Tony Awards: British plays and actors big winners

It was a good night for British theatre at the 69th Tony Awards, held in Radio City Music Hall, New York last night. Both actors and plays were recognised at the awards for excellence in Broadway and regional productions

Dame Helen Mirren was named best actress for her portrayal of the Queen in The Audience, reports the BBC. The Audience, which has already had a successful run in London, is a fictional portrayal of the private weekly meetings between the British Queen and her prime ministers over six decades.

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

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Mirren beat fellow British actresses Carey Mulligan and Ruth Wilson, as well as Elisabeth Moss and Geneva Carr for the top prize.

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

In all, The Curious Incident won five Tony awards. The stage adaptation of Mark Haddon's best-selling novel was developed at the National Theatre in London before transferring to Broadway.

Its London-born star Alex Sharp, 26, who plays a young maths whiz with an Asperger's-like syndrome, beat fellow best-actor nominees including Bill Nighy and Bradley Cooper.

At the age of 18, Sharp was rejected from every major London drama school before moving to America to go backpacking and become a handyman, reports the Daily Telegraph. He got the part in Curious Incident after his first audition for the New York stage.

Sharp dedicated his award to young people who feel misunderstood, reports Time. Sharp said: "This play is about a young person who is different and who is misunderstood and I just want to dedicate this to any young person out there who feels misunderstood or who feels different and answer that question at the end of the play for you, does that mean I can do anything? Yes it does."

Another British winner at the awards was Skylight, David Hare's state-of-the-nation play, starring Carey Mulligan and Bill Nighy, which won best revival.

However, the RSC's double bill of Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies had cause for disappointment. It was nominated for eight Tony awards, including a best actor listing for Ben Miles, who plays Thomas Cromwell, and best director for Jeremy Herrin, but in the end it came away with only one prize - for best costume design.

The ceremony was hosted by British actor Alan Cumming and American musical star Kristin Chenoweth.