The winners of the 64th Evening Standard Theatre Awards were announced at a ceremony at London’s Theatre Royal Drury Lane last night (18th November, 2018).

This year’s judging panel included Evening Standard’s chief theatre critic, Henry Hitchings, Daily Mail’s Baz Bamigboye, Guardian writer and broadcaster Mark Lawson; WhatsOnStage’s Sarah Crompton, and Matt Wolf, London theatre critic of the International New York Times alongside the Evening Standard’s editor, George Osborne.

Among the big winners of the night were Ralph Fiennes and Sophie Okonedo, who both Best Actor and Best Actress for the roles as the titular lovers in ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA. Simon Godwin’s production of the Shakespearean tragedy is currently running in the Olivier Theatre at the National Theatre.

The Young Vic’s production of Matthew Lopez’s THE INHERITANCE, which recently transferred to the West End, took the award for Best Play. Marianne Elliot beat out competition for the Best Director award for her work on Stephen Sondheim’s COMPANY. Elliot’s production, that recently opened to unanimous acclaim, was bested for the Best Musical prize by Broadway import HAMILTON, although Rosalie Craig won the Best Musical Performance for her turn as the newly gender-swapped Bobbie in COMPANY.

Miriam Buether won the award for Best Design for her work on THE JUNGLE, another Young Vic import that ran in the West End. Buether transformed the Edwardian Playhouse Theatre into an immersive Afghan Cafe, as was seen in the Calais Jungle. Natasha Gordon was awarded Most Promising Playwright for NINE NIGHT, which ran at National Theatre’s Dorfman earlier this year. Gordon’s debut hit will transfer to the West End’s Trafalgar Studios next month and will feature Gordon, an actor as well, in the play. Jamael Westman, who plays Alexander Hamilton in HAMILTON, won the Emerging Talent Award.

Producer Sir Cameron Mackintosh won the Lebedev Award.

See the full list of nominees below, with the winners highlighted in bold.

BEST ACTOR
Bryan Cranston NETWORK, National Theatre (Lyttelton)
Ralph Fiennes ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA, National Theatre (Olivier)
Ian McKellen KING LEAR, Minerva Chichester and Duke of York’s
Colin Morgan TRANSLATIONS, National Theatre (Olivier)
Kyle Soller THE INHERITANCE, Young Vic and Noël Coward Theatre

NATASHA RICHARDSON AWARD FOR 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 Laura Wade, National Theatre (Dorfman)
THE INHERITANCE Matthew Lopez, Young Vic & Noël Coward Theatre
JOHN Annie Baker, National Theatre (Dorfman)
THE LEHMAN TRILOGY Stefano Massini, (adapted by Ben Power), National Theatre (Lyttelton)
THE WRITER Ella Hickson, Almeida Theatre

MILTON SHULMAN AWARD FOR 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, 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

BEST MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
Sharon D Clarke CAROLINE, OR CHANGE, Minerva Chichester & Hampstead Theatre
Rosalie Craig COMPAN, Gielgud Theatre
Arinzé Kene MISTY, Bush Theatre & Trafalgar Studios
Kelli O’Hara THE KING AND I, London Palladium
Adrienne Warren TINA, 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)

CHARLES WINTOUR AWARD FOR 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