Evening Standard Theatre Awards: Gillian Anderson and Tom Hiddleston win big

Ceremony at the London Palladium was presented by Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon

Screen stars Gillian Anderson and Tom Hiddleston picked up the top acting awards at the 60th London Evening Standard Theatre Awards tonight.

The former X-Files star Anderson won Best Actress for her role as Blanche DuBois in the Young Vic’s production of A Streetcar Named Desire.

Hiddleston, who found global fame as Loki in the Thor films, was honoured for his leading role in Coriolanus at the Donmar Warehouse.

They received their awards during the ceremony at the London Palladium, which was presented by Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon.

Rona Munro’s The James Plays, about the Stuart kings and Scotland’s identity, won the Best Play award.

Best Musical went to The Scottsboro Boys, while Skylight, the David Hare play starring Carey Mulligan and Bill Nighy, was named the Revival of the Year.

Singer Kate Bush was given the Editor’s Award after her surprise return to performing this year.

Tom Stoppard received the Lebedev Award, and was described on the night as “the greatest living playwright”. The award was presented by Evgeny Lebedev, the proprietor of the London Evening Standard and the Independent titles.

Rising theatre stars were also honoured last night. Beth Steel was named Most Promising Playwright for Wonderland, while Laura Jane Matthewson was given the Emerging Talent award.

Here Lies Love, the musical devised by David Byrne and Fatboy Slim about the former First Lady of the Philippines Imelda Marcos, won an award “for pushing the boundaries of the musical”.