Spacey honoured at theatre awards

Amid a storm of publicity, Spacey took charge of the Old Vic in 2003

Hollywood actor Kevin Spacey has been honoured at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards for his work revitalising London's Old Vic theatre.

The judges were impressed with the Old Vic's revival of Alan Ayckbourn's The Norman Conquests, which was overseen by creative director Spacey.

Spacey also received praise for his performance with Jeff Goldblum in David Mamet's Speed the Plow this year.

The Donmar Warehouse won four awards, including best actor and best actress.

Two best actresses

The Donmar's Michael Grandage was named best director for his productions of Othello and The Chalk Garden, together with Ivanov, which was staged as part of the Donmar's West End season.

Margaret Tyzack and Penelope Wilton shared the award for best actress for their roles in Grandage's The Chalk Garden.

In my 17 years on the judges' panel I cannot recall many occasions when there was a more exciting and diverse collection of candidates in most of the categorie

Evening Standard theatre critic Nicholas de Jongh

Chiwetel Ejiofor won best actor for the title role of Othello, also at the Donmar.

The National Theatre's sole award was for best play for its production of Lee Hall's The Pitmen Painters.

The Young Vic won best musical for its revival of Kurt Weill's Street Scene, while the Charles Wintour most promising playwright award was won by American writer Tarell Alvin McCraney for In the Red and Brown Water and The Brothers Size.

Evening Standard theatre critic Nicholas de Jongh said: "In my 17 years on the judges' panel I cannot recall many occasions when there was a more exciting and diverse collection of candidates in most of the categories.

"And I think our choices reflect the fact that even though the West End remains far too short of plays and too full of musicals, the London theatre now offers a tremendous variety of choices for the theatre-goers."