# 65th Evening Standard Theatre Awards

The 65th Evening Standard Theatre Awards were awarded in recognition of the 2018–19 London Theatre season on 24 November 2019 at the London Coliseum. Nominations were announced on 4 November 2019. The ceremony was presented by Cush Jumbo and co-hosted by Evgeny Lebedev, Damian Lewis, Helen McCrory and Anna Wintour.

## Eligibility and nomination process

All new productions and performances on the London stage between 20 October 2018 and 10 October 2019 were eligible for consideration.

## Ceremony
### Presenters

* Ruth Wilson presented Best Actor
* Damian Lewis presented the Natasha Richardson Award for Best Actress
* Taron Egerton presented Best Musical
* Michael Kors and Gugu Mbatha-Raw presented Best Design
* Trevor Nunn presented the Editor's Award
* Glenda Jackson presented the Lebedev Award

### Performances

* 10 students from the Brit School performed "Windy City"
* Sam Tutty performed "Waving Through A Window" from Dear Evan Hansen
* Miriam-Teak Lee and the & Juliet cast performed "Roar"

### Sponsors

The headline sponsor was Michael Kors, and the following awards were presented in partnership:
* Best Play was awarded in partnership with Chanel
* Best Actor was awarded in partnership with the Ambassador Theatre Group
* The Natasha Richardson Award for Best Actress was awarded in partnership with Christian Louboutin
* Best Design was awarded in partnership with Michael Kors
* Emerging Talent was awarded in partnership with Access Entertainment
Bottega Veneta and Burberry were also partners of the event.

## Non-competitive awards

The Lebedev Award went to Peter Brook for his contribution to theatre, accepted by his daughter Irina Brook.
The Editor's Award went to Ian McKellen for his On Stage tour.

## Winners and nominees

| Best Play | Best Musical |
| Sweat by Lynn Nottage, Donmar Warehouse and Gielgud Theatre Downstate by Bruce Norris, National Theatre Dorfman ear for eye by debbie tucker green, Royal Court Theatre Glass. Kill. Bluebeard. Imp. by Caryl Churchill, Royal Court Theatre | Evita, Regent's Park Open Air Theatre Come From Away, Phoenix Theatre Fiddler on the Roof, Menier Chocolate Factory and Playhouse Theatre Sweet Charity, Donmar Warehouse |
| Best Actor | Natasha Richardson Award for Best Actress |
| Andrew Scott, Present Laughter, Old Vic K. Todd Freeman, Downstate, National Theatre Dorfman Francis Guinan, Downstate, National Theatre Dorfman Tom Hiddleston, Betrayal, Harold Pinter Theatre Wendell Pierce, Death of a Salesman, Young Vic and Piccadilly Theatre | Maggie Smith, A German Life, Bridge Theatre Hayley Atwell, Rosmersholm, Duke of York's Theatre Cecilia Noble, Downstate and Faith, Hope and Charity, National Theatre Dorfman Juliet Stevenson, The Doctor, Almeida Theatre Anjana Vasan, A Doll's House, Lyric Hammersmith |
| Best Musical Performance | Milton Shulman Award for Best Director |
| Anne-Marie Duff, Sweet Charity, Donmar Warehouse Andy Nyman, Fiddler on the Roof, Menier Chocolate Factory and Playhouse Theatre Sheridan Smith, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, London Palladium | Robert Icke, The Doctor and The Wild Duck, Almeida Theatre Miranda Cromwell and Marianne Elliott, Death of a Salesman, Young Vic and Piccadilly Theatre Jamie Lloyd, Betrayal, Harold Pinter Theatre |
| Best Design | Charles Wintour Award for Most Promising Playwright |
| Bunny Christie, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Bridge Theatre Fly Davis, Appropriate, Donmar Warehouse Tom Scutt, A Very Expensive Poison, The Old Vic | Jasmine Lee-Jones, seven methods of killing kylie jenner, Royal Court Zoe Cooper, Out of Water, Orange Tree Theatre Yasmin Joseph, J'Ouvert, Theatre503 Ross Willis, Wolfie, Theatre503 |
| Emerging Talent Award ||
| Laurie Kynaston, The Son, Kiln Theatre and Duke of York's Theatre Shiloh Coke, Chiaroscuro, Bush Theatre Grace Molony, The Watsons, Chichester Festival Theatre and Menier Chocolate Factory Bobby Stallwood, Faith, Hope and Charity, National Theatre Dorfman ||

### Multiple nominations

4 nominations
* Downstate
2 nominations
* Betrayal
* Death of a Salesman
* The Doctor
* Faith, Hope and Charity
* Fiddler on the Roof
* Sweet Charity