U.K.’s Olivier Awards: Mark Strong Wins Best Actor, Kevin Spacey Gets Special Honor

Fresh from the success of his most recent film outings, Kingsman: The Secret Service and The Imitation Game, Mark Strong saw his current stage turn in A View From the Bridge earn him the best actor gong at the Olivier Awards, the British equivalent of the Tonys.

“I really wasn’t expecting this. I’m in such a strong category with such incredible actors,” Strong said onstage at the Royal Opera House, offering a nod to fellow nominees James McAvoy, Richard Armitage and Tim Pigott-Smith. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter last month, Strong revealed that A View From the Bridge could be moving from London’s Young Vic Theater to Broadway later this year. Alongside best actor, the production of the Arthur Miller drama also won for best play revival and director, Ivo Van Hove.

Other winners on the night included Downton Abbey star Penelope Wilton, who beat Gillian Anderson, Kristin Scott Thomas and Imelda Staunton to land the best actress crown for Taken at Midnight. Elsewhere, Nicole Scherzinger, who appeared in Cats, lost out in the best supporting actress in a musical category, which went to Lorna Want for Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. Also from Beautiful, Karen Brayben won in a field of lead musical actresses that included Tamsin Greig and Gemma Arterton.

Veteran stage and screen star Angela Lansbury took home her first Olivier at age 89, winning for supporting actress with her role as the eccentric clairvoyant Madame Arcati in the revival of Noel Coward‘s Blithe Spirit. (She won her fifth Tony Award in 2009 for the same production.) Nathaniel Parker won supporting actor honors as Henry VIII in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s stage adaptation of Hilary Mantel‘s Wolf Hall novels, which recently opened on Broadway.

The highest number of Oliviers awarded to a single production went to the West End transfer of Hampstead Theatre’s musical about veteran Brit rock band The Kinks, Sunny Afternoon. The show took four trophies including best new musical, lead actor in a musical (John Dagleish) and supporting actor (George Maguire), as well as a nod for outstanding achievement in music to Kinks frontman Ray Davies.

The Donmar Warehouse production of City of Angels won for best musical revival, while best new play went to Mike Bartlett‘s King Charles III, a Broadway transfer of which is expected to be confirmed on Monday. Bartlett was a double Olivier winner, also taking the affiliate theatre award for his play Bull, staged at The Maria at the Young Vic.

Kevin Spacey, who won the best actor Olivier in 1999, picked up a special award for his outstanding contribution to the Old Vic theater, where he has been artistic director since 2004. He steps down from the role later this year, with Matthew Warchus taking his place.

“To take the Vic on for 10 years … he stuck at it and made it the most enormous success,” Judi Dench said on presenting the House of Cards star with the award.

“I love that theater more than I can begin to express to you,” Spacey said, before singing a rendition of Bridge Over Troubled Water with a full orchestra and choir to close the ceremony.

Here is the full list of winners.

BEST REVIVAL
A View From The Bridge at Young Vic & Wyndham’s Theater – WINNER
A Streetcar Named Desire at Young Vic
The Crucible at Old Vic
My Night With Reg at Donmar Warehouse & Apollo Theater
Skylight at Wyndham’s Theater

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Nathaniel Parker for Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies at Aldwych Theater – WINNER
David Calder for The Nether at Duke of York’s Theater
Richard Goulding for King Charles III at Almeida Theater & Wyndham’s Theater
John Light for Taken At Midnight at Theater Royal Haymarket

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Angela Lansbury for Blithe Spirit at Gielgud Theater – WINNER
Phoebe Fox for A View From The Bridge at Young Vic & Wyndham’s Theater
The Girls playing Iris for The Nether at Duke of York’s Theater
Lydia Wilson for King Charles III at Almeida Theater & Wyndham’s Theater

WHITE LIGHT AWARD FOR BEST LIGHTING DESIGN
Howard Harrison for City Of Angels at Donmar Warehouse – WINNER
Jon Clark for King Charles III at Almeida Theater & Wyndham’s Theater
Paule Constable and David Plater for Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies at Aldwych TheaterTheatre
Jan Versweyveld for A View From The Bridge at the Young Vic & Wyndham’s Theater

BEST SOUND DESIGN
Gareth Owen for Memphis The Musical at Shaftesbury Theater – WINNER
Tom Gibbons for A View From The Bridge at the Young Vic & Wyndham’s Theater
Matt McKenzie for Sunny Afternoon at Hampstead Theater and Harold Pinter Theater
Brian Ronan for Beautiful – The Carole King Musical at Aldwych Theater

BEST ENTERTAINMENT AND FAMILY
La Soirée at La Soirée Spiegeltent – WINNER
Dance ‘Til Dawn at Aldwych Theater
Hetty Feather at Vaudeville Theater

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Christopher Oram for Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies at Aldwych Theater – WINNER
Rob Jones for City Of Angels at Donmar Warehouse
Paul Tazewell for Memphis The Musical at Shaftesbury Theater
Alejo Vietti for Beautiful – The Carole King Musical at Aldwych Theater

XL VIDEO AWARD FOR BEST SET DESIGN
Es Devlin for The Nether at Duke of York’s Theater – WINNER
Bunny Christie for Made In Dagenham at Adelphi Theater
Rob Jones for City Of Angels at Donmar Warehouse
Jan Versweyveld for A View From A Bridge at Young Vic & Wyndham’s Theater

BEST NEW DANCE PRODUCTION
32 Rue Vandenbranden by Peeping Tom at Barbican – JOINT WINNER
Mats Ek’s Juliet And Romeo by Royal Swedish Ballet at Sadler’s Wells – JOINT WINNER
Tabac Rouge by Compagnie Du Hanneton/James Thiérrée at Sadler’s Wells

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN DANCE
Crystal Pite for her choreography in the productions of The Associates – A Picture Of You – WINNER
Christopher Wheeldon for The Winter’s Tale at Royal Opera House
Falling, The Tempest Replica and Polaris at Sadler’s Wells
Rocio Molina for Bosque Ardora at Barbican
The Elders Project as part of the Elixir Festival at Sadler’s Wells

VIRGIN ATLANTIC BEST NEW PLAY
King Charles III at Almeida Theatre & Wyndham’s Theater – WINNER
The Nether at Duke of York’s Theater
Taken At Midnight at Theater Royal Haymarket
Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies at Aldwych Theater

BEST ACTOR
Mark Strong for A View From The Bridge at Young Vic & Wyndham’s Theater – WINNER
Richard Armitage for The Crucible at Old Vic
James McAvoy for The Ruling Class at Trafalgar Studio 1
Tim Pigott-Smith for King Charles III at Almeida Theater & Wyndham’s Theater

BEST ACTRESS
Penelope Wilton for Taken At Midnight at Theater Royal Haymarket – WINNER
Gillian Anderson for A Streetcar Named Desire at Young Vic
Kristin Scott Thomas for Electra at Old Vic
Imelda Staunton for Good People at Hampstead Theater & Noël Coward Theater

THIS MORNING AUDIENCE AWARD
Wicked at Apollo Victoria Theater- WINNER
Billy Elliot The Musical at Victoria Palace Theater
Jersey Boys at Piccadilly Theater
Matilda The Musical at Cambridge Theater

BEST NEW COMEDY
The Play That Goes Wrong at Duchess Theater – WINNER
Handbagged at Vaudeville Theater
Shakespeare In Love at Noël Coward Theater

MAGIC RADIO BEST MUSICAL REVIVAL
City Of Angels at Donmar Warehouse – WINNER
Cats at London Palladium
The Gershwins’ Porgy And Bess at Regent’s Park Open Air Theater
Miss Saigon at Prince Edward Theater

BEST NEW OPERA PRODUCTION
The Mastersingers Of Nuremberg at London Coliseum – WINNER
Benvenuto Cellini at London Coliseum
Dialogues Des Carmélites at Royal Opera House
Die Frau Ohne Schatten at Royal Opera House

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN OPERA
Richard Jones for his direction of The Girl Of The Golden West, The Mastersingers Of Nuremberg and Rodelinda at London Coliseum – WINNER
Jonas Kaufmann for Andrea Chénier and Manon Lescaut at Royal Opera House
Royal Opera House and Early Opera Company for their offsite program at Sam Wanamaker Playhouse and Roundhouse
Welsh National Opera Chorus for Moses Und Aron at Royal Opera House

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN AN AFFILIATE THEATRE
Bull at The Maria at Young Vic – WINNER
Four Minutes Twelve Seconds at Hampstead Downstairs
Juma Sharkah for her performance in Liberian Girl at the Jerwood Theater Upstairs at the Royal Court
Tanya Moodie for her performances in Intimate Apparel at Park Theater and The House That Will Not Stand at Tricycle Theater

BEST THEATRE CHOREOGRAPHER
Sergio Trujillo for Memphis The Musical at Shaftesbury Theater – WINNER
Jerry Mitchell for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels The Musical at Savoy Theater
Annie-B Parsons for Here Lies Love at National Theater, Dorfman
Josh Prince for Beautiful – The Carole King Musical at Aldwych Theater

BEST DIRECTOR
Ivo Van Hove for A View From The Bridge at the Young Vic & Wyndham’s Theater
Rupert Goold for King Charles III at Almeida Theater & Wyndham’s Theater
Jeremy Herrin for Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies at Aldwych Theater
Josie Rourke for City Of Angels at Donmar Warehouse

AUTOGRAPH SOUND AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC
Ray Davies for Sunny Afternoon at Hampstead Theatre & Harold Pinter Theater – WINNER
The Orchestra for Beautiful – The Carole King Musical at Aldwych Theater
David Byrne and Fatboy Slim for Here Lies Love at National Theatre, Dorfman
David Bryan, Joe DiPietro, Tim Sutton and the Memphis Band for Memphis The Musical at Shaftesbury Theater

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
George Maguire for Sunny Afternoon at Hampstead Theater and Harold Pinter Theater
Rolan Bell for Memphis The Musical at Shaftesbury Theater
Ian McIntosh for Beautiful – The Carole King Musical at Aldwych Theater
Jason Pennycooke for Memphis The Musical at Shaftesbury Theater

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Lorna Want for Beautiful – The Carole King Musical at Aldwych Theater – WINNER
Samantha Bond for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels The Musical at Savoy Theater
Haydn Gwynne for Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown The Musical at Playhouse Theater
Nicole Scherzinger for Cats at London Palladium

BEST ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
John Dagleish for Sunny Afternoon at Hampstead Theatre & Harold Pinter Theater – WINNER
Jon Jon Briones for Miss Saigon at Prince Edward Theater
Killian Donnelly for Memphis The Musical at Shaftesbury Theater
Brandon Victor Dixon for The Scottsboro Boys at Garrick Theater

BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Katie Brayben for Beautiful – The Carole King Musical at Aldwych Theater – WINNER
Gemma Arterton for Made In Dagenham at Adelphi Theater
Tamsin Greig for Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown The Musical at Playhouse Theater
Beverley Knight for Memphis The Musical at Shaftesbury Theater

MASTERCARD BEST NEW MUSICAL
Sunny Afternoon at Hampstead Theater & Harold Pinter Theater
Beautiful – The Carole King Musical at Aldwych Theater
Here Lies Love at National Theatre, Dorfman
Memphis The Musical at Shaftesbury Theater