Oliviers, presented next April – but they are prestigious nevertheless and have been given out every year since 1955.This year’s invited guest list included David and Victoria Beckham, Benedict Cumberbatch, Anne-Marie Duff and James McAvoy, Idris Elba and Tom Ford. The awards are not theatre’s biggest – that’s the Oliviers, presented next April – but they are prestigious nevertheless and have been given out every year since 1955. This year’s invited guest list included David and Victoria Beckham, Benedict Cumberbatch, Anne-Marie Duff and James McAvoy, Idris Elba and Tom Ford.