The annual Olivier Awards on Sunday evening saw the triumph of a new production of the Norwegian classic play "Ghosts".

"Ghosts", a gruelling realist drama from the 19th century by playwright Henrik Ibsen, won best revival, best actress, and best supporting actor awards.

Director Sir Richard Eyre received the award for best revival of "Ghosts", and Lesley Manville was best actress for her role as the widow Helene Alving; Jack Lowden won best supporting actor for his role as her tragic drug-addicted son Oswald.

"Ghosts" began life in a small 'off-West End' London theater, the Almeida Theatre in Islington and became such a hit that it transferred to the commercial West End.

Manville told Xinhua after winning the award, "Subsidized theaters can take risks and I think the Almeida does that brilliantly. Also, because it is a small theater, they are very intimate."

Best actor award went to Rory Kinnear, for his part as the evil Iago in the National Theater's production of Shakespeare's "Othello".

Kinnear said to Xinhua after winning the award, "It is easier to be recognized for awards if you have a good part. Everyone is aware there is a certain level of iniquity to these types of awards, it is quite often to do with the part you are playing rather than how you are playing it -- and Iago has a great rapport with the audience, people love the villain."

Best supporting actress was Sharon D Clarke, for her part in another National Theater production, "Amen Corner."

Best director was Lyndsey Turner for "Chimerica", which also began life at the Almeida Theater before moving into London's commercial West End Theater.

While the best new play award went to "Chimerica", and the best new comedy was "Jeeves and Wooster in Perfect Nonsense".

The best new musical was "Book of Mormon", and Gavin Creel and Stephen Ashfield won the best actor and the best performance in a supporting role in a musical, respectively. While Casey Nicholaw won the best choreographer by the musical.

Olivier Awards (The Laurence Olivier Award) is presented annually by the Society of London Theatre. Named after the famous British actor Laurence Olivier, the awards are recognized as the highest honor in British theatre.