| Standard Theatre Awards | |
|---|---|
 Standard Theatre Award statuette | |
| Awarded for | Outstanding achievement in London theatre |
| Location | London |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Presented by | The Standard |
| First award | 1955; 71 years ago (1955) |
| Website | https://www.standard.co.uk/topic/evening-standard-theatre-awards  |
TheStandard Theatre Awards, formerly theEvening Standard Theatre Awards, were established in 1955 and are the oldest theatrical awards in the United Kingdom.[1][2] Awarded byThe Standard newspaper, the awards recognise outstanding achievement inLondon theatre and are equivalent to New York'sDrama Desk Awards.[3][4]
The trophies take the form of a modelled statuette, a figure representingDrama, designed byFrank DobsonRA, a former Professor of Sculpture at theRoyal College of Art.
The 2007 Awards lunchtime ceremony took place at theSavoy Hotel in London on 27 November 2007.[5] The judges' assessments of the winners are online.[6] The 2008 winners were announced in a ceremony at theRoyal Opera House, Covent Garden, on 24 November 2008.[7] The judges' assessments are online.[8] The 2009 winners were announced in a ceremony, again at the Royal Opera House, on Monday, 23 November 2009.[9] The judges' assessments are online.[10] The 2010 winners were announced at a celebratory evening ceremony on Thursday 28 November 2010 in the newly refurbishedSavoy Hotel.[11]
The 2011 winners were announced in a ceremony at the Savoy Hotel on 20 November 2011. The 2012 winners were announced in a ceremony again at the Savoy Hotel on 25 November 2012. The 2013 winners were announced in a ceremony again at the Savoy Hotel on 17 November 2013. The 2014 winners were announced in a ceremony at the London Palladium on 30 November 2014. The 2015 winners were announced in a ceremony at the Old Vic Theatre on 22 November 2015. The 2016 winners were announced in a ceremony again at the Old Vic Theatre on 13 November 2016. The 2017 winners were announced in a ceremony at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane on 3 December 2017. The 2018 winners were announced in a ceremony again at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane on 18 November 2018. The 2019 winners were announced in a ceremony at the London Coliseum on 24 November 2019. The 2022 winners were announced in a ceremony at The Ivy on 11 December 2022. The 2023 winners were announced in a ceremony at Claridge's Hotel on 19 November 2023.
List of existing articles for individual years:[a]
Three of the awards are given in the names of formerStandard notables:
In 1980, noting the first use of the Special Award category, Shulman observed that "In 1968 the judges felt that Alan Bennett's workForty Years On did not fit either the category of a Play or a Musical. But since they liked it so much they gave him the coveted Dobson statuette as a Special Award. In a quarter of a century, only in 1968 had no-one been designated as 'Promising' although it could conceivably be argued that Alan Bennett's Special Award was a reasonable substitute for this category."[13]
The Special Award process came to a climax in 2004 when, in the 50th anniversary year, the category was used to signal peaks of accomplishment by theNational Theatre (an institution),Harold Pinter (a playwright) and DameJudi Dench (a performer). The Patricia Rothermere Award, presented biennially from 1999 to 2005, was created to honour the memory ofPatricia Harmsworth, Viscountess Rothermere, wife ofViscount Rothermere, chairman of theDaily Mail and General Trust, which formerly owned theStandard. The two part award recognised those who had given outstanding support to young actors, while also providing a three-year scholarship award for a drama student.
In 2009, the Special Award was given in the name ofEvgeny Lebedev, executive director of theStandard. Commencing in 2009, the Best Actress award was renamed in tribute toNatasha Richardson, who died after a skiing accident in Quebec in March 2009.[14]
Also known as The Sydney Edwards Award for Best Director from 1979. Renamed the Milton Shulman Award for Best Director from 2014.
Also known asThe Natasha Richardson Award for Best Actress from 2009
Renamed the Ned Sherrin Award for Best Musical in 2007
Also known as the Charles Wintour Award for Most Promising Playwright
Also known as the Milton Shulman Award for Outstanding Newcomer
Two part award, originally as the Patricia Rothermere Award
The 66th Evening Standard Theatre Awards will be hosted on Sunday 20 November 2022 at the London Coliseum.