Tony Award nominations for RADA graduates

The nominations for the 2018 Tony Awards have been announced in New York, with three RADA graduates nominated in the acting categories.

Glenda Jackson picks up the fifth Tony Award nomination of her 60-year career for Best Leading Actress in a Play. She is nominated for her role in Edward Albee's psychodrama Three Tall Women, which is currently playing at the Golden Theatre on Broadway. Her return to the New York stage has been hailed as "astounding", "glorious" and "earth-moving", and also earned her nominations at the Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards .

Graduates Sir Mark Rylance and Jamie Parker are both shortlisted for Best Leading Actor in a Play. Parker is nominated for his first Tony for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in which he reprises his role as Harry from the West End run. The show won a record-breaking nine Olivier Awards in London, including Best Actor for Parker. It recently opened at the Lyric Theatre on Broadway and is nominated for a total of 10 Tony Awards.

Rylance is nominated for his role as King Philippe V of Spain in Farinelli and the King, a role he also previously played in London at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse and the West End. It is his fourth Tony Award nomination: he has won three, for Jerusalem, Boeing-Boeing and Twelfth Night.

Also nominated is RADA graduate Dame Diana Rigg, who is in the running for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. She plays Mrs Higgins in the latest Broadway revival of the classic musical. It is also her fourth Tony Award nomination; in 1994 she on Best Actress in a Play for Medea.

The winners of the 2018 Tony Awards will be announced on 10 June at Radio City Music Hall. Take a look at the full list of nominees.

In other awards news, RADA graduate James McArdle has been nominated for a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play for his role as Louis in the Broadway transfer of the National Theatre production of Angels in America.