LONG LIST OF NOMINEES FOR EVENING STANDARD THEATRE AWARDS ANNOUNCED

The judges are Sarah Sands, deputy editor of the Evening Standard, and a panel of theatre critics that comprises Henry Hitchings (Evening Standard), Georgina Brown (Mail on Sunday), Susannah Clapp (Observer), Charles Spencer (Daily Telegraph), Libby Purves (The Times) and Matt Wolf (International Herald Tribune).

Awards are presented in eight categories. The long list is as follows:

- Best Actor:
Bertie Carvel for Matilda The Musical (RSC Stratford and West End's Cambridge Theatre).
Richard Clothier for Richard III (Hampstead Theatre).
James Corden for One Man, Two Guvnors (National's Lyttelton).
Benedict Cumberbatch for Frankenstein (National's Olivier).
Charles Edwards for Much Ado About Nothing (Shakespeare's Globe).
Ralph Fiennes for The Tempest (Theatre Royal, Haymarket).
Harry Hadden-Paton for Flare Path (Theatre Royal, Haymarket).
Derek Jacobi for King Lear (Donmar Warehouse).
Jude Law for Anna Christie (Donmar Warehouse).
Jonny Lee Miller for Frankenstein (National's Olivier).
Kevin Spacey for Richard III (Old Vic).
Dominic West for Butley (Duchess).

- Best Actress:
Kristin Scott Thomas for Betrayal (Comedy).
Gemma Arterton for The Master Builder (Almeida).
Tracie Bennett for End of the Rainbow (Trafalgar Studios).
Eve Best for Much Ado About Nothing (Shakespeare's Globe).
Lisa Dillon for The Knot of the Heart (Almeida).
Haydn Gwynne for Richard III (Old Vic).
Lesley Manville for Grief (National's Cottesloe).
Sinead Matthews for Ecstasy (Hampstead Theatre).
Ruth Negga for The Playboy of the Western World (Old Vic).
Sheridan Smith for Flare Path (Theatre Royal, Haymarket).
Samantha Spiro for Chicken Soup with Barley (Royal Court).
Imelda Staunton for A Delicate Balance (Almeida).
Michelle Terry for Tribes (Royal Court).
Tracey Ullman for My City (Almeida).
Ruth Wilson for Anna Christie (Donmar Warehouse).

- Best Director:
Rob Ashford for Anna Christie (Donmar Warehouse).
Lucy Bailey for The Beggar's Opera (Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park) and Kingdom of the Earth and Fabrication (both Print Room).
Danny Boyle for Frankenstein (National's Olivier).
Dominic Cooke for Chicken Soup with Barley (Royal Court).
Declan Donnellan for The Tempest (Cheek by Jowl at the Barbican).
Simon Godwin for The Acid Test (Royal Court).
Michael Grandage for Luise Miller (Donmar Warehouse).
Edward Hall for Richard III and The Comedy of Errors (Hampstead Theatre).
Sean Holmes for Saved (Lyric Hammersmith).
Mike Leigh for Grief (National's Cottesloe).
Sam Mendes for Richard III (Old Vic).
Roger Michell for Tribes (Royal Court).
Rufus Norris for London Road at the Tribes (Royal Court).
Trevor Nunn for Flare Path (Theatre Royal, Haymarket).
Bijan Sheibani for The Kichen (National's Olivier).
Max Stafford-Clark for Top Girls (Chichester's Minerva and Trafalgar Studios).
Jessica Swale for The Belle's Stratagem (Southwark Playhouse).
Matthew Warchus for Matilda the Musical (RSC Stratford and Cambridge Theatre).
Nicholas Hytner for One Man, Two Guvnors (National's Lyttelton).

- The Charles WIntour Award For Most Promising Playwright:
Tom Basden for Joseph K (Gate Theatre).
Jesse Briton for Bound (Southwark Playhouse).
V Crowe for Kin (Royal Court).
Vivienne Franzmann for Mogadishu (Lyric Hammersmith).
Ella Hickson for Precious Little Talent (Trafalgar Studio).
Morgan Lloyd Malcolm for Belongings (Hampstead and Trafalgar Studios).
Penelope Skinner for The Village Bike (Royal Court).

- Best Design:
Paul Barritt for The Animals and Children Took to the Streets (BAC)
Jon Bausor for Lord of the Flies (Open Air Theatre).
Giles Cadle for The Kitchen (National's Olivier).
Bunny Christie for Men Should Weep (National's Lyttelton).
Lizzie Clachan for Wastwater (Royal Court).
Adam Cork for sound design for Anna Christie and Ling Lear (both Donmar Warehouse).
William Dudley for Snake in the Grass (Print Room).
Mark Tildesley for Frankenstein (National's Olivier).

The Milton Shulman Award for Outstanding Newcomer:
1927 company for their production of The Animals and Children Took To The Streets (BAC).
Robyn Addison for her performances in The Rivals (Theatre Royal Bath/Theatre Royal Haymarket) and Mongrel Island (Soho Theatre).
Tom Byam Shaw for his performances in Les Parents Terribles (Donmar at Trafalgar Studios) and The  Tempest (Theatre Royal, Haymarket).
Joseph Drake of his performance in Kingdom of the Earth (Print Room)
Johnny Flynn for his performance in The Heretic (Royal Court)
Phoebe Fox for her performances in As You Like It (Rose Kingston), The Acid Test (Royal Court) and There Is A War (National's Paintframe)
Malcolm Kirby for his performance in Mogadishu (Lyric Hammersmith)
Vanessa Kirby for her performance in The Acid Test (Royal Court).
David Mercatall for his direction of Tender Napalm (Southwark Playhouse).
Chris Rolls for his direction of Les Parents Terribles (Donmar at Trafalgar Studios).
Kyle Soller for his performances in The Glass Menagerie (Young Vic), The Government Inspector (Young Vic) and The Faith Machine (Royal Court).
David Wilson Barnes for his performance in Becky Shaw (Almeida).

- Best Play:
Richard Bean's The Heretic (Royal Court).
Richard Bean's One Man, Two Guvnors (National's Lyttelton).
David Davalos's Wittenberg (Gate).
David Eldridge's The Knot of the Heart (Almeida).
Nina Raine's Tribes (Royal Court).
Alecksey Scherbak's Remembrance Day (Royal Court).

- The Ned Sherrin Award for Best Musical:
Betty Blue Eyes (Novello).
Crazy for You (Open Air Theatre).
Fela! (National's Olivier).
London Road (National's Cottesloe).
Matilda The Musical (RSC Stratford and Cambridge Theatre).
Parade (Southwark Playhouse).
Woody Sez (Arts Theatre).