Zrinka Cvitešić has been crowned Best Actress in a Musical at this year’s Olivier Awards with MasterCard, triumphing for her stunning West End debut in John Tiffany’s hit production of Once.
The Croatian actress fought off stiff competition in the form of Olivier Award-winning musical theatre actress Jenna Russell, The Light Princess star Rosalie Craig and The Sound Of Music’s Charlotte Wakefield to take home the coveted prize.
Cvitešić won over critics and audiences alike with her touching and witty portrayal of Girl in the Irish pub-set musical, which tells the story of an Irish busker and young Czech mother who meet through a shared love of music, when it opened at the Phoenix Theatre in April 2013.
Speaking to us at the nominations announcement earlier this year, Cvitešić said: “I came here a year ago and I was nobody on the West End stage and in a year I got four nominations and two awards and now this. It’s weird, because now I’m somebody. It’s a dream.”
After accepting the award at tonight’s ceremony, she said “I think I’m in shock. It’s unbelievable,” before going on to describe Once, which also took home the award for Outstanding Achievement in Music, as “one of the most beautiful stories of this century. You can’t ask for anything more on stage.”
Cvitešić now stars alongside Arthur Darvill in the Tony Award-winning hit, which was nominated for six awards at tonight’s ceremony. The Doctor Who actor paid tribute to her in a recent interview with Official London Theatre, saying: “She’s amazing… I feel like I have to fire on all cylinders to match her.”