Triumph for Law and Weisz at theatre awards

Jude Law and Rachel Weisz brought Hollywood glitz to the Critics’ Circle Theatre Awards today as they both scooped gongs for stage roles.

Law, who recently starred as Dr John Watson in Guy Ritchie’s movie 'Sherlock Holmes', added to praise for his theatre performance as 'Hamlet' with an award for Best Shakespearean Performance.

The London production of Shakespeare’s tragic tale was one of the hottest tickets in the West End last year and Law reprised the role for American theatre-goers when the play transferred to Broadway.

Weisz was named Best Actress at the London ceremony for playing fading beauty Blanche DuBois in 'A Streetcar Named Desire'.

Back in 1994, the 'Lovely Bones' actress bagged the Most Promising Newcomer prize for 'Design For Living'.

Jez Butterworth’s play Jerusalem, which shows a dark slice of rural life, claimed two awards at the London ceremony – Best New Play and Best Actor for Mark Rylance.

Butterworth won Most Promising Playwright at the awards in 1995 for 'Mojo'.

Best Director was awarded to Rupert Goold for 'Enron', Lucy Prebble’s theatrical epic inspired by the doomed American energy company.

It is the second time Goold has picked up the award, having been named Best Director in 2007 for 'Macbeth'.

Best Musical went to 'Spring Awakening', the rock musical based on a 19th-century play about teenage sexuality.

Other awards included Best Designer, which went to Christopher Oram for 'Red', and Most Promising Playwright, awarded to Alia Bano for 'Shades'.

The Most Promising Newcomer award went to 'The Boat That Rocked' movie star Tom Sturridge for his role in 'Punk Rock'.