'Hairspray' nabs top Olivier Awards in London
Five years after "Hairspray" swept Broadway's Tony Awards, the campy stage tuner won four prizes at London's equivalent kudos, the Olivier Awards, today: best musical, actor (Michael Ball), actress (Leanne Jones) and supporting actress (Tracie Bennett).
Low-profile actor Chiwetel Ejiofor pulled off a big upset in the race for best actor in a play. His performance in "Othello" beat rival Shakespearean turns by superstars Ian McKellen ("King Lear") and Patrick Stewart ("Macbeth," which won best director for an extremely bloody production). Kristin Scott Thomas won best actress for "The Seagull."
The prize for best new play went to "A Disappearing Number," which explores the mathematical collaboration of Indian genius Srinivasa Ramanujan and Cambridge mathematician G.H. Hardy.
The winner of best new comedy was "Rafta Rafta," an adaptation of Bill Naughton's 1963 spoof of a close-knit family, "All in Good Time."
To see more info, CLICK HERE. For a full list of nominees, HERE. Check out more info at the Official London Theatre Guide's blog HERE.



