Sarah Snook has won big at the 2025 Tony Awards.
The Adelaide-born actress took out the Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role of a Play category for The Picture of Dorian Gray on Sunday night in New York.
Taking to the stage at Radio City Music Hall to accept the award, Snook said: “Thank you so much for this. This means so much for a little Australian girl to be here on Broadway.
“It is billed as a one-person show, but I don’t feel alone on any night that I do this show. There are so many people on stage making it work, and so many people behind the stage making it work – in particular a huge thank you to [adapter and director] Kip Williams who is incredible to create this.”
Watch the full speech below.
The Picture of Dorian Gray – a Sydney Theatre Company production – also picked up the Tony Award for Best Costume Design of a Play, making it two wins from six nominations.
📌Sarah Snook’s Full Award Acceptance Speech at the Tony Awards for her performance as 26 characters in The Picture of Dorian Gray! @DorianGrayPlay pic.twitter.com/TyMpXMImPV
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— nitsi | succession broadway & tony era! ᡣ𐭩 (@hosseinisgeckos) June 9, 2025
Based on the 1891 novel by Oscar Wilde, Snook plays 26 characters in the solo production. After launching in Sydney in 2020 – extended twice due to demand and toured nationally – the show moved to the West End in 2024 where Snook won a 2024 Olivier Award for Best Actress, and finally Broadway where it made its debut this past March.
Show producer Michael Cassel said Snook’s win is a “deeply deserved honour”.
“Her performance has captivated audiences night after night, and this recognition is a celebration of her extraordinary artistry,” he said.
“It is also a proud moment for our entire creative team, whose vision and talent have also been recognised tonight. From its beginnings in Sydney to standing ovations on the West End and Broadway, the journey of this show has been nothing short of phenomenal. This accolade is not only a testament to the brilliance of everyone involved, but also to the courage of Sydney Theatre Company and Kip Williams, whose creative genius, ambition and innovation made this groundbreaking piece of theatre possible.
“I am so proud to be a part of Australian theatre being shared on the global stage.”
In an interview with Variety, Costume designer and scenic designer, Marg Horwell discussed the time and effort that goes into Snook’s 26 characters and costume changes, which happen on stage in front of the audience.
“We built a team quite early. A lot of people who do dresses or wigs are not used to being on camera. So we talked about it and we planned it out like a choreography session, and did several sessions with Sarah – maybe five hours, and we ran it on stage,” Horwell said.
“I love their relationship with her now, because they know each other so well that if something goes wrong. They’ve just got a code where they can tap her on the shoulder and she’ll know that something’s late. Or if she gets ahead of herself, they know how to adjust to her. Sarah’s so good at multitasking in that way that she can keep speaking and still be able to adjust in those moments.”
The Picture of Dorian Gray is currently scheduled to close on Broadway at the end of June.
