Actor Cillian Murphy has won New York’s prestigious Drama Desk Award for his Outstanding Solo Performance as Thomas Magill Misterman, a co-production between Galway Arts Festival and Dublin’s Landmark Productions.

He was named the winner on Sunday night, when he fought off competition from Tony Award-winning actors Denis O’Hare and Stephen Spinella, who were nominated in the same category. The 57th annual Drama Desk Awards are the only combined Broadway, Off-Broadway and Off-Off Broadway theatre awards.

Describing the award as a great honour, Cillian Murphy added that “Misterman has been an extraordinary experience and I am delighted for the entire company that the show has been so well received in Galway, New York and London”. Earlier this year Cillian Murphy won The Irish Times Theatre Award for Best Actor with Misterman.

Other well-known winners on Sunday night included Gavin and Stacey star James Corden for London’s National Theatre production of One Man, Two Guvnors, with fellow nominees including Angela Lansbury, Elaine Paige, Sam Mendes and Suanne Vega.

The musical Once was another Irish success at the awards, with Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová winning for Outstanding Lyrics.
Many famous faces from the world of theatre and film were on the red carpet on Sunday evening for the award ceremony, including Oscar winner Kevin Spacey and Tony winner and Broadway legend, Bernadette Peters.

Misterman, which premiered in Galway last summer, has been the most successful theatre production in the Arts Festival’s 35-year history and recently finished a critically acclaimed run in London’s National Theatre.