Boyle’s team take the Beyond Theatre award for Olympic opening ceremony

How refreshing to see Danny Boyle and the team behind this summers’s Olympic Opening Ceremony  taking the Beyond Theatre prize at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards.

It is only the second time the  gong which “celebrates theatricality outside the confines of the auditorium” has been awarded.

The event at London’s Savoy Hotel  celebrated and rewarded  some of the finest theatrical achievement of the year.

Winners included Simon Russell Beale who took best actor award for his leading role in the National Theatre’s Timon of Athens. While the NT’s artristic director Sir Nicholas Hytner received a brace of awards, including Best Director,  for the same production.

Nick Payne became the youngest playwright ever to receive the Best Play award. The 29-year-old won the prize for Constellations at The Royal Court.

Matthew Tennyson won the Outstanding Newcomer  for Making Noise Quietly at the Donmar and Best Actress went to Hattie Morahan for her performance as Nora in The Young Vic production of A Doll’s House.