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Andrew Burnap beat Jake Gyllenhaal and Tom Hiddleston to the Best Leading Actor in a Play prize, while ‘Moulin Rouge! The Musical’ triumphed at the 2021 Tony Awards.

The prestigious ceremony returned on Sunday (26.09.21) and saw the 30-year-old actor honoured for his role as troubled playwright Toby Darling in Matthew Lopez’s ‘The Inheritance’, a play about AIDS, inspired by the novel ‘Howards End’ by E. M. Forster.

Andrew beat off stiff competition from movie stars Jake and Tom, both 40, who were shortlisted for their respective roles as Abe in ‘Sea Wall/A Life’ and Robert in ‘Betrayal’, as well as Tom Sturridge, who played Alex in the former play, and Ian Barford for ‘Linda Vista’.

‘The Inheritance’ also scooped Best Play, Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play (Lois Smith) and Best Direction in a Play (Stephen Daldry).

And Matthew called for more diversity at the theatre awards show.

The Puerto Rican writer said: “This is the 74th Tony Awards and yet I am only the first Latinate writer to win in this category.

“This must change. We are a vibrant community … We have so many stories to tell. They are inside of us, aching to come out.”

‘Moulin Rouge! The Musical’ scooped the most prizes of the night, taking home a total of 10 trophies.

The musical based on the 2001 movie saw Andrew Tevit take home Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical, plus top honours including Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical, and Best Direction of a Musical.

And emotional Andrew, who won his first Tony of his 15-year Broadway career said: “We are so privileged to get to do this, to be on Broadway, to perform live theatre.

“Let’s continue to strive to tell stories that represent the many and not the few, by the many and not the few, for the many and not the few.”

Elsewhere, five awards went to ‘A Christmas Carol’, rising star Adrienne Warren won Best Actress in a Musical for playing the legendary Tina Turner in ‘Tina – The Tina Turner Musical’, and ‘Jagged Little Pill’ won Best Book of a Musical.

Audra McDonald and Leslie Odom Jr. hosted the ceremony at New York City’s Winter Garden Theatre.

The 2020 event had to be postponed owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.

An abridged list of the Tony Awards winners:

Best Musical

Moulin Rouge! The Musical

Best Play

The Inheritance

Best Revival of a Play

A Soldier’s Play

Best Book of a Musical

Diablo Cody, Jagged Little Pill

Best Direction of a Play