THE PRODUCERS stole the show at the Olivier Awards last night as the Broadway import pushed aside strong challenges from home-grown productions.

The Mel Brooks musical, a camp send-up of Nazidom and showbusiness, dashed hopes that Mary Poppins would clean up at Britain’s most important theatrical awards. Despite receiving nine nominations, the story of the magical British nanny picked up just one major award, for Best Actress in a Musical, as well as one for Best Theatre Choreographer.

The Producers, adapted by Brooks from his 1968 film, was named Best New Musical as well as winning awards for Best Actor and Best Performance in a Supporting Role. The story, about a pair of producers working a scam to cash in with a surefire flop, Springtime for Hitler, is a critical and box-office smash.

Of the home-grown productions, Alan Bennett’s The History Boys picked up three awards, plus a Special Award for Bennett himself.

Nathan Lane, as the exuberantly unscrupulous Max Bialystock in The Producers, beat Gavin Lee’s performance as Bert in Mary Poppins to win Best Actor in a Musical despite having performed for only seven weeks. Lane had been forced by two slipped discs to pull out. The Producers and Mary Poppins also vied in the Best Performance in a Supporting Role category. Conleth Hill, who played a transvestite theatre director in The Producers, beat David Haig’s Mr Banks in the adaptation of P.L. Travers’s book. Mary Poppins, which was praised by critics, brought an award for Laura Michelle Kelly, who played the nanny.

Accepting her award, Kelly said: “I could never replace Julie Andrews” — star of the 1963 film — “I’m a massive fan of hers. It is a lot of responsibility taking over from someone who is my hero.” Andrews will be coming to see the musical shortly and Kelly said: “I’m really excited to be meeting her.”

In non-musical categories, Bennett’s The History Boys at the National Theatre triumphed, with awards for Best New Play, Best Director for Nicholas Hytner, and Best Actor for Richard Griffiths. Griffiths said: “It’s a really wonderful thing to be in the winner’s seat. I’ve been in the loser’s seat several times there and I have to tell you, you go home with your head in your hands and lots of two-ply tissue. I have coveted this ever since I did not get one in 1979.

“I wish my mother and father had been here to see this. My father would have laughed himself sick but my mother would have believed every word.”

Bennett, 70, who was presented with a Special Award for his outstanding contribution to British theatre, said: “There’s no gainsaying the fact that this is the Zimmer-frame award.

“The History Boys has given me more pleasure than anything I can ever remember.”

Claire Higgins won Best Actress for the title role of Hecuba, directed by Jonathan Kent at the Donmar Warehouse. The theatre also hosted Grand Hotel, the winner of Outstanding Musical Production, directed by Michael Grandage.

The Royal Shakespeare Company picked up two awards. Amanda Harris won Best Supporting Actor for Emilia in Othello. Deirdre Clancy won the Best Costume Design prize for All’s Well That Ends Well. The Royal Opera House won both opera awards.

TAKE A BOW: THE WINNERS

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