Kim puts Sex appeal to awards

Sir Peter Hall and his latest leading lady, Sex And The City star Kim Cattrall, are among the famous names who will attend the 50th Evening Standard Theatre Awards at the National Theatre on Monday.

Cattrall, who appears in the tragicomedy Whose Life Is It Anyway? from 7 January at the Comedy Theatre, will present the award for Outstanding Newcomer. Choosing from a plethora of young talent, the panel has chosen a shortlist of four.

Dominic Cooper was chosen for his performances in both Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials and Alan Bennett's The History Boys at the National. Romola Garai was picked for her West End debut as James Joyce's daughter Lucia, in Calico at the Duke of York's. Ben Whishaw is cited for his boyish Hamlet at the Old Vic, and Eddie Redmayne for his performance as Jonathan Pryce's troubled son in The Goat, Or Who Is Sylvia? at the Almeida.

Sir Peter, who recently celebrated 50 years in the business by opening a theatre, the Rose, in Kingston, will present one of three statuettes given to celebrate the Evening Standard Awards' own halfcentury. These Special Awards recognise outstanding contributions to the nation's theatrical life and will be given to a writer, a performer, and a theatre.

"I am delighted to be giving one of the Special Awards in this 50th year, not least because I was on the judging panel of the very first Evening Standard Awards," Sir Peter said. "The record of the Standard Awards in recognising talent is second to none."

Another of the Special Awards will be presented by Claire Bloom, who this year made a triumphant return to the stage as Florence

Nightingale in Sebastian Barry's Whistling Psyche at the Almeida.

Other stars attending the ceremony, which will be compered by the inimitable Rory Bremner, include actresses Samantha Bond, Janie Dee and Maria Friedman.

Highlights of the ceremony will be broadcast on ITV London at 11.30pm on Wednesday, 15 December.