Frankenstein stars win Evening Standard Theatre Awards – WBNews

Frankenstein stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller have been named joint winners of the best actor award at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards. Cumberbatch and Miller alternated in the roles of Frankenstein and the Creature in Danny Boyle’s National Theatre production. Richard Bean’s The Heretic and One Man, Two Guvnors, starring James Corden, both took the prize for best play. The awards were hosted by Dame Edna Everage at London’s Savoy Hotel. In deciding the best actor prize, the judges – made up of leading theatre critics – said it would have been “invidious” not to recognise both actors. Sherlock star Cumberbatch said: “What a journey this was, I’m so happy we’re sharing this, it would have made no sense otherwise.” Miller said: “It was literally a monster of a production.” He praised the “sheer bloody genius” of director Danny Boyle and thanked Cumberbatch for “having no ego” about sharing the roles. Earlier Miller had told the BBC the play had been the most challenging of his career. He said: “The roles were so different and it was wonderful to have the chance to explore two different sides to a play. “For that reason you couldn’t have a favourite role, but The Creature was more physical and more demanding and you sweated a ton.” Sheridan Smith beat off stiff competition to take the Natasha Richardson Award for best actress for her role as a former barmaid alongside Sienna Miller in Terence Rattigan’s wartime drama, Flare Path. “Are you sure?”…more detail