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London: Rosamund Pike has won the Olivier award for best actress for her role in the premiere season of Australian playwright Suzie Miller<\/a>\u2019s new play Inter Alia.<\/p>\n Pike plays a judge forced to question the justice system and her own ethics in the legal drama, a companion work<\/a> to Miller\u2019s 2019 thriller, Prima Facie<\/a>. Pike said doing her first stage play in 14 years was an \u201cexhilarating risk.\u201d<\/p>\n In winning the British theatre prize, Pike beat Cate Blanchett, who was also nominated for best actress for her role in Chekhov\u2019s The Seagull, and Punch pipped Inter Alia for best new play.<\/p>\n However, Paddington The Musical was the big winner at London\u2019s Olivier Awards on Sunday, where the marmalade-loving bear from Peru won seven trophies, including best new musical.<\/p>\n The prizes celebrating achievements in theatre, opera and dance are Britain\u2019s equivalent of Broadway\u2019s Tony Awards<\/a>.<\/p>\n Based on Michael Bond\u2019s stories about a duffel-coated bear seeking a new home in London, Paddington The Musical was written by playwright Jessica Swale and songwriter Tom Fletcher of the band, McFly.<\/p>\n Bond\u2019s books have been much-loved since the 1950s; in recent years, Paddington has become a British icon through three successful movies and an on-screen appearance with Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, just weeks before her death.<\/p>\n The musical has proved a major success since it opened in November, with audiences embracing the cuddly central character, brought to life through a blend of live acting and puppetry.<\/p>\n Its Olivier wins included a joint best actor in a musical award for James Hameed and Arti Shah, who together play the role. Hameed provides the voice and remote puppetry, while Shah \u2014 the first woman to win a best-actor Olivier \u2014 inhabits the bear costume onstage.<\/p>\n Hameed urged people to embrace the Paddington stories\u2019 message of welcoming immigrants and strangers. \u201cPaddington reminds us to be welcoming, inquisitive and, most importantly, kind,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Cast members Tom Edden and Victoria Hamilton-Barritt won the supporting performer prizes, and the show also took trophies for director Luke Sheppard and for both set and costume design.<\/p>\n Sheppard hinted that this \u201clove letter to London\u201d could one day be Broadway-bound. \u201cIt would be a dream for Paddington to pack his suitcase and visit some other cities around the world,\u201d the director said backstage. \u201cSo watch this space.\u201d<\/p>\n Rachel Zegler was named best actress in a musical for her starring role in Evita. Playing Argentine first lady Eva Peron, Zegler performed the song Don\u2019t Cry For Me, Argentina on an exterior balcony, attracting large crowds to the street every night while theatregoers inside watched on screens.<\/p>\n A much-praised production of Stephen Sondheim\u2019s twisted fairy tale journey Into the Woods won the prize for best musical revival, and a second award for lighting.<\/p>\n Jack Holden took the best actor prize for playing multiple roles in small-town murder mystery Kenrex.<\/p>\n All My Sons was named best revival, with Paapa Essiedu<\/a> winning the best supporting actor trophy for Arthur Miller\u2019s classic drama.<\/p>\n Julie Hesmondhalgh took home the best supporting actress prize for Punch. The true-life crime and redemption story, which won best new play, had a Broadway run last year.<\/p>\n Playwright James Graham said it had been \u201cone of the honours of my life\u201d to dramatise the story of Jacob Dunne, who killed another man with a single punch in a fight but went on to reconcile with the victim\u2019s family.<\/p>\n Graham was joined onstage by Dunne and the victim\u2019s mother, Joan Scourfield.<\/p>\n Two significant anniversariesRelated Article The Olivier Awards were founded in 1976 and named after the late actor-director Laurence Olivier. The winners are chosen by voting groups of stage professionals and theatregoers.<\/p>\n Ted Lasso star Nick Mohammed hosted the 50th anniversary edition of the awards at a star-studded ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall, where Ian McKellen, Helen Mirren, Vanessa Williams and Andrew Lloyd Webber were among the trophy presenters.<\/p>\n The ceremony included performances from nominated musicals and numbers marking two significant anniversaries: 40 years of Lloyd Webber\u2019s Phantom of the Opera, and 20 years of Wicked in the West End.<\/p>\n Elaine Paige, star of hit musicals including Cats, Evita, Sunset Boulevard and Piaf, received this year\u2019s Special Award.<\/p>\n Related Article The upbeat ceremony reflected the mood of London theatre, which is celebrating a strong post-pandemic return. The Society of London Theatre, an industry umbrella group, says ticket sales have surpassed levels seen before the COVID-19 pandemic. Shows in the West End \u2014 the collective name for London\u2019s theatreland \u2014 attracted 17.6 million visitors in 2025, 3 million more than Broadway.<\/p>\n But there are concerns about rising ticket prices and soaring production budgets, fuelled by higher costs for labour, materials and energy.<\/p>\n \u201cTheatres are busier than ever, but many are operating with far less financial headroom,\u201d the society said in a report published last month.<\/p>\n Find out the next TV, streaming series and movies to add to your must-sees. Get The Watchlist delivered every Thursday<\/a>.<\/p>\n Save<\/p>\n You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n![\"Rosamund](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/61b79ffd10c2e185d91b412d8737ac517ad9a919.jpeg\")
Rosamund Pike at the Olivier awards on Sunday night.Getty Images<\/p>\n![\"Rosamund](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/413d98fbf56e997ae2980dcd6404b4747aabb831.jpeg\")
Rosamund Pike in Inter Alia. <\/p>\n![\"Prince](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/8df3ba32e142ff7a7d9bd33d7a6b401ec04c31f8.jpeg\")
Prince William and Princess Catherine with Paddington Bear from the London stage musical during the Royal Variety Performance last November.AP<\/p>\n![\"Cate](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/a6922c237e812750efead70928986eb4745d0691.jpeg\")
Cate Blanchett lost the best actress category to Rosamund Pike. Scott A Garfitt\/Invision\/APOther winners<\/p>\n![\"Paapa](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/fcab13687a78af7fd4b0981cf6bccdd10f6f6410.jpeg\")
Paapa Essiedu poses with the best actor in a supporting role award for All My Sons.Getty Images<\/p>\n![\"Rosamund](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/fcca6b60eda6ad594c58d1fde61b3740888c3bde.jpeg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Kip](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1776043934_693_761d38ab35787c90cb41a31c668aa3560146269692dede3966371402cbe6ea1b.jpeg\")
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