In Opera

---

By Helen BushbyEntertainment reporter at The Olivier Awards

Oscar nominee Paul Mescal , Killing Eve star Jodie Comer and My Neighbour Totoro have all triumphed at this year's Olivier Awards .

Mescal won Best Actor for A Streetcar Named Desire, and said he was " standing on The shoulders of The immense talent of so many other people".

Comer won best Actress for Prima Facie, and said she was overwhelmed, praising The " complete sisterhood Backstage - a constant network of support".

My Neighbour Totoro won six Oliviers.

The awards were held at London's Royal Albert Hall , where Totoro's wins also included best entertainment or comedy Play - Plus best Director .

Standing at The Sky's Edge won best new Musical , while Beverley Knight won best supporting Actress in a Musical for her role as suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst in Sylvia.

Former Doctor Who Actor Arthur Darvill won Best Actor in a Musical for Oklahoma !.

The Show was hosted by Ted Lasso star and three-time Oliviers nominee Hannah Waddingham , who is also going to co-host this year's Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool.

She joked in her opening monologue she would " happily be mauled to death" by Comer in Killing Eve - in which The Actress plays a lethal killer.

Waddingham also used Sign Language to welcome former Strictly Come Dancing winner Rose Ayling-Ellis, who was nominated for best supporting Actress for As You Like It.

Mescal thanked his parents in his acceptance speech, and told his Mum, who has been undergoing cancer treatment: " I hope you get better soon. "

He won for playing The toxic Stanley Kowalski in Streetcar, and was Oscar-nominated for playing The troubled Calum in Aftersun, after getting much critical acclaim for playing sensitive Connell in TV drama Normal People .

The Actor told The Bbc afterwards that when he chooses a role, he is " interested in exploring The Myriad of different versions of what masculinity is".

" I think creative death for me would be for people to predict what I'm doing next, " he added. " I Don 't want that. So hopefully I'll keep it moving in a direction that surprises people. "

In a One -woman Show , Comer plays a barrister specialising in defending people accused of sexual assault, who questions The System after being date-raped.

She Said in her acceptance speech: " To any kids who haven't been to drama school, who can't afford to go, have been Rejected - Don 't let anyone tell you it's impossible. "

The Actress told The Bbc afterwards she was " actually quite embarrassed" she had not " questioned" how The legal system operates before.

Comer researched The Role by sitting in on cases at The Old Bailey, and speaking to barristers, judges and police offers who were " very honest" about how they had to " put aside their own feelings as A Woman , to commit to The Job that they do".

Beverley Knight did two performances during The Ceremony - One for Sylvia, and The Other for Sister Act - and said as she accepted her Award : " Just over 100 years ago, Emmeline Pankhurst stood on this Stage and said,' I incite this meeting to rebellion'.

" She told each of The Women in The Room , 'be militant in your own way'. The Next year they banned The Women 's Social and Political Union.

" One hundred later we're stood on this Stage - we have reclaimed The Power for those women. "

Heartfelt speech

The Royal Shakespeare Company's Totoro, based on The Studio Ghibli classic animation and staged at The Barbican , is about sisters Satsuki and Mei, whose mother is ill in rural Japan.

Its playwright Tom Morton-Smith dedicated their win to his stillborn daughter, saying his wife had been pregnant when he wrote The Show .

In a heartfelt speech, He Said he wrote Totoro with The joy and expectation of being a new parent but, after his daughter's death, he wanted to keep her memory alive when people watched The Play .

Chris Bush , The writer of Standing at The Sky's Edge, set in a council estate in Sheffield, thanked The City that inspired him, and called for art to be " available and accessible to every single person who wants to see it".

The Show also won best original score or new orchestrations for Richard Hawley , who has played with Pulp and The Arctic Monkeys , and Tom Deering .

Hawley paid tribute to Pulp's Bass Player Steve Mackie, his " fallen comrade" who.

Sir Derek Jacobi was given The lifetime achievement Award , and joked that it would be difficult to talk as he was " already crying".

Dame Arlene Phillips was given a special Award , and The Show ended with a performance from Grease The Musical , which she choreographed.

Here are The Winners in full:

Related Topics

Source of news: bbc.com