Irish actor Andrew Scott made history on Monday night, March 25 at the 33rd Critics’ Circle Theatre Awards where he won the Best Actor prize for his turn in the West End production "Vanya."
In "Vanya," Scott played eight characters who were often in conversation with each other.
The big win for the Dublin native comes a few months after he won the same prize at the Critics’ Circle Film Awards for "All of Us Strangers."
Scott is now the first person to win the London Critics' Circle best actor award in both film and theatre in the same year.
Accepting his prize at the Soho Place in London on Monday, Scott paid tribute to his mother, Nora, who died earlier this month of a sudden illness.
"My mother was an incredible supporter of me, not just me, all arts in general," Scott said on Monday, fighting back tears.
He went on to say how his mother saw "Vanya" a few weeks ago.
“She sent me her review on a voice note. And, with respect to everybody here, her review is the one I listen to the most — even though she might have been somewhat biased.
"Anyway, she was hugely taken with it. It's a review that I will really cherish because she died three days later, just two weeks ago."
Scott then turned to the importance of the arts: "A lot of people need it, I need it and we all do.
"So the arts should be protected and they should be celebrated and they should be funded.
"So, I just want to say thank you to the artists, and I'm not exaggerating when I say that the arts have saved and made my life."
“I hope that we can argue, not as enemies, but as allies in defending and protecting this extraordinary thing that only human beings can do.”
- This year’s Best Actor, Andrew Scott, on the importance of theatre critics, and funding the arts. #CriticsCircleAwards pic.twitter.com/bjkrbaeKUD
— CriticsCircleAwards (@CCTAwards) March 25, 2024
Speaking with Variety, Scott said: “It’s a thrilling delight.
“I’ve been involved with both film and theater ever since I started acting when I was 17 years old. I’ve always worked between the two mediums.
"So to have these two projects, which were very dear to me, be recognized is more than I could have wished for.”
The 2024 UK Critics' Circle Theatre Award saw David Tennant, of "Doctor Who" fame, win best Shakespearean performance for his role in "Macbeth."
Sophie Okonedo won Best Actress for her titular role in "Medea", an adaptation of the ancient Greek tragedy by Euripides.
Rupert Goold won Best Director for "Dear England", the hit play by James Graham about Gareth Southgate and England’s journey to the 2022 World Cup.
The revival of "'Guys & Dolls" by Nicholas Hytner was named Best Musical while Jack Thorne’s "The Motive And The Cue" took home the award for Best New Play, PA reports.
The Critics’ Circle, which began its stage awards in 1982 as the Drama Theatre Awards and launched the film equivalent in 1990, comprises more than 500 British-based critics of drama, art, architecture, music, cinema, dance and literature.
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