Playwright John Patrick Shanley and actress Cherry Jones won for Doubt

John Patrick Shanley's drama about abuse in the Catholic church won four awards at Sunday's ceremony.

The musical The Light in the Piazza, a love story set in Europe, was honoured with six awards.

Monty Python-based show Spamalot won three awards, including best musical and best director for Mike Nichols.

Sarah Ramirez won best supporting musical actress for her turn in the show, which has taken Broadway by storm.

Doubt won best play, while Cherry Jones took best actress for her role in it.

Director Doug Hughes also won for his staging of the production and Adriane Lenox won best supporting actress.

In pictures: Tony Awards Tony Award winners in full

The best actor in a play was won by Bill Irwin for his role as George in the revival of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?.

Fleeting joy

The best musical actor went to Norbert Leo Butz for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.

Among other awards won by The Light in the Piazza was best score for composer Adam Guettel, grandson of Broadway legend Richard Rodgers.

Collecting his award for best play, Doubt playwright John Patrick Shanley said: "Happy. Joy. Fleeting.

"I want to thank the Sisters of Charity for teaching me how to read and write. I want to thank the Irish Christian Brothers for throwing me out of high school."

David Mamet's Glengarry Glen Ross was a double winner for best revival of a play and best supporting actor in a play for Liev Schreiber, beating his co-stars Alan Alda and Gordon Clapp.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee also won two awards for best book of a musical and best supporting musical actor for Dan Fogler.

And Billy Crystal's one-man show 700 Sundays was given the award for special theatrical event.