Scene set for theatre awards

Stage stars Richard Griffiths and Damian Lewis take leading roles at the 51st Evening Standard Theatre Awards at The Savoy on Monday.

Griffiths, now in Heroes at Wyndhams Theatre, was best actor last year for his eccentric master in The History Boys, a role he is to reprise next year on Broadway.

At our lunchtime ceremony, he will present the best actress statuette to one of four nominees: Kristin Scott Thomas for As You Desire Me; Clare Higgins for Death Of A Salesman; Eve Best for Hedda Gabler and Harriet Walter for Mary Stuart.

Lewis, who is winning stellar notices in Ibsen's Pillars Of The Community at the National - after acclaimed TV performances in The Forsyte Saga, Band Of Brothers and Jeffrey Archer: The Truth - will present the Milton Shulman Award for outstanding newcomer.

On the shortlist are: Daniel Kramer, for his direction of Hair and Woyzeck at the Gate Theatre; Ben Silverstone for his performance in Man And Boy and London's newest theatre, the Menier Chocolate Factory in SE1.

Cuban dancer Carlos Acosta, the Royal Ballet's guest principal artist, will present the best musical award to Billy Elliot, Mary Poppins or The Big Life.

Ned Sherrin will be master of ceremonies at the event, hosted by Lady Rothermere, wife of Lord Rothermere, chairman of Daily Mail and General Trust, owner of the Evening Standard.

Penelope Keith presents the Patricia Rothermere Scholarship to support a talented young student through three years of drama study. This award was founded by the late Lord Rothermere in memory of his first wife, an actress, who died in 1992.

A special award will be presented by Dame Eileen Atkins. Stars expected to attend include Brenda Blethyn, Saffron Burrows, Emma Fielding, Rupert Graves, John Hurt, Maureen Lipman, Sir Derek Jacobi, Sir Donald Sinden, Emilia Fox, Diana Quick and Clare Higgins.