Nicole Kidman: Only received one vote from the critics

Cusack, the wife of Jeremy Irons, won twice as many votes as Juliette Binoche, who appeared at the tiny King's Head Theatre in Naked.

Best play was Trevor Nunn's revival of Oklahoma!, while Michael Frayn's Copenhagen won best new play.

Howard Davies won best director for his work on Flight as well as The Iceman Cometh, which saw Oscar-winner Spacey take to the stage of north London's small Almeida Theatre.

Ewan McGregor - who stars in the forthcoming Star Wars prequel movie - is still appearing in the West End, in Little Malcolm And His Struggle Against The Eunuchs which recently moved to the Duchess Theatre.

The critics' choices largely mirrored those of the judges of the Evening Standard Theatre Awards last November.

Then Spacey was praised by the judges for his "touching grace onstage", while Cusack's performance as Mai O'Hara, an alcoholic dying of liver cancer was "painful to watch" but "beautifully controlled."

Spacey and Cusack are also shortlisted for the Olivier Awards, which are announced next week.

In other awards the most promising playwright was Rebecca Prichard for Yard Gal at the Royal Court Theatre, while Mick Gordon, director of The Gate Theatre, was best newcomer.