Shaw beaten to best actress by Redgrave

Ireland's Fiona Shaw lost out to Vanessa Redgrave today when the veteran British actress was named best actress on Broadway.

The 66-year-old picked up her first Tony Award for her acclaimed role as a tortured mother in Eugene O’Neill’s masterpiece, Long Day’s Journey Into Night.

Redgrave, whose own mother died last month, paid tribute to the American actors, singers and dancers who taught her “what theatre should be like” over the years in an emotional acceptance speech.

She scooped the award ahead of Shaw, who starred in Medea, Victoria Hamilton, who appeared in A Day In The Death Of Joe Egg and Vincent in Brixton actress Claire Higgins.

Redgrave's Long Day’s Journey co-star Brian Dennehy was also named best actor over surreal funny man Eddie Izzard during a glittering ceremony in New York to celebrate Broadway’s equivalent of the Oscars.

A modest Dennehy said he thought the cross-dressing comic deserved the award for his performance in the critically acclaimed Joe Egg.

“You’re the man Eddie – I guess,” he joked. “You deserve it. You’re in a class by yourself.”

Hairspray, a stage version of the 1988 film, was the big winner at the Tonys, picking up eight awards, including best musical.

The show’s full-figured star Marissa Jaret Winokur made light of her size as she won the actress-musical prize.

“If a 4-foot-11, chubby, New York girl can be a leading lady in a Broadway show and win a Tony, then anything can happen.”

Fellow Hairspray star Harvey Fierstein was named best leading man in a musical - for his role as a woman.

Fierstein, who plays Edna Turnblad in the show, took the award over Spanish heartthrob Antonio Banderas, star of Nine.

He said: “Boy, am I glad this was not a beauty contest.”

Billy Joel opened the Tony ceremonies in Manhattan’s Times Square, singing his hit New York State of Mind.

The song featured in Movin’ Out, a dance celebration of his music which won awards for best orchestrations and best choreography.

But there was disappointment for the Kenneth Branagh directed The Play What I wrote – a homage to comic legends Morecambe and Wise – which missed out on the special theatrical event prize to the hip hop inspired Russell Simmons’ Def Poetry Jam.

Take Me Out, Richard Greenberg’s drama about a gay baseball player, was named best play ahead of Vincent in Brixton.