Lesley Manville and John Lithgow mark the best actor prices

Lesley Manville and John Lithgow were among the big winners of Olivier Awards on Sunday, the most prestigious event in British theater.

Lithgow won the best actor for his representation of Roald Dahl in Giant, whom he described as “one of the best experiences I have ever had on stage”.

Manville was appointed best actress for her performance in the Greek Oedipus tragedy, dedicating the price to her grandson who was born during the program’s race.

Three shows were tied with the most victories during the ceremony – with Fiddler on the Roof, Giant and the curious case of Benjamin Button each winning three prizes.

The other winners understood Imelda Staunton, who won the best actress in a musical for her leading role in Hello Dolly!

Scroll down to see the list of winners in full.

American actor Lithgow, who will also play Dumbledore in the next television series Harry Potter, said in his acceptance speech: “I want to thank you all for having welcomed me and my wife Mary so completely in England.

“It is not always easy to welcome an American among you, and at this particular moment, it is obviously a little more complicated than usual,” he continued.

“But for me, for Mary, and for all our compatriots and our compatriots, I want to assure you that the special relationship is still firmly intact.”

The victory marks the first Olivier Award for Lithgow, 79, who also recently played in the Oscar -winning film Conclave.

The co-star of Lithgow, the English actor Elliot Levey, took the best actor in a support role, while Giant was appointed Best New Play. “Get a price to have fun too,” he joked.

Romola Garai was also nominated for Giant, one of the two heads she had in the support actress category, but she won for her other performance in Annie Ernaux Memoir’s adaptation on the years.

Behind the scenes, Garai joked by saying that she had a “terrifying thought” while standing on stage that she “perhaps accepted the price in the name of the bad game, which was a bit like a dream of fever that I had in recent weeks”.

The years, which have also won Eline Arbo’s best director, sees five actresses playing a woman at different stages of her life.

In his speech, Garai said that it was “the greatest privilege of my life to be part of this play that changed me and so many people”.

Manville’s victory marks his second Olivier, after his 2014 triumph for his performance in a renewal of the Ibsen Play ghosts.

Accepting its price, Manville said: “I knew the first day of this play that we were on something good.”

She paid tribute to the “Grand Director” of the Robert ICKE show, and to her co-star Mark Strong.

“Mark, you were the most perfect partner,” she said. “We had scenes difficult to do, and a thumbs up, slowly, slowly, little by little, we built this very complex relationship, to say the least.”

She concluded: “While we were doing Oedipus, our little family became a little bigger, my son and his wife had a baby. It was during the race, so one day, this (trophy) will certainly be to you, my sweet.”

Imelda Staunton received the fifth Olivier Award from her career, winning the best actress in a musical for Hello, Dolly!

“If I can say something to my late mom, whose name was Bridie McNicholas,” she said. “Large name, must renew (my) Irish passport.

“Mom, I’m here at the Albert Hall, I have a price, but more importantly, I’m about to play with your granddaughter, I want you to be here.”

The musical of Celine Dion Titanique won two prizes, the best new entertainment and comedy and the best support actor in a musical for the first nominated Layton Williams.

The co-director Tye Blue said that the victory was “astonishing and overwhelming”, reflecting how the spectacle had gone from the “basement of an emerging grocery store in Manhattan, to the glorious Criterion Theater in London”.

In his own speech, Williams joked: “I just won an olive tree for playing an iceberg!”

He concluded: “If it can happen to me, a little boy of the humble beginnings, it can happen to you too.”

An adaptation on stage of the curious case of Benjamin Button, based on the news of F. Scott Fitzgerald, which was also transformed into a film with Brad Pitt, was appointed best new musical.

John Dagleish won the best actor in a musical to play the titular role, 10 years after his first victory for Olivier for the Sunny afternoon musical.

“The last time I had one, my mother was my most one. She is no longer with us, she would have loved this show,” he said. “It’s for her.”

Fiddler on the Roof has won the best musical renewal. Accepting the prize, director Jordan Fein said: “There was a question of whether new production of Fiddler on the roof was appropriate for this moment.

“It is a musical on love, not in the romantic abstract sense, but active love, courageous and rebellious love that requires empathy and compassion, and that seems to be what we desperately need at the moment.”

Best new musical – The curious case of Benjamin Button

Best renewal – Oedipus (Wyndham theatrical production)

Best musical renewal – Fiddler on the roof

Best new game – Giant

Best new entertainment or comedy game – titanic

Better production of new opera – Festen

Best actor – John Lithgow for Giant

Best actress – Lesley Manville for Oedipus (Wyndham theatrical production)

Best support actor – Elliot Levey for Giant

Best support actress – Romola Garai for years

Best actor in a musical – John Dagleish for the curious case of Benjamin Button

Best actress in a musical – Imelda Staunton for Hello, Dolly!

Best support actress in a musical – Mayimuna Memon for Natasha, Pierre and the great comet of 1812

Best support actor in a musical – Layton Williams for titanic

Best director – Eline Arbo for years

Best new production in affiliate theater – Boys by tears

Best new dance production – Assembly room

Best family show – Brainiac live

Best theater choreographer – Christopher Wheeldon for MJ the musical

Best lighting design – Paule Constable & Ben Jacobs to Oliver!

Best sound design – Nick Lidster to Fiddler on the roof

Best costume design – Gabriella Slade for Starlight Express

Best design – Tom Scutt to Fiddler on the roof

Exceptional realization in dance – Eva Yerbabuena for her performance in Yerbagüena

Exceptional musical contribution – Darren Clark and Mark Aspinall for the curious case of Benjamin Button

Exceptional realization in the opera – Allan Clayton for his performance in Festen

The ceremony was organized by Beverley Knight and Billy Porter and included live performances of shows, notably Why I am if single ?, MJ the musical, Fiddler on the Roof, Oliver!, Starlight Express and a performance of the 40th anniversary of Les Misérables.