Olivier Awards: Jodie Comer and Paul Mescal Took Top Prizes

Read Time:4 Minute, 43 Second

After making their debuts on the West End, both actors won the most prestigious awards in their respective fields.

At the Olivier Awards, which marked the return of the most important night in British cinema, Paul Mescal and Jodie Comer were honoured with top prizes for their breakthrough performances on the West End.

Prima Facie, a blistering one-woman drama by Suzie Miller, received the prestigious Best New Play award, and Killing Eve star Jodie won the Best Actress with her performance as Tessa in the piece. The presentation took place on Sunday, April 2. Check out this review from The Independent and this interview with Miller.

A Streetcar Named Desire was adapted for the stage and Mescal, an Irish actor, won the award for Best Actor for his performance as Stanley Kowalski in the new production. The show received a rating of four stars from The Independent.

In addition to winning the award for Great Revival, the production of Stella at the Almeida Theatre received the prize for Most Outstanding Actress in a Supporting Role for Anjana Vasan. The play was directed by Rebecca Frecknall, who had previously won an Olivier Award.

Hannah Waddingham, the host of Eurovision, had a productive dress rehearsal at the event, which featured a number of notable guests.

Waddingham may be best recognised now for her role in Ted Lasso, but before that, she spent years honing her craft in musical theatre and even performed at the Royal Albert Hall.

Waddingham, while being a virgin speaker extraordinaire, had just the right amount of sass, flirtatiousness, and good humour.

Jodie Comer

Waddingham’s opening remarks won over the crowd immediately as she informed Jodie Comer she was happy to be assaulted and murdered by her and then used British Sign Language to communicate with Rose Ayling-Ellis. It seems that Eurovision is in good hands.

Comer utilised her recognition to encourage those who want to perform but haven’t gone to theatre school. Don’t listen to those who say you can’t, because you can, she said.

Mescal mentioned his school and the director he admires the most, Rebecca Frecknall, in his address. Mescal, who competed against Rafe Spall, Tom Hollander, Giles Terera, and David Tennant, praised his parents and ended his statement with, “Mother, I hope you feel better soon.

Mescal’s mum, Dearbhla, recently went through cancer treatment, including chemotherapy.

As the co-star Vasan got the Best Supporting Actress prize, she dedicated her speech to Lydia Wilson, the actress who had been cast as Blanche Dubois but had to drop out a week before opening night due to illness.

Back to the Barbican this season, the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of My Neighbor Totoro, based on the Studio Ghibli film of the same name, won six accolades, including the award for Best Director as well as the award for Best Comedy Play or Entertainment.

Oklahoma! won the prize for Best Musical Revival (despite a mixed assessment from Nicole Vassell at The Independent), while Standing at the Sky’s Edge by Richard Hawley won the award for Best New Musical.

Early in the evening, Hawley gave a moving address in which he honoured the late Pulp bassist Steve Mackey and thanked the audience for their support. As Hawley began his lengthy tale about Mackey, the orchestra threatened to play him off.

Paul Mescal

The subsequent tale, which took place during his and Mackey’s elementary school years, was equally shocking and rife with foul language. “Stop cheering, we need to move along!” Waddingham yelled at the laughing onlookers. Check out his great interview with Megan Graye of The Independent for more Hawley-isms.

With Waddingham guiding the way as captain, the evening proceeded without a hitch. More overtly political events included pleas for the continued support of opera by the Arts Council and attendance at regional and subsidy theatres.

Beverley Knight had to perform twice before she finally won her Olivier for Suffragette, a hip-hop musical in which she had a supporting role. Sylvia took aim at those who claim actors should train, while Leading Actor in a Melodic winner Arthur Darvill of Oklahoma! pleaded that we pay teachers fairly and not eliminate arts education.

Waleed Akhtar, the author of The P Word, won the award for Best Play at an Affiliate Theatre and used his platform to rally opposition to the government’s refugee policies. If he weren’t on a diet, he’d definitely tell the Tories, “Eff the Tories,” but he was being funny.

However, the most impressive performance belonged to Liz Carr, who won the award for best supporting actress in 2017. After being kept waiting in the wings while the nominees were read, Carr used her 2022 speech to advocate for more wheelchair-friendly events.

During her appearance this year, she remarked on the stage, “Now that’s a ramp… access improves everything!” Carr quipped that, after the past year, she ought to put her manifesting powers to better use and bring about global peace, a new administration, and more work.

The celebration on Sunday was both a night to honour theatre greats and a night to recognise the brightest stars of tomorrow. After Arlene Phillips won the Special Award, she talked about her crazy years babysitting for Ridley Scott, dressing up as a man, and giving performances without clothes.

Meanwhile, Derek Jacobi was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award. The actor recalled Laurence Olivier as a jerk but acknowledged that he owed his career to Olivier.

He was visibly trembling as he asked, “How can you make a speech when you are in a state of tears?” If luck is a factor in the life of an actor, so I’ve had it in spades.