Actor Polly Lister has won a major theatre award for her portrayal at Theatre by the Lake of one of the great love-hate characters of 20th century drama.
She was honoured in the UK Theatre Awards for giving the best performance in a play—Mike Leigh’s Abigail’s Party, which runs until November 6 in the theatre’s summer season.
At a ceremony in the Guildhall in the City of London, Theatre by the Lake was also hailed at the awards as the most welcoming theatre in the north west of England.
Polly plays Beverly, the desperately aspirational and excruciatingly embarrassing hostess locked in a collapsing marriage with her estate agent husband. Her performance—and the production by artistic director Ian Forrest—has won applause from audiences and been hailed by local and national critics.
Polly shared her award with Joel MacCormack, honoured for his performance at the Orange Tree Theatre in Richmond, South-West London.
She is now working on a one-woman show about the comical highs and painful lows of the most difficult part she has ever played... that of a wife. It will be seen at the Duke’s in Lancaster in Spring.