Daniel Radcliffe has said playing a hunchback for his latest movie role is proving so physically demanding he needs osteopathy.
The former Harry Potter star said playing scientist’s assistant Igor in the new Frankenstein film was even more taxing than his hit West End role in The Cripple of Inishmaan — for which he was last night named best actor at the WhatsOnStage Awards.
“I went straight from playing [the cripple] to playing a hunchback and the hunchback is much harder. I’m having lots of osteopathy— lots of bone-cracking sessions,” he said. Radcliffe beat the likes of Lenny Henry and James McAvoy to the award, voted for by the public, with his performance in Martin McDonagh’s black comedy.
Speaking at the Prince of Wales theatre ceremony, sporting long hair for his current movie role, he said: “It’s an amazing thing and an unexpected thing.”
What's On Theatre Awards
His victory was one of four for the season of plays directed by Michael Grandage in the West End, with 100,000 tickets at £10.
Radcliffe added: “Because of my own following and also because of the affordability, we were bringing a whole load of new people to see these plays. That was a very exciting feeling.” The play is transferring to Broadway this April which is “so exciting”, he added.
“I thought this play would go down very well in New York. Half of New York has Irish relatives.” Grandage was named best director for the season, with his production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, starring Sheridan Smith, named best Shakespeare production. It also scooped best supporting actor for David Walliams.
Walliams, who said he would love to do more theatre, agreed that the cheap tickets mattered, adding: “A lot of people we met at stage door hadn’t been to a theatre before.”
The Book of Mormon won four awards, including best actor in a musical for Gavin Creel.
Helen Mirren won best actress for The Audience, Rupert Grint best newcomer and Barry Humphries best solo performance.
