Rory Kinnear has won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance In A Supporting Role. He has been recognised for his appearance as the magnificently monikered Sir Fopling Flutter in George Etherege’s The Man Of Mode at the National’s Olivier theatre.
A rollicking Restoration Comedy, The Man Of Mode tells the story of the silver-tongued Dorimant who claims he can woo any woman in town. Kinnear’s character, Sir Fopling Flutter is, as his name may suggest, a fop who swans in “piping hot from Paris” along with a troupe of French mime artists. Kinnear’s performance earned universal praise from the critics, with the Guardian’s Michael Billington singling out his ‘dazzling performance’.
Speaking after collecting his award Kinnear (pictured right), said he was "Bamboozled. Just as I was going up, when they said my name, I took a sip of what I thought was water but was actually a large glass of wine, so that probably helped steady my nerves."
Historical plays are something of a speciality of Kinnear, who also won considerable acclaim for his appearance in Mary Stuart in 2005. He has also appeared with the Royal Shakespeare Company in several productions and played Laertes in Hamlet at the Old Vic. This trend is set to continue as he is scheduled to appear in Thomas Middleton’s gloriously gory The Revenger’s Tragedy, again at the National, later this year. Speaking about working at the National Kinnear said: "For me the National is the best place in England that I’ve worked, just because everyone there is the best at their jobs. You come up with an idea in the morning and someone’s put it into action by the afternoon."
Kinnear, the son of actor Roy Kinnear and actress Carmel Cryan, beat Michelle Fairley (Othello), Pam Ferris (The Entertainer) and Conleth Hill (Philistines) to claim this, his first Laurence Olivier Award.
The Laurence Olivier Award was presented by Alan Dale, the latest actor to wear the crown and bang the coconut shells of King Arthur in Monty Python’s Spamalot.
TB