Avengers star Tom Hiddleston is in the running to be named best actor at this year’s Evening Standard Theatre Awards, five years after first winning the prize.

The actor, who triumphed in 2014 for Coriolanus, is shortlisted for his performance in the revival of Pinter’s love triangle drama Betrayal at the Harold Pinter Theatre.

Other big names whose talents could be rewarded at the event, held in association with Michael Kors, include Hiddleston’s fellow Marvel star Hayley Atwell, Sheridan Smith, Andrew Scott and Dame Maggie Smith.

Suits star Wendell Pierce is on the shortlist for best actor, given in partnership with the Ambassador Theatre Group, for his performance as Willy Loman in Death Of A Salesman. It opened in the West End last week after a run at the Young Vic. Completing the line-up for best actor are K. Todd Freeman and Francis Guinan, who both appeared in Downstate at the National Theatre, and Scott, who impressed the critics in a gender-switched version of Noel Coward’s autobiographical comedy Present Laughter at the Old Vic. Atwell and Dame Maggie are among those on the best actress shortlist, for their performances in Ibsen’s political drama Rosmersholm at the Duke Of York’s Theatre and one-woman show A German Life at the Bridge Theatre respectively.

The other contenders for the Natasha Richardson award for best actress, given in partnership with Christian Louboutin, are Cecilia Noble, who is shortlisted for performances at the National in Downstate and Faith, Hope And Charity, Juliet Stevenson for The Doctor at the Almeida and Anjana Vasan for A Doll’s House at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre. Smith’s role in Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat sees her shortlisted for best musical performance with Anne-Marie Duff in Sweet Charity and Andy Nyman in Trevor Nunn’s revival of Fiddler On The Roof.

Evening Standard Editor George Osborne said: “The London theatre scene continues to thrive and the Evening Standard Theatre Awards recognises and celebrates the talent from the rising stars of tomorrow to best directors and actresses.

“There have been so many incredible theatre performances this year and we look forward to the awards ceremony to unveil the outstanding achievements.”

This year also sees a celebration of female writers, with work by Caryl Churchill, debbie tucker green and Lynn Nottage among the contenders for best play, given in partnership with Chanel, along with Downstate by Bruce Norris.

Three women will also compete for the Charles Wintour Award for most promising playwright, named after this newspaper’s former editor, with nominations for Zoe Cooper, Yasmin Joseph and Jasmine Lee-Jones along with Ross Willis. Marianne Elliott and Miranda Cromwell are shortlisted for the Milton Shulman Award for best director, named after the Standard’s celebrated former theatre critic, for Death Of A Salesman.

Also in the running is Jamie Lloyd for his revival of Betrayal and Robert Icke with two productions at the Almeida, The Doctor and The Wild Duck. The shortlist for the emerging talent award, in partnership with Access Entertainment, is made up of Shiloh Coke, Grace Molony, Bobby Stallwood and Laurie Kynaston.

The shortlist for the best design award, in partnership with Michael Kors, is made up of Appropriate at the Donmar Warehouse, A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Bridge and the Old Vic’s A Very Expensive Poison.

The winners will be announced on November 24 at a ceremony at the London Coliseum hosted by the Standard’s proprietor Evgeny Lebedev with co-hosts Dame Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of American Vogue, acting stars Damian Lewis and Helen McCrory and this year’s presenter Cush Jumbo.

Last year’s event was dominated by the National, with Ralph Fiennes and Sophie Okonedo taking the top acting prizes for their roles in Antony And Cleopatra. [Source]