British Talent Grabs Limelight in Tony Nominations

Brits take over Broadway has been a familiar refrain over the years. Yesterday's Tony theatre award nominations suggest it may be truer than ever before.

British and Irish actors and productions were shortlisted in almost every category, with Alan Bennett's The History Boys - which transferred after a phenomenal run at the National Theatre and in the West End - leading the charge with seven nominations.

Sonia Friedman, the West End producer who took Brian Friel's Faith Healer to New York, said the nominations reflected the strength of British theatre. "I don't remember as good a year as this for the British on Broadway - and the Irish. You've got British actor up against British actor."

The History Boys is up for best play against Martin McDonagh's bloody The Lieutenant of Inishmore, which was first performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company, and Conor McPherson's Shining City, which was at the Royal Court two years ago.

Richard Griffiths, as Hector the old-fashioned schoolmaster in The History Boys, will contest best lead actor with Ralph Fiennes, below, in Faith Healer, while Lynn Redgrave is nominated in the lead actress category for The Constant Wife. Samuel Barnett, one of the History Boys, is up for best supporting actor, as is Domhnall Gleeson in The Lieutenant of Inishmore and Ian McDiarmid (perhaps always destined to be better known as the Supreme Chancellor Palpatine in Star Wars) in Faith Healer.

Frances de la Tour (The History Boys) is nominated for best supporting actress along with Alison Pill in The Lieutenant of Inishmore and Zoe Wanamaker (last seen on TV screens as the mum in BBC1's My Family) for Awake and Sing! John Doyle's production of Sondheim's Sweeney Todd, which began life at the Watermill Theatre in Newbury before going to the West End and Broadway, is nominated in six categories.

Friedman said she was thrilled by the four nominations for her play, which transferred from Dublin but was at London's Royal Court and Almeida three years ago. "To put it on in New York is what you would call a genuine risk. It requires concentration, you have to really listen but it is a magical play. It is a piece of art. It has been completely sold out."

She said one reason for British success on Broadway was the link between the National Theatre and US producers Bob Boyett and Bill Haber. The successful transfers of plays such as The Pillowman, Democracy, Jumpers and The History Boys encouraged other producers - including her - to take the plunge.

The greatest number of nominations - 13 - went to The Drowsy Chaperone, a parody of 1920s musicals. Oprah Winfrey's The Color Purple, based on Alice Walker's novel, surprised some by picking up 11 nominations, and the musical Jersey Boys has eight.