PICS: The After Party - Evening Standard Theatre Awards 2015

The 2015 Evening Standard Theatre Awards were held at the Old Vic last night (22nd November). Check out pictures from the after party below (click image to enlarge).

  

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.

PICS: Musical theatre legends celebrate Stephen Sondheim's 85th birthday

Last night (25th October) some of theatre's biggest stars came together to perform in Hey, Old Friends, An 85th Birthday Tribute to Stephen Sondheim at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Check out images from the one-off perforance below (click picture to enlarge).

Performers includes: Maria Friedman, Daniel Evans, Michael Xavier, Millicent Martin, Julia McKenzie, Rosemary Ashe, Marianne Benedict, Tracie Bennett, Erin Doherty, Anton Du Beke, Dominic Ferris, Tim Flavin, Tiffany Graves, Simon Green, Haydn Gwynne, Anita Harris, Kit Hesketh-Harvey, Marilyn Hill Smith, Damian Humbley, Alison Jiear, Bonnie Langford, Rula Lenska, Jason Manford, James McConnel, Grant McCovney, Robert Meadmore, Martin Milnes, Charlotte Page, Nicholas Parsons, Michael Peavoy, Laura Pitt-Pulford, Joseph Shovelton and Sally Ann Triplett.

Interview: The cast of Hey, Old Friends discuss all things Sondheim

On Sunday 25th October 2015, a cast of theatrical legends will take to the stage at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane to star in Hey, Old Friends, an 85th birthday tribute to Stephen Sondheim. 

Featuring over 30 principals, a 40-piece orchestra led by Gareth Valentine and a chorus from ArtsEd, the show will celebrate the greatest songs and shows by Sondheim – a man who needs no introduction. The show is in aid of The Silver Line and The Stephen Sondheim Society.

Martin Milnes, Michael Peavoy, Tim Flavin, Anita Harris, Nicholas Parsons, Rula Lenska, Robert Meadmore & Dominic Ferris 

Recently I joined some of the stars of Hey, Old Friends - including national treasure Nicholas Parsons, Carry On icon Anita Harris and US leading man Tim Flavin plus Olivier Award-winning director/choreographer Bill Deamer – behind the scenes at their photo shoot with acclaimed theatre photographer Darren Bell. We discussed the beauty of Sondheim’s work, the excitement surrounding the gala and much, much more…

Film Review: Disney's Into The Woods

Lilla Crawford as Little Red Riding Hood

Into The Woods
Disney
Released 9th January 2015
★★★★★

Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's dark and twisted musical Into The Woods seemed an unlikely choice for a stage to screen adaptation from squeaky clean Disney. Intertwining several fairytales, Into The Woods tells a cleverly pieced together story that translates well on the big screen.

The film sees Cinderella (Anna Kendrick) fleeing from the ball, Little Red Riding Hood (Lilla Crawford) being pursued by the big bad wolf (Johnny Depp), Rapunzel (Mackenzie Mauzy) letting down her hair and Jack (Daniel Huttlestone) being chased down his beanstalk by the giant.