Dame Helen Mirren reigns at Tony theatre awards

Dame Helen Mirren has been named best actress in a play at the Tony theatre awards in New York.

She took home the prize for her portrayal of the Queen in The Audience.

Dame Helen, a previous Oscar-winner for The Queen, accepted the award saying: “Your Majesty, you did it again.”

Other British wins included Alex Sharp for best actor and Marianne Elliott for best directing of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, which was also named best play.

The stage adaptation of the hit novel started life at the National Theatre in London before transferring to Broadway.

Dame Helen, who beat competition from fellow British actresses Carey Mulligan and Ruth Wilson, dedicated the award to her husband, director Taylor Hackford.

She said: “This is an unbelievable honour and I am so thrilled.”

Her co-star Richard McCabe, who plays prime minister Harold Wilson, also received the honour for best featured actor in a play.

London-born Alex Sharp, who plays a gifted mathematician with Asperger’s syndrome in The Curious Incident, beat Bradley Cooper and Bill Nighy for the best lead actor award.

The 26-year-old reminded the audience that he had only graduated from drama school last year.

As well as best director, Marianne Elliott’s Broadway transfer of the play was also honoured with awards for best lighting and best scenic design.

When she was nominated in April, Elliott had told the BBC: “We had no idea when we first started how the hell this play was going to go down. We had no idea whether there’d be an audience for it. So to see it go to Broadway is quite amazing.”

An American in Paris and Fun Home took most awards in the musical categories.

An American in Paris won four technical awards, while Fun Home won for best score, book and direction.

The ceremony at the Radio City Music Hall in New York was hosted by British actor Alan Cumming and musical star Kristin Chenoweth.

Here is a list of the winners in full:

Best musical – Fun Home

Best revival of a musical – The King and I

Best play – The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Best revival of a play – Skylight

Best performance by an actress in a leading role in a play – Helen Mirren, The Audience

Best performance by an actor in a leading role in a play – Alex Sharp, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Best performance by an actress in a leading role in a musical – Kelli O’Hara, The King and I

Best performance by an actor in a leading role in a musical – Michael Cerveris, Fun Home

Best performance by an actress in a featured role in a musical – Ruthie Ann Miles, The King and I

Best direction of a musical – Sam Gold, Fun Home

Best direction of a play – Marianne Elliott, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Best performance by an actress in a featured role in a play – Annaleigh Ashford, You Can’t Take It with You

Best performance by an actor in a featured role in a musical – Christian Borle, Something Rotten!

Best performance by an actor in a featured role in a play – Richard McCabe, The Audience

Best choreography – Christopher Wheeldon, An American in Paris

Best original score (music and/or lyrics) Written for the Theatre – Fun Home

Music – Jeanine Tesori

Lyrics – Lisa Kron

Best book of a musical – Fun Home, Lisa Kron

Best orchestrations – Christopher Austin, Don Sebesky, Bill Elliott, An American in Paris

Best scenic design of a play – Bunny Christie and Finn Ross, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Best scenic design of a musical – Bob Crowley and 59 Productions, An American in Paris

Best lighting design of a musical – Natasha Katz, An American in Paris

Best lighting design of a play – Paule Constable, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Best costume design of a play – Christopher Oram, Wolf Hall Parts One & Two

Best costume design of a musical – Catherine Zuber, The King and I

BBC