Olivier Awards 2025: Lesley Manville and John Lithgow score top acting prizes
Lesley Manville and John Lithgow were among the big winners at the Sunday's Olivier Awards, the most prestigious event in UK theatre. Lithgow won best actor for his portrayal of Roald Dahl in Giant, which he described as "one of the best experiences I have ever had on stage".Manville was named best actress for her performance in the Greek tragedy Oedipus, dedicating the award to her grandson who was born during the show's run. Three shows were tied with the most wins at the ceremony - with Fiddler on the Roof, Giant and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button each winning three prizes.
Other winners included Imedla Staunton, who won best actress in a musical for her leading role in Hello Dolly! Scroll down to see the winners list in full.
'The special relationship is firmly intact'
US actor Lithgow, who will also play Dumbledore in the forthcoming Harry Potter TV series, said in his acceptance speech: "I want to thank all of you for welcoming me and my wife Mary so thoroughly to England. "It's not always easy to welcome an American into your midst, and at this particular moment it's obviously a little more complicated than usual," he continued."But for me, for Mary, and for all of our countrymen and countrywomen, I want to assure you that the special relationship is still firmly intact."The victory marks the first Olivier Award for 79-year-old Lithgow, who also recently starred in the Oscar-winning film Conclave.
Lithgow's co-star, English actor Elliot Levey, took best actor in a supporting role, while Giant was named best new play. "To get an award for having this much fun is wrong," he joked. Romola Garai was also nominated for Giant, one of two nods she had in the supporting actress category, but she won for her other performance in the stage adaptation of Annie Ernaux memoir The Years.Backstage, Garai joked that she had a "terrifying thought" while standing on stage that she was "maybe accepting the award on behalf of the wrong play, which was kind of like a fever dream I've had for the last few weeks".The Years, which also won best director for Eline Arbo, sees five actresses play a woman at different stages of her life. In her speech, Garai said it was "the greatest privilege of my life to be part of this piece of theatre that has changed me and so many people".
Manville's win marks her second Olivier, following her 2014 triumph for her performance in a revival of the Ibsen play Ghosts.Accepting her award, Manville said: "I knew on day one of this play that we were on to something good."She paid tribute to the show's "great director" Robert Icke, and her co-star Mark Strong. "Mark, you were the most perfect partner," she said. "We had some difficult scenes to do, and inch by inch, slowly slowly, bit by bit we built up this very complex relationship, to say the least."She concluded: "While we were doing Oedipus, our little family got a little bit bigger, my son and his wife had a baby. It was during the run, so one day, this [trophy] will definitely be yours, my sweet."
Imelda Staunton received the fifth Olivier Award of her career, winning best actress in a musical for Hello, Dolly!"If I may say something to my late mum, whose name was Bridie McNicholas," she said. "Great name, must renew [my] Irish passport."Mum, I'm here at the Albert Hall, I've got a prize, but more importantly, I'm about to do a play with your granddaughter, I wish you were here."
'I won an Olivier for playing an iceberg'
Celine Dion musical Titanique won two prizes, best new entertainment and comedy play and best supporting actor in a musical for first-time nominee Layton Williams.Co-director Tye Blue said the win was "astounding and overwhelming", reflecting how the show had gone from "the basement of a fledgling grocery store in Manhattan, all the way to the glorious Criterion Theatre in London".In his own speech, Williams joked: "I just won an Olivier for playing an iceberg!"He concluded: "If this can happen to me, a little boy from humble beginnings, it can happen to you too."
A stage adaptation of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, based on the short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald which was previously also made into a film starring Brad Pitt, was named best new musical.John Dagleish won best actor in a musical for playing the titular role, 10 years after his first Olivier win for The Kinks musical Sunny Afternoon."Last time I got one of these, my mum was my plus one. She's no longer with us, she would've loved this show," he said. "This is for her."
Fiddler on the Roof won best musical revival. Accepting the award, director Jordan Fein said: "There was a question as to whether a new production of Fiddler on the Roof was appropriate for this moment."It's a musical about love, not in the romantic abstract sense, but active love, brave and rebellious love that demands empathy and compassion, and that seems to be what we desperately need right now."
The winners in full
Best new musical - The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button Best revival - Oedipus (Wyndham's Theatre production)Best musical revival - Fiddler On The RoofBest new play - GiantBest new entertainment or comedy play - Titanique Best new opera production - FestenBest actor - John Lithgow for GiantBest actress - Lesley Manville for Oedipus (Wyndham's Theatre production)Best supporting actor - Elliot Levey for GiantBest supporting actress - Romola Garai for The YearsBest actor in a musical - John Dagleish for The Curious Case Of Benjamin ButtonBest actress in a musical - Imelda Staunton for Hello, Dolly!Best supporting actress in a musical - Maimuna Memon for Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet Of 1812Best supporting actor in a musical - Layton Williams for TitaniqueBest director - Eline Arbo for The Years Best new production in affiliate theatre - Boys On The Verge Of TearsBest new dance production - Assembly HallBest family show - Brainiac LiveBest theatre choreographer - Christopher Wheeldon for MJ The Musical Best lighting design - Paule Constable & Ben Jacobs for Oliver!Best sound design - Nick Lidster for Fiddler On The RoofBest costume design - Gabriella Slade for Starlight ExpressBest set design - Tom Scutt for Fiddler On The RoofOutstanding achievement in dance - Eva Yerbabuena for her performance in Yerbagüena Outstanding musical contribution - Darren Clark and Mark Aspinall for The Curious Case Of Benjamin ButtonOutstanding achievement in opera - Allan Clayton for his performance in Festen
The ceremony was hosted by Beverley Knight and Billy Porter and included live performances from shows including Why Am I So Single?, MJ The Musical, Fiddler On The Roof, Oliver!, Starlight Express and a 40th anniversary performance from Les Misérables.
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