‘Once’ takes two Laurence Olivier awards

The West End adaptation of the film Once took two awards at the prestigious Laurence Olivier award ceremony in London last night.

Dublin musician Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova wrote most of the soundtrack for the original film, for which they received an Oscar for best original song in 2008. They were last night awarded the Autograph Sound Award for Outstanding Achievement in Music jointly with arranger Martin Lowe.

The show’s female lead Zrinka Cviteši received the award for best actress in a Musicial.

Enda Walsh’s adaptation of John Carney’s 2006 film had also received nominations in the best new musical in the best choreographer, best sound design and best set categories.

Ardal O’Hanlon, who had been nominated for best actor in a supporting role as Jim, one of the pub-dwellers in Conor McPherson’s The Weir lost out to Jack Lowden for his role in Ghosts.

McPherson, who previously received an Olivier Award for The Weir, was nominated in the American Airlines best new play category for The Night Alive. The category was won by Chimerica.

Irish actor Sarah Greene, who was described as a “rising Irish star”, impressed the Olivier Award judges in what was her West End debut in The Cripple Of Inishmaan but missed out on the best actress in a supporting role prize. The award instead went to Sharon D Clarke for The Amen Corner.