“Killing Eve” Star Jodie Comer Wins Top Prize For London Stage Debut – KristenBellTattoos.com

Judy Comer (Killing Eve) won Best Actress at the London Evening Standard Theater Awards for her West End debut performance as a criminal barrister specializing in the defense of rapists – who are then s*xually assaulted themselves. .

Comer received critical and public acclaim for the solo role. Prima facie, written by Suzy Miller and directed by Justin Martin. James Bierman’s Empire Street Productions will open the courtroom drama at Broadway’s Golden Theater on April 11, 2023.

Stephen Graham (The Irishman), like Comer a Liverpudlian, presented Comer with the Natasha Richardson Award for Best Actress, named in honor of the star who died in 2009.

Comer told guests, who included Richardson’s mother Dame Vanessa Redgrave and sister Julie Richardson, that his experience Prima facie “It was absolutely terrifying, having never trained,” added: “I didn’t know if I could do it.”

However, she praised the creative team for supporting the production, “and now I want to do theater every chance I get,” she added.

James McAvoy was named best actor for his performance in the title role in director Jamie Lloyd’s production. Cyrano de Bergerac. McAvoy was absent from the fun, intimate event at West End theaterland restaurant The Ivy due to filming commitments in the room.

James Graham (Sherwood) won Best Play for his political drama. The best of enemies, which played at the Young Vic Theater and featured David Harewood as William F. Buckley and Charles Edwards as Gore Vidal. The show has now moved to the Noel Coward Theatre, with Zachary Quinto taking over as Vidal.

Josie Rourke and Martha Plimpton were on hand to present Lynette Linton with the Best Director award. Linton, who is also artistic chief at London’s Bush Theatre, won for his acclaimed production of Pearl Clage’s Harlem Renaissance play. Blues for Alabama Sky At the National Theatre

Rourke noted that Linton was only the sixth woman to win the directing prize in the 66-year history of the awards. [Full disclosure: this writer is a member of the Standard’s judging panel].

The awards have long been recognized for championing newcomers. The judges gave the Emerging Talent Award to Isobel McArthur. Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of)which puts a Glaswegian comic spin on Jane Austen’s classic story.

The Charles Wintour Award for Most Brilliant Playwright went to Tyrell Williams for his powerhouse play Red Pitch About three friends who dream of soccer stardom. The play was staged at West London’s Bush Theater by Daniel Bailey, who encouraged Williams to develop the original ten-minute piece into a fully-fledged play that has now traveled to the West End and New York. Trying to be.

Transfer to London of Daniel Fish’s Extraordinary Adaptation Oklahoma! It won Best Musical and Best Performance in a Musical for Patrick Weill, who personified Judd Fry, the eponymous villain of the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic.

Well has been on a 15-year tour with the Fish and the Fry character, first working with Fish on a production at Bard College in 2007 and at stops including St. Anne’s Warehouse in Brooklyn, the Square Theater on Broadway. The circle was included. Transferring to the Young Vic in London and the Wyndham’s Theater in the West End next year.

Tom Scott won the Best Design Award. Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club

Dame Vanessa Redgrave and Nica Burns, producer and co-owner of Nimax Theatres, which controls six West End theatres, were presented with special awards on behalf of Evening Standard owner Evgeny Lebedev.