The Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role has been won by Marcia Warren for Humble Boy at the Cottesloe. She stars in Charlotte Jones’ new comedy about a Cambridge astro-physicist, Felix, who returns home after the sudden death of his father. Mercy, a family friend who owns a charity shop, accidentally puts Felix’s father's ashes in the gazpacho. Warren was nominated in the same category last year for In Flame at the New Ambassadors but lost out to Pauline Flanagan for Dolly West’s Kitchen at the Old Vic. This year she beat Bríd Brennan, Emma Fielding and Lyndsey Marshal. Nigel Planer was on hand to present the actress with her award (a bronze bust of Laurence Olivier as Henry V) which she gracefully accepted with the words, ”what more could a woman want except the King on her mantelpiece.” Humble Boy has just transferred to the Gielgud.
The winner of Best Actor in a Supporting Role went to Toby Jones for The Play What I Wrote at the Wyndham's. Jones thanked his co-stars Sean Foley and Hamish McColl “for writing such a fantastic part” after accepting the award from former EastEnders actress Anita Dobson. In the course of the play Jones dresses up as Darryl Hannah and Carmen Miranda, wearing an assortment of wigs and platform shoes. The other competitors were Ned Beatty, Desmond Barrit, Adam Godley and Malcolm Sinclair.