In her award speech, Beverly Knight recognized the Wolverhampton Theater

A youth theater highlighted by Beverly Knight in her Olivier Award acceptance speech she said was “very inspiring and uplifting.”

The Wolverhampton-born actress was honored on Sunday for her supporting performance as Emmeline Pankhurst in the musical Sylvia.

Knight, 50, praised the city’s Central Youth Theatre, which “gave him a chance” when he was 11.

According to the theatre, his victory was “extremely inspiring” for Wolverhampton.

Knight, known for his singles “Shoulda Woulda Coulda” and “Come as You Are”, was a member of the Central Youth Theater at Whitmore Reans in the mid-1980s.

Jane Ward, the theatre’s founding director, praised her as “bright, lively and vivacious”.

Ms Ward said:

“She has all the attributes that characterize her abilities now; “She hasn’t changed.”

Knight made her musical theater debut in 2013 and was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performances in Memphis and The Drifters Girl in 2015 and 2022, respectively.

In her acceptance speech on Sunday, Knight referenced her role as Emmeline Pankhurst and “women taking power.” She then expressed her gratitude to the theater she joined decades ago.

She added,

“Shout out to Wolverhampton Youth Theater for giving me a chance when I was 11.”

Beverly Knight had previously tweeted that she was “very honored” to have performed twice at the awards ceremony.

Ms Ward said the award was “very exciting” and she hoped Mr Knight would be “on top of the world”.

Ms Ward said the artist’s mention of the theatre, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this summer, was “very motivating and encouraging” to “not only the students but also the residents of Wolverhampton”.

She said,

“It is positive to have a prominent figure who defends youth arts.”