Disabled actor says Olivier win signals progress

A disabled actor who won a Laurence Olivier award said she "never thought this would happen" because of accessibility in the industry.

Amy Trigg, 32, from Witham, Essex, received the award for best actress for her supporting role in the musical The Little Big Things on the West End.

She added that in the past people had been "against casting disabled actors".

The actor has become the second wheelchair user to win an Olivier award, after Liz Carr in 2022.

Ms Trigg accepted the award at the ceremony in London on Sunday .

The awards were presented by the Society of London Theatre in recognition of excellence in professional theatre in London.

She said: "I never thought this would happen and I am absolutely thrilled.

"I have always loved theatre from when I was really little, and was always nurtured by my family."

Ms Trigg went to drama school and trained in musical theatre for three years at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in south London, graduating in 2013.

She said: "After that, I let musical theatre take a backseat because there werent that many opportunities with regards to access - it didnt really exist when I graduated.

"People were quite against casting disabled actors in any role for some reason."

"But it has changed so much since then."

The actor admitted she had not prepared an acceptance speech before she won the award.

She said: "The category that I was in was such a strong category, I was so proud to be there along side the others."

She added: "I was trying to elevate the pressure in any way possible so I hadnt prepared a speech - what a fool."

The Little Big Things by Henry Fraser is based on the writers memoir of the same name, which recounts how he became a mouth artist after becoming paralysed from the shoulders down following an accident while on holiday in Portugal aged 17.

"It is an inspirational story and it is so much fun and I love it a lot," Ms Trigg said.

Follow East of England news on Facebook, Instagram and X. Got a story? Email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp 0800 169 1830