Globe director uses awards speech to castigate his hosts

One of the most glamorous events in the cultural calendar turned into one of the most controversial yesterday when the chief award winner at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards used his acceptance speech to castigate his hosts.

Mark Rylance, artistic director of Shakespeare's Globe in London, won the rarely given Special Award at the lunch ceremony at the Savoy Hotel for his stewardship of the Globe and his own acclaimed performances there.

Rylance, a charismatic actor who has attracted large crowds to the replica Elizabethan theatre, said he was proud to receive the award.

Then he suddenly made a passionate outburst against the money Britain spends on the arms trade. He held up a copy of yesterday's Evening Standard Just The Job supplement on the Territorial Army and said: "This appalling trade is being promoted on these islands and is a reason I am ashamed to be here."

The Evening Standard editor, Veronica Wadley, who was hosting the glittering lunch, remained expressionless.

Rylance did, at the end of his speech, credit the Standard for encouraging people to go to the theatre and said: "The fact that people come to hear a play gives me hope in these dark times that are around us."

Simon Russell Beale cemented his reputation as the finest actor of his generation by winning the Best Actor award for his performances in Uncle Vanya and Twelfth Night in Sam Mendes' farewell season at the Donmar Warehouse Theatre. Mendes himself won Best Director for his swan-song season at the theatre.

The Best Actress prize went to Clare Higgins for her hugely affecting performance as the older woman who falls in love with a young Vincent Van Gogh in Vincent In Brixton. She beat Gwyneth Paltrow among others to take the award.

Caryl Churchill won the award for Best Play for A Number, starring Michael Gambon, at The Royal Court.

The Hollywood actor Jake Gyllenhaal, star of the film Donnie Darko, won the Outstanding Newcomer award for his performance in This Is Our Youth. He was presented with the award by another American, Gillian Anderson, star of The X Files, who makes her West End debut this week.

Plasticine, by the young Russian playwright Vassily Sigarev, won the Most Promising Playwright award. The award for best musical went to The Full Monty, which closed last week. It beat competition from Bombay Dreams, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and My One And Only.

Paul O'Grady, who is appearing in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and is known on television as Lily Savage, presented the award and made a number of insults regarding his time working at Carlton Television. These are likely to be edited out of the highlights of the ceremony to be shown on Carlton on Thursday.

Among the guests was Anna Wintour, editor of American Vogue, and the daughter of the late Charles Wintour, the former Evening Standard editor. Other guests included the actresses Samantha Bond, Felicity Kendal and Janie Dee, the actors Sir Donald Sinden and Charles Dance and celebrities including Jerry Hall.

Presenting the award to Mendes, Stephen Daldry, director of Billy Elliot, said that they both had films out, his mother would phone him to say that Mendes' film was better.

THE WINNERS

Best Actor: Simon Russell Beale for Vanya in Uncle Vanya and Malvolio in Twelfth Night

Best Actress: Clare Higgins for Ursula Loyer in Vincent In Brixton

The Carlton Television Award for Best Musical: The Full Monty

The Sydney Edwards Award for Best Director: Sam Mendes for Uncle Vanya and Twelfth Night

Best Stage Designer: Ian MacNeil for A Number and Plasticine

Best Play: Caryl Churchill for A Number

The Charles Wintour Award for Most Promising Playwright: Vassily Sigarev for Plasticine

Outstanding Newcomer: Jake Gyllenhaal for This Is Our Youth

Special Award: The Globe Season of Cupid and Psyche 2002