Dench Wins Tony While Other Brits Lose Out

Dame Judi Dench confirmed her position as the toast of Broadway on Sunday night when she received this year's Tony Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Esme Allen in the New York production of David Hare s Amy's View. She can now add the Tony to her cupboard-full of Stateside awards which include this year's Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Queen Elizabeth in the film Shakespeare in Love, and last year's Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in the film Mrs Brown.

In other categories, the Brits abroad gang left New York's Gershwin Theater disappointed on Sunday night. Although productions seen first in the West End garnered a whopping 23 nominations for this year's Tonys, only two received awards. In addition to Dench, Richard Hoover took home an award for Best Scenic Design for the National Production of Tennessee Williams Not About Nightingales.

British and Irish nominees overlooked by judges included the Almeida production of Eugene O Neill s The Iceman Cometh (which received five nominations including Best Revival, Best Actor for Kevin Spacey and Best Director for Howard Davies) and the Royal Court production of Martin McDonagh s The Lonesome West (which received four nominations including Best New Play, Best Actor for Brian O Byrne and Best Director for Garry Hynes).

In three of the top categories, Best New Play, Best Actor and Best Director categories, despite three out of the four nominations being for British or Irish productions, the awards on the night went to American contenders. Both Best Actor and Best Director were won by the revival of Arthur Miller s Death of a Salesman, starring Brian Dennehy and directed by Robert Falls, which also took home the award for Best Revival. Best New Play went to Warren Leight s Side Man which battled it out with British competition in the form of Not About Nightingales, The Lonesome West and Patrick Marber s Closer.

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