Book Of Mormon Triumphs At Olivier Awards

The musical The Book Of Mormon and geopolitical drama Chimerica were the big winners at the annual Olivier Awards.

The Book of Mormon, written by South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, won four prizes, including best new musical and best actor in a musical, for Gavin Creel.

Lucy Kirkwood's Chimerica, a play about the entwined fates of China and the United States that opens with a search for the protester photographed standing in front of a tank in Tiananmen Square in 1989, won five trophies including best new play and best director, for Lyndsey Turner.

It was one of several winners to start life in a small off-West End venue. Chimerica opened at north London's 300-seat Almeida Theatre before transferring to a bigger commercial playhouse.

The same path was followed by an acclaimed revival of Henrik Ibsen's Ghosts.

Stars including Dame Judi Dench and Tom Hiddleston turned out for the biggest night of the year in Theatreland - but both were pipped to individual honours.

Rory Kinnear's performance as Iago in Othello at the National Theatre saw him beat Hiddleston and Jude Law to best actor.

Lesley Manville was named best actress for her role in Ghosts, ahead of stars such as Dame Judi and Hayley Atwell.

The play, directed by Richard Eyre, triumphed again when another member of its cast, Jack Lowden, was named the best actor in a supporting role.

Kinnear said the fact that in-demand movie actors like Dame Judi, Hiddleston and Law kept returning to the London stage "shows how addictive it is".

"We as actors basically have to do the same job no matter where it is," said Kinnear, who appeared in the James Bond thriller Skyfall.

"It's using your imagination to fill up people's skin."

The ceremony at London's Royal Opera House was hosted by Gemma Arterton and Stephen Mangan.

Theatre impresario Michael White, whose CV includes Annie and A Chorus Line, received a special award from supermodel Kate Moss and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory star Nigel Planer.

Meanwhile, Les Miserables won the BBC Radio 2 Audience Award voted by the public.

ABBA's Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus reunited for the finale of the ceremony to celebrate 15 years of MAMMA MIA!

The award for best entertainment and family show went to The Wind in the Willows, while best costume design - presented by Gok Wan and Alexandra Burke - went to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.