Overview
- Lesley Manville received the 2026 Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play at the 79th Tony Awards on Sunday for her portrayal of Jocasta.
- The prize is Manville’s first Tony nomination and win and came during her Broadway debut in the Robert Icke revival.
- Icke’s production reframes Sophocles’ Oedipus as an election-night political thriller and enlarges Jocasta’s role, a change that critics and awards panels have highlighted.
- The revival transferred from the West End after winning two 2025 Olivier Awards, including Best Actress for Manville, and assembled much of the London creative team and cast for its Studio 54 run.
- Beyond the trophy, coverage noted Manville’s red-carpet Loewe gown and the win’s broader effect in cementing the production’s cross-Atlantic recognition and industry momentum.