Lesley Manville won the 2026 Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play for her Broadway debut in Robert Icke’s adaptation of Oedipus, which closed in February after a limited run at Studio 54.
The British stage and screen veteran, best known for her role as Princess Margaret in Netflix’s The Crown, made her first Broadway appearance as Jocasta opposite Mark Strong in the title role. The production transferred from London’s West End and opened on November 13, 2025, earning seven Tony nominations overall, with Strong also nominated for Best Actor in a Play.
In a May interview with Deadline, Manville described her Broadway debut as “one of the theatrical highlights of my career.” She noted that while she had performed in New York before—at the Public Theater in Top Girls and at BAM in productions of Ibsen’s Ghosts and Long Day’s Journey Into Night—Oedipus was her first time on a Broadway stage. The production ran for just over two months, from October 30 preview performances through its February 8 closing.
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Lesley Manville wins 2026 Tony Award for Broadway debut in Oedipus
Manville’s win marks a significant achievement for the acclaimed British actress, whose career has included work with filmmaker Mike Leigh and numerous London stage credits that earned her the honor of Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2021.
Sources
- Variety — confirmed Lesley Manville won the 2026 Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play for Oedipus
- BroadwayWorld — reported the win for Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
- Playbill — confirmed the Tony Award win for Best Leading Actress in a Play
- Deadline — provided interview context about her Broadway debut and the production’s seven Tony nominations, which included Best Revival of a Play, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role (Mark Strong), Best Direction of a Play (Robert Icke), Best Scenic Design, Best Lighting Design, and Best Sound Design
- New York Theatre Guide — confirmed Manville made her Broadway debut as Jocasta in Oedipus in 2025
