A mustachioed Patrick Stewart ("Jean-Luc Picard") was handed the Best Actor award yesterday in London at the 53rd Evening Standard Awards, held at the swank Savoy Hotel. The annual awards are given to the UK's top theatrical productions and actors. Stewart, who was nominated for the title role in Shakespeare's tragedy "Macbeth," was up against a veritable who's who of British actors that included Charles Dance, Mark Rylance and Robert Lindsay.

"Macbeth" was a critical and commercial success out of the box, with Stewart's portrayal of the conflicted usurper light years away from his role as the steadfast captain of the Enterprise-D. The life of the play started at the renowned Chichester Festival, followed by a transfer to the Gielgud Theatre in London's West End.

This production of "Macbeth" actually took home two awards as Rupert Goold received top directing honors. Goold chose to set the play in an unnamed totalitarian state, rather than the traditional Scotland location. For those wishing to catch the show, the play finishes in London this Saturday (though it's been sold out for weeks), but will transfer to the Brooklyn Academy of Music for a six-week run starting February 12, 2008. Visit BAM.org for information (under "Event Listings," click on "Theater").

"I've never won an award like this, so it's brilliant," said Stewart in London's Daily Telegraph newspaper. The production took a physical toll on the actor when earlier this month Stewart was forced to cancel a performance due to laryngitis. A cause of disappointment to some theatre goers for sure, but to be expected in an extended run. The Evening Standard Award was actually the second nod Stewart received for the role; earlier in the year he collected the Theatrical Management Association award.

All at STARTREK.COM extend warm congratulations to Mr. Stewart!