Evening Standard Theatre Awards 2016 – Glenn Close and Jesus Christ Superstar are big winners

Glenn Close wins for her Best Musical Performance in Sunset Boulevard. Picture: Richard Hubert Smith

Glenn Close beat fellow countryman Andy Karl and homegrown talent Sheridan Smith for the title of Best Musical Performance at the 2016 London Evening Standard Theatre Awards ceremony.

The Sunset Boulevard star was presented with her award by Elton John who co-hosted the star-studded event with Evening Standard owner, Evgeny Lebedev.

Another Andrew Lloyd Webber show was judged to be the winner of the Radio 2 Audience Award. The Regent Park Open Air Theatre’s production of Tim Rice and Lloyd Webber’s Jesus Christ Superstar won the listeners’ vote with Lloyd Webber on hand to accept the award.

Held at London’s Old Vic Theatre, the 62nd Evening Standard Theatre Awards ceremony was hosted by Rob Brydon with the Duke of Cambridge and stars including Tom Hiddleston, Mark Rylance, Michael Gambon and Maggie Smith among the big names in attendance.

Ian McKellen added a touch of seasonal glitter to the proceedings by arriving on stage dressed as a pantomime dame, trading panto-style insults with Patrick Stewart.

The audience was also treated to a sneak preview of the upcoming London production of Dreamgirls with a performance of the show stopping ‘And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going’ by the show’s star, Glee’s Amber Riley.

The full list of award winners:

Best Actor
Ralph Fiennes, The Master Builder (Old Vic)/Richard III (Almeida)

Natasha Richardson Award for Best Actress
Billie Piper, Yerma (Young Vic)

Best Musical Performance
Glenn Close, Sunset Boulevard (Coliseum)

Double win – Tyrone Huntley in Jesus Christ Superstar at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre. Picture: Roy Tan

Best Play
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by Jack Thorne, JK Rowling and John Tiffany (Palace Theatre)

Evening Standard Radio 2 Audience Award for Best Musical
Jesus Christ Superstar, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Milton Shulman Award for Best Director
John Malkovich, Good Canary (Rose, Kingston)

Best Revival
No Man’s Land, Wyndham’s (dir. Sean Mathias)

Best Design
Gareth Fry with Peter Malkin (sound design), The Encounter (Edinburgh International Festival/Barbican)

Charles Wintour Award for Most Promising Playwright
Charlene James, Cuttin’ It (Young Vic/Royal Court/Yard)

Emerging Talent Award

Tyrone Huntley, Jesus Christ Superstar (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre)

Beyond Theatre Award
David Attenborough

Editor’s Award
Good Chance Theatre

Lebedev Award
Kenneth Branagh

Angela Thomas

www.standard.co.uk/ESTA2016