Beverley Knight hails growing diversity of theatre audiences

The Sylvia star, who won best supporting actress in a musical at the Olivier awards, said Old Vic show attracts ‘people of all kinds of everywhere’

• Olivier awards: full list of winners

Theatre audiences are becoming more diverse, said the actor and singer Beverley Knight, who credited the Olivier award-winning musical Sylvia for attracting “people of all kinds of everywhere”.

Knight picked up the prize for best supporting actress in a musical at the Olivier awards ceremony on Sunday night for her performance as Emmeline Pankhurst in Sylvia, which is running at the Old Vic in London. “A show like Sylvia makes theatre accessible,” she said. “We are diverse on stage and I love that I look out and see diversity in age, in race and most likely in [theatregoers’] financial situations, too. I give absolute respect to the Old Vic for that.”