MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG, THE LIGHT PRINCESS & More Included on 2013 Evening Standard Awards Shortlist

The shortlist for the annual Evening Standard Theatre Awards has been announced. Winners revealed at a ceremony presented by Damian Lewis at the Savoy Hotel on November 17, when the recipients of six special awards will also be revealed.

Best actor

Chiwetel Ejiofor, A Season in the Congo (Young Vic)

Rory Kinnear, Othello, National (Olivier)

Adrian Lester, Othello, National (Olivier)

Natasha Richardson award for best actress

Linda Bassett, Roots (Donmar Warehouse)

Lesley Manville, Ghosts (Almeida)

Helen Mirren, The Audience (Gielgud)

Billie Piper, The Effect, National (Cottesloe)

Kristin Scott Thomas, Old Times (Harold Pinter)

Best play

Lucy Kirkwood, Chimerica (Almeida)

Nick Dear, The Dark Earth and the Light Sky (Almeida)

Lucy Prebble, The Effect (National, Cottesloe)

Ned Sherrin award for best musical

THE BOOK OF MORMON (Prince of Wales)

THE LIGHT PRINCESS (National, Lyttlelton)

MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG (Menier Chocolate Factory & Harold Pinter)

Best director

Richard Eyre, Ghosts (Almeida)

Nicholas Hytner, Othello (National, Olivier)

Rufus Norris, The Amen Corner (National, Olivier)

Lyndsey Turner, Chimerica (Almeida & Harold Pinter)

Best design

Bob Crowley, People (National, Lyttelton); The Audience (Gielgud); Once (Phoenix)

Es Devlin, Chimerica (Almeida & Harold Pinter)

Tim Hatley (Design); Peter Mumford (Lighting), Ghosts (Almeida)

Charles Wintour award for most promising playwright

RACHEL DE-LAHAY, Routes (Royal Court)

Rory Kinnear, The Herd (Bush)

Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Fleabag (Soho)

Milton Shulman award for outstanding newcomer

Caoilfhionn Dunne, The Night Alive (Donmar Warehouse)

Seth Numrich, Sweet Bird of Youth (Old Vic)

LUKE THOMPSON, A Midsummer Night's Dream (Shakespeare's Globe)

OLIVIA VINALL, Othello (National, Olivier)

Best musical performance

Rosalie Craig, The Light Princess (National, Lyttelton)

CYNTHIA ERIVO, The Color Purple (Menier Chocolate Factory)

Charlotte Wakefield, The Sound of Music (Regent's Park Open Air Theatre)

The judging panel for the London Evening Standard Theatre Awards 2013 includes Henry Hitchings (London Evening Standard), Georgina Brown (Mail on Sunday), Susannah Clapp (The Observer), Libby Purves (formerly The Times), Charles Spencer (The Daily Telegraph), Matt Wolf (The International New York Times) and the London Evening Standard's Editor, Sarah Sands.