Patsy Ferran wins Critics’ Circle award for last-minute A Streetcar Named Desire role

Patsy Ferran was named Best Actress at the Critics’ Circle Theatre Awards for her role as Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire.

Ferran replaced Lydia Wilson, who withdrew for health reasons, just days before the show’s premiere in December, delaying the preview at the Almeida Theatre by five days.

The actor was one of the play’s three protagonists, performing alongside Normal People and Aftersun star Paul Mescal who played Stanley Kowalski, and Anjana Vasan as Stella Kowalski.

The award recognises work over the previous 12 months, and is voted for by members of the Critics’ Circle drama section.

Ferran beat fierce competition from stars including Killing Eve star Jodie Comer, who recently won an Oliver Award for her role in the one-person production Prima Facie, directed by Suzie Miller.

Streetcar’s award-winning director Rebecca Frecknall had previously cast Ferran in a Tennessee Williams revival. The pair previously worked together in the Almeida’s 2018 production of Summer and Smoke, for which Ferran won an Olivier, an award she was nominated for again this year.

The Critics’ Circle awards also saw success for former Hamilton star Giles Terera, who scooped up the Best Actor prize for his roles in Othello and Blues For an Alabama Sky. Meanwhile, Tom Pye took home the award for Best Designer as My Neighbour Totoro continued its awards sweep.

This year’s prize ceremony was held on Monday 17 April at Soho Place in London.