Olivier Award for The Mountaintop at Theatre 503

Theatre 503, a fringe venue in south London, saw off the theatrical big boys at the Olivier Awards last night, when The Moutaintop by American playwright Katori Hall won Best New Play.

The success of a play that started out at such a small venue has made something of a stir, and theatre critic Michael Billington writes that it represents:

...not only a significant boost for black playwrights and small theatres, since The Mountaintop started its life at Battersea's Theatre503 before moving to the West End. It also gives new life to the whole awards circus, which has become monstrously repetitive and wearisomely predictable.

Here's some background on Katori Hall, the 28-year-old from Memphis whose play now appears to be set for Broadway.

Elsewhere at the Olivier Awards, The Priory by Michael Wynne was named Best New Comedy and Cock by Mike Bartlett was given an award for Outstanding Achievement.

Update: And more on Katori Hall here.