Spacey: Named as best actor

The Evening Standard judges said: "It is going to become ever more difficult as the years go by to keep live theatre prospering when the attention of the next generation is overwhelmingly fixed upon film and television.

"The judges felt it hard, therefore, to overstate the contribution made to live theatre in general, and to that of London in particular, when a star such as Ms Kidman not only takes the risk of doing live theatre, but does it so very well.

"It focuses the attention of an audience who might otherwise never give a thought to theatre from one year to the next."

McGregor: Latest movie actor to appear on the London stage

Kidman and co-star Iain Glen are taking the production of David Hare's play to Broadway in the New Year.

Meanwhile Scottish movie star Ewan McGregor is currently packing them in at the tiny Hampstead Theatre with Little Malcolm And His Struggle Against The Eunuchs.

The fringe Almeida Theatre, which produced The Iceman Cometh, was awarded a new prize for theatrical achievement of the year.

Best actress award went Sinead Cusack, wife of Jeremy Irons, for her role in Our Lady Of Sligo.

Cusack: wife of Jeremy Irons

The best play was Michael Frayn's Copenhagen and best musical was Oklahoma!, as revived by Trevor Nunn at the Royal National Theatre.

The Iceman Cometh director Howard Davies was named best director and the most promising playwright was Mark Ravenhill for Handbag.

Best stage designer was Richard Hoover for Not About Nightingales.