Evening Standard Theatre Awards 2018 shortlist announced

Updated on 1 November 2018

The oldest theatre awards ceremony in the UK, The Evening Standard Theatre Awards were established in 1955. This years’ nominees include fresh faces and new talent alongside familiar faces who are well established. Keep a look out for the winners who will be announced in a ceremony on Sunday 18 November 2018.

Pictured: Kyle Soller and company in the multi-award nominated two-part show The Inheritance.


Take a look below at the list in full, complete with links so you can get your tickets and judge for yourself. 

Best Actor
Bryan Cranston, Network (National Theatre, Lyttelton)
Ralph Fiennes, Antony and Cleopatra (National Theatre, Olivier)
Ian McKellen, King Lear (Minerva Chichester & Duke of York’s Theatre)
Colin Morgan, Translations (National Theatre, Olivier)
Kyle Soller, The Inheritance (Young Vic & Noël Coward Theatre)

Best Actress
Laura Linney, My Name Is Lucy Barton (Bridge Theatre)
Carey Mulligan, Girls and Boys (Royal Court)
Cecilia Noble, Nine Night (National Theatre, Dorfman)
Sophie Okonedo, Antony and Cleopatra (National Theatre, Olivier)
Lia Williams, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (Donmar Warehouse)

Best Play
Home, I’m Darling by Laura Wade (National Theatre, Dorfman)
The Inheritance by Matthew Lopez (Young Vic & Noël Coward Theatre)
John by Annie Baker (National Theatre, Dorfman)
The Lehman Trilogy by Stefano Massini, adapted by Ben Power (National Theatre, Lyttelton)
The Writer by Ella Hickson (Almeida Theatre)

Best Director
Stephen Daldry, The Inheritance (Young Vic & Noël Coward Theatre)
Marianne Elliott,Company (Gielgud Theatre )
Robert Hastie, The York Realist (Donmar Warehouse)
Phyllida Lloyd, Tina the Musical (Aldwych Theatre)
Ian Rickson, Translations (National Theatre, Olivier)

Best Musical
Caroline, or Change (Minerva Chichester & Hampstead Theatre)
Company (Gielgud Theatre)
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (Apollo Theatre)
Fun Home (Young Vic)
Hamilton (Victoria Palace Theatre)

Best Musical Performance
Sharon D Clarke, Caroline, or Change (Minerva Chichester & Hampstead Theatre)
Rosalie Craig, Company (Gielgud Theatre)
Arinzé Kene,Misty (Bush & Trafalgar Studios)
Kelli O’Hara, The King and I (London Palladium)
Adrienne Warren, Tina the Musical (Aldwych Theatre)

Best Design
Miriam Buether, The Jungle (Young Vic & Playhouse Theatre)
Bunny Christie, Company (Gielgud Theatre)
Es Devlin, Girls and Boys (Royal Court)
Rae Smith, Translations (National Theatre, Olivier)
Jan Versweyveld, Network (National Theatre, Lyttelton)

Most Promising Playwright
Tearrance Arvelle Chisholm, Br’er Cotton (Theatre503)
Natasha Gordon, Nine Night (National Theatre, Dorfman)
Francis Turnly, The Great Wave (National Theatre, Dorfman)

Emerging Talent Award
Rona Morison, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (Donmar Warehouse)
Debris Stevenson, Poet in da Corner (Royal Court)
Chris Walley, The Lieutenant of Inishmore (Noël Coward Theatre)
Roy Alexander Weise (director), Nine Night (National Theatre, Dorfman), Br’er Cotton (Theatre503)
Jamael Westman, Hamilton (Victoria Palace Theatre)

Sarah Gengenbach

By Sarah Gengenbach

Sarah's love of theater was sparked by an enthusiastic drama teacher who wouldn't take no for an answer. These days she's much more comfortable in the audience than on the stage. She's an English teacher and enjoys reading and writing when she's not teaching or at the theater.