The Stage Debut Awards took place last night, and winners included Poldark’s Aidan Turner who won the Joe Allen best West End Debut Award for his performance in The Lieutenant of Inishmore. He beat Bryan Cranston from Breaking Bad and previous BGT winner, Ashley Banjo from dancing troupe, Diversity. His role in The Lieutenant of Inishmore was a terrorist who was thought too violent to be a member of the IRA. It was described as a “shocking comedy” by one critic.
Turner accepted his award from his trailer, currently filming for the fifth season of BBC’s Poldark. He thanked his director, Michael Grandage, and called the part, “one of the most incredible jobs I’ve ever worked on.”
Other winners from the Stage Debut Awards included Amara Okereke, for her role as Cosette in Les Miserables – she was also the first black actress to have ever taken the role.
To watch Turner’s acceptance speech, click on the link below:
