Patrick Stewart Garners Award

[Vic 17]

Macbeth role leads to 'Evening Standard Theatre Award' for 'Star Trek' veteran.

 

http://www.trektoday.com/news/281107_02.shtml

[trekz 7]

Goold's Macbeth production, which began at the Chichester Festival before transferring to the Gielgud, won rave reviews, producing the strongest ticket sales for a Shakespeare in the West End in years.

 

The critics hailed Stewart for a performance which showed him in "absolute command of his art".

 

He beat Charles Dance (Shadowlands), Robert Lindsay (The Entertainer) and Mark Rylance (Boeing Boeing) to take his award from Cranford star Eileen Atkins at the Savoy.

 

Stewart said: "It's wonderful, we're all aglow. All of us who believe the best possible theatre should be in London are thrilled."

 

Goold said he was "gobsmacked" at the award. He added: "They said it was a great year and it really is. Look at all the amazing people on the shortlist."

 

Evening Standard editor Veronica Wadley said the awards "recognise the huge reservoir of theatrical talent in London, in directing, writing and design and perhaps especially in acting".

 

Straight plays made a comeback after fears last year they were becoming an endangered species in the face of the musical.

 

Ms Wadley said that "2007 has once again seen serious theatre centrestage".

 

The awards were chosen by a panel of critics: Nicholas de Jongh of the Evening Standard, Georgina Brown of the Mail On Sunday, Susanna Clapp of The Observer, Benedict Nightingale of The Times and Charles Spencer of the Daily Telegraph.

 

EVENING STANDARD THEATRE AWARDS

 

Best Actor

Patrick Stewart - Macbeth (Chichester Festival, then Gielgud)

 

The Sydney Edwards Award for Best Director

Rupert Goold - Macbeth (Chichester Festival, then Gielgud)

 

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I was lucky enough to see Patrick Stewart this summer in the "other" Shakespeare play being staged at Chichester - Twelvth Night. The whole cast was wonderful. It had very interesting staging and costuming and Patrick was excellent as Malvolio. He is indeed a great actor and I am very excited to see him honored as best actor for 2007 by the Evening Standard!