PICS: The Winners - Evening Standard Theatre Awards 2015

The 2015 Evening Standard Theatre Awards were held at the Old Vic last night (22nd November). Check out images of the winners - including James McAvoy, Nicole Kidman, Imelda Staunton & Stephen Sondheim - below (click image to enlarge).

Stephen Sondheim, James McAvoy, Imelda Staunton & Kinky Boots triumph at the 2015 Evening Standard Theatre Awards

James McAvoy

The 2015 Evening Standard Theatre Awards were held at the Old Vic last night (22nd November).

Presented by Rob Brydon, the awards were co-hosted by owner of the Evening Standard Evgeny Lebedev with Judi Dench and Ian McKellen who presented Stephen Sondheim the Lebedev Award for theatrical achievement at the end of the night.

Seventeen years after making her London stage debut, Nicole Kidman received Best Actress for her performance as Rosalind Franklin in Photograph 51 at the Noel Coward Theatre. The Award for Best Actor was presented to James McAvoy for his performance in The Ruling Class.

The award for Best Musical Performance went to Imelda Staunton for Gypsy who received the evening's first standing ovation as she collected her award. She later returned to the stage with co-star Gemma Sutton to perform 'Everything’s Coming Up Roses' and received a second standing ovation.

In the new talent categories, Molly Davies won Most Promising Playwright for God Bless the Child; the Emerging Talent Award was won by David Moorst, for his role in Violence and Son (both at the Royal Court Upstairs); and the Newcomer in a Musical Award went to Gemma Arterton for her musical theatre debut in Made in Dagenham.

Review: The Ruling Class at Trafalgar Studios starring James McAvoy

The Ruling Class
Trafalgar Studios
Reviewed on Wednesday 28th January 2015
★★★★

James McAvoy

The Ruling Class premiered in 1968 at the Nottingham Playhouse before transferring to the West End. Although Peter Barnes' play was adapted into a movie a few years later, the piece was never revived... until now. 

Wild and unpredictable, The Ruling Class is a crazy play - it is probably the most bonkers show I have ever seen. Countless times I found myself taken aback by just how far it dares to go; there are absolutely no boundaries. 

Be prepared to see James McAvoy as you've never seen him before. The actor - who returns to Trafalgar Transformed following his acclaimed performance in Macbeth - stars as Jack, a paranoid schizophrenic. Following the death of his father, the character becomes the 14th Earl of Gurney and finds himself well and truly out of his depth. 

The Ruling Class can be viewed in many different ways as there is so much to be dissected and evaluated; I can't even begin to imagine the post-show discussions audiences will be having as they leave the theatre each night. At the play's heart is a big power struggle, but that is only scratching the surface.

Sneak peek at... Jamie Lloyd's production of The Ruling Class starring James McAvoy

Pictures of James McAvoy and the cast of The Ruling Class rehearsing the production have been released. Directed by Jamie Lloyd, The Ruling Class runs at Trafalgar Studios, marking McAvoy's return to Lloyd's Trafalgar Transformed season. 

The show also stars Ron Cook, Kathryn Drysdale, Joshua McGuire and Anthony O'Donnell and features Michael Cronin, Serena Evans, Paul Leonard, Elliot Levey and Forbes Masson. The ensemble includes: Rosy Benjamin, Andrew Bloomer and Oliver Lavery.

The Ruling Class opens on 27th January (previews from 16th January) and runs until 11th April 2015. Design is by Soutra Gilmour, with lighting by Jon Clarkand and sound by Ben and Max Ringham. Choreography is by Darren Carnall with musical direction by Huw Evans.

Full casting announced for The Ruling Class starring James McAvoy

Full casting has been announced for Jamie Lloyd's production of The Ruling Class starring James McAvoy. The production, which runs at Trafalgar Studios, marks McAvoy's return to Lloyd's Trafalgar Transformed season. 

Ron Cook, Kathryn Drysdale, Joshua McGuire and Anthony O'Donnell will star alongside McAvoy in The Ruling Class. The cast will also feature: Michael Cronin, Serena Evans, Paul Leonard, Elliot Levey and Forbes Masson. The ensemble includes: Rosy Benjamin, Andrew Bloomer and Oliver Lavery.

Jamie Lloyd directs James McAvoy in revival of The Ruling Class

It has been revealed by the Daily Mail that James McAvoy will star in The Ruling Class.

Directed by Jamie Lloyd as part of his Trafalgar Transformed season, the production will run at Trafalgar Studios between 16th January and 11th April 2015. Peter Barnes’s play won the Evening Standard’s Best Drama Award in 1969.

The Ruling Class will conclude the second season of Trafalgar Transformed. McAvoy previously starred in Trafalgar Transformed's production of Macbeth, which was also directed by Lloyd.

Claire Foy cast as Lady Macbeth opposite James McAvoy

Claire Foy has been cast as Lady Macbeth opposite James McAvoy in new West End theatre company Traf Transformed's production of Shakespeare's Macbeth. 

The production will run from 9th February until 27th April 2013 and will be directed by Jamie Lloyd.

The show will play the Trafalgar Studio in Whitehall Theatre, as one of four plays to be produced in the new space featuring designer Soutra Gilmour. Lloyd is considering hiring an all-Scottish cast for the show, which will be set in a "distopian separatist Scotland".

Olivier Awards: Who Will Be Presenting Awards

The presenters for this years awards have been announced. It has not been revealed which award each person will be presenting.


The presenters will include:

• Hayley Atwell 
• Douglas Booth 
• Zach Braff 
• Jim Carter
• Tom Chambers 
• Tyne Daly
• Jack Davenport 
• Agyness Deyn 
• Jonathan Edwards 
• Susannah Fielding 
• Vittorio Grigolo 
• Lenny Henry
• Ronan Keating 
• Katherine Kelly 
• Harry Lloyd
• James McAvoy
• Natascha McElhone 
• Laurie Metcalf 
• Elaine Paige 
• Dan Stevens
• Sir Patrick Stewart 
• David Suchet 
• Kara Tointon 
• Will Young,
• Zoe Wanamaker
• Jodie Whittaker 
• Barbara Windsor