Lesley Manville won the 2026 Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actress
in a Leading Role in a Play at the 79th Annual Tony Awards, held at
Radio City Music Hall June 7.
Manville won for her performance as Jocasta in the revival of Oedipus that played Studio 54 earlier this season. This marks
the actress’ first Tony win, and first nomination. Manville, also known for her work in The Crown and Phantom Thread, won the Olivier for her performance as Jocasta in the play’s earlier London run. The veteran British stage and screen star made her Broadway debut in the revival directed by Robert Icke.
“Our genius director and writer Robert Icke took a 2,500 year–old play and brought it up to the present day with shocking, startling results,” Manville shared accepting the honor. “And it was an extraordinary thing to do every night. But really shocking, how little has changed in those two and a half 1,000–years for women. Been very slow.”
READ: Mark Strong and Lesley Manville Are Tony-Nominated for a Play That’s 2,500 Years Old
Other nominees in the category included Rose Byrne for Fallen Angels, Carrie Coon for Bug, Susannah Flood for Liberation, and Kelli O’Hara for Fallen Angels.
Broadway’s revival of Oedipus, a transfer from London’s
West End, officially opened at Studio 54 November 13, 2025, after beginning
previews October 30. The limited engagement concluded February 8, 2026. Read the reviews here. The recent revival received seven 2026 Tony nominations, including Best Revival of a Play.
2026 Tony nominee Mark Strong (A View From the Bridge, Deep State) reprised his Olivier-nominated performance in the title role, opposite Manville. Also back from the U.K.
run were Samuel Brewer as Teiresias, Bhasker Patel as Corin, Jordan
Scowen as Eteocles, and James Wilbraham as Polyneices.
They were joined by John Carroll Lynch as Creon, Teagle F. Bougere as
Driver, Ani Mesa-Perez as Lichas, Olivia Reis as Antigone, and Anne Reid
as Merope. The ensemble featured Brian Thomas Abraham, Denise Cormier,
Karl Kenzler, and Oliver Rowland-Jones.
Icke re-assembled his London creative team for Broadway, with the production
featuring scenic design by Hildegard Bechtler, costume design by
Wojciech Dziedzic, lighting design by Natasha Chivers, sound design by
Tom Gibbons, and video design by Tal Yarden. Casting was by Julia Horan
and Jim Carnahan. David Lober served as production stage manager.
Icke’s production of the Sophocles drama, originally presented in Dutch at Internationaal
Theater Amsterdam and subsequently at the Edinburgh International
Festival, is set on election night. All signs point to a landslide
victory, but everything is about to change. The West End bow won two
2025 Olivier Awards, including Best Actress for Manville and Best
Revival of a Play.
Check Playbill throughout the evening for the latest in Tony Awards
coverage, including photos from the red carpet, a continually updated
list of winners, analysis from Playbill’s theatre experts, and more.
The American Theatre Wing’s Tony Awards are presented by The American
Theatre Wing and The Broadway League. At the American Theatre Wing, Ted
Chapin is interim chair, and Heather Hitchens is president and CEO. At
the Broadway League, Kristin Caskey is chair, and Jason Laks is
president. Raj Kapoor, Sarah Levine Hall, and Jack Sussman are producing
this year’s ceremony.
For more about the Tony Awards, visit Playbill.com/Tonys.
