Andrew Garfield and Robert De Niro get on their soapboxes at the Tonys

ANDREW GARFIELD and Robert De Niro both had their axes to grind, it would seem, at last night’s annual celebration of Broadway productions.

In a night that saw Harry Potter And The Cursed Child come away as the big winner — with six Tony Awards, including best play, book, lighting, sound design, orchestrations and director — it was some of the luvvies’ speeches that caused a stir.

Brit actor Andrew Garfield, who won his first Tony last night for best leading actor in the play Angels In America, about a young gay man living with Aids, dedicated his win to the LGBTQ community.

Describing the play as a rejection of bigotry, shame and oppression, he said: ‘We are all sacred and we all belong.’

Then referencing a legal case last week in which the US Supreme Court ruled in favour of a baker’s right to deny a gay couple a wedding cake, Andrew added: ‘(Let’s) just bake a cake for everyone who wants a cake to be baked,’ — to resounding applause from the audience.

But Robert De Niro did even better — a standing ovation — when he had a few choice words to say about US president Donald Trump while introducing a performance from Bruce Springsteen.

‘I’m gonna say one thing: F*** Trump,’ the veteran actor said, to wide acclaim from the assembed theatre folk.

Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber was less controversal when receiving his lifetime achievement award, waxing lyrical about his heroes Rodgers and Hammerstein and describing himself as ‘absolutely humbled’ by the honour.

Author: Anna Thomson