Full List: Laurence Olivier Nominees Announced Date: 8 February 2010
Nominations for this year's Laurence Olivier Awards, London's equivalent of the Tonys and the UK's most prestigious stage awards, are announced today (8 February 2010).
The full list of nominations - who and what are up for which of the 20-plus categories, including Best Actor, Best Actress, Best New Musical and Best Musical Revival (formerly known as Outstanding Musical Production in the Oliviers) as well as fields including Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre and other categories – is below (See Today's Other News for further analysis).
Last year’s newly introduced category celebrating ensemble work, Best Company Performance, has been dropped this year, but taking another leaf out of the Whatsonstage.com Awards book, a category for long-runners voted for by the public, has been reinstated.
The Laurence Olivier Awards were created in 1976, then called the Society of West End Theatre Awards, to recognise excellence on the London stage. They were rebranded in 1984 when Lord Olivier agreed to have his name associated with them. Winners of the 34th annual Olivier Awards will be announced on Sunday 21 March 2009 in a star-studded ceremony held at the Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane. A preliminary lunch for nominees takes place on Tuesday 2 March at the Haymarket Hotel.
Ahead of the Oliviers, our own TENTH ANNUAL Whatsonstage.com Awards, the “theatregoers’ choice” will be published online this Sunday 14 February 2010 to coincide with our live Awards Concert, held in aid of Masterclass at 7pm at the Prince of Wales Theatre. The concert, hosted this year by Christopher Biggins and Mel Giedroyc, features a full evening’s entertainment from nominees and winners past and present as well as trophy presentations. Public tickets are now completely sold out, but you can join the waiting list for a last-minute release of £42.50 reserve tickets by clicking here.
The Whatsonstage.com Awards are the only London theatre awards in which the audience is the ultimate judge across all 26 categories. More than 46,000 people – a new record! - took part in this year’s voting, which closed last Sunday 31 January.
The full list of 2010 Olivier nominations is as follows:
PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT – THE MUSICAL book by Stephan Elliott and Allan Scott, based on the Latent Image/Specific Films motion picture distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. at the Palace
Soho Theatre/ Tiata Fahodzi for IYA ILE (THE FIRST WIFE)
The Tricycle Theatre for THE GREAT GAME
The Royal Court for COCK at the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs
BEST NEW OPERA PRODUCTION
The Royal Opera’s DER FLIEGENDE HOLLÄNDER at the Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera’s LULU at the Royal Opera House
English National Opera’s PETER GRIMES at the London Coliseum
The Royal Opera’s TRISTAN UND ISOLDE at the Royal Opera House
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN OPERA
Anja Kampe for her performance in Royal Opera’s DER FLIEGENDE HOLLÄNDER at the Royal Opera House
Stuart Skelton for his performance in English National Opera’s PETER GRIMES at the London Coliseum
Nina Steme for her performance in the Royal Opera’s TRISTAN UND ISOLDE at the Royal Opera House
Michael Volle for his performances in the Royal Opera’s LULU and TRISTAN UND ISOLDE at the Royal Opera House
BEST NEW DANCE PRODUCTION
Russell Maliphant’s AFTERLIGHT at Sadler’s Wells
Birmingham Royal Ballet’s E=MC˛ at Sadler’s Wells
Goldberg: The Brandstrup Rojo Project, ROH2 at the Royal Opera House
Rambert Dance Company’s A LINHA CURVA at Sadler’s Wells
Fabulous Beast Dance’s THE RITE OF SPRING at the London Coliseum
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN DANCE
Colin Dunne for his performance in OUT OF TIME at The Pit
Michael Hulls for his lighting designs for Russell Maliphant’s TWO:FOUR:TEN at the London Coliseum; and for Russell Maliphant’s AFTERLIGHT and for Ex Machina & Sylvie Guillem’s EONNAGATA at Sadler’s Wells
Rambert Dance Company for an outstanding year of new work
Public tickets to the Whatsonstage.com Awards Concert this Sunday 14 February, priced from £20 to £42.50, are now completely sold out! We are hoping to release a handful of top-price £42.50 reserve tickets this Friday 12 February. If you’d like to be alerted as soon as these are put on sale, please click here join the waiting list!
The Olivier's Grand night coming up and how some years ago I used to love going to them every year and were held at a theatre--last time for the public was at the Lyceum. Now it is a closed shop!!!why surely it is the public that buy the tickets and there should be some tickets for some of the public to go to this award?? So thanks to Whatsonstage Awards night, for letting us the PAYING public who keep the Theatres Open, have a night with the stars. I agree about Spring Awakening--was very boring indeed and closed early at the Novello Theatre. Also agree that when our awards televised they tend to be quite boring compared to the USA awards as they make it into a razzle dazzle night--we just do a drab introduction and give the award. I predict for this year: Best actor: Mark Rylance, Best Actress:Rachel Wiesz,Best Support Actress:Hayley Atwell, Best Support Actor: MacKenzie Crook, Best New Play: Jerusalem, Best New Comedy: Calender Girls,Best Musical Revival: Oliver, Best New Musical: I am torn between Sister Act and also Priscilla,Best Actress in Musical: Patina Miller, Best Actor in Musical: Tony Sheldon, Best Support in Musical:Sheila Hancock. Good luck to them all as some great theatre in 2009. - Joe Spiteri
17 Mar 10
The Olivier awards were televised for a short time but i'm afraid that when you compare the Tony awards in New York, which is a very big and glamouros affair, and widely watched on tv, the Olivier awards look awful, boring and drab. Maybe it's exciting to be there in person, but the televised versions were not very good at all, nor did they produce good ratings. I cant see another network ever televising them again. - guest
10 Feb 10
I can see the name of James Earl Jones' name under the best actor list.
What amazes me is why is 'Spring Awakening' so honoured. I presume that I am alone in finding this musical dull. The performers were talented but totally wasted in this musical with such a boring story line. I was not impressed with the music either. Let's hope that those that choose to give the awards ignore this rubbish so that it can slip back into oblivion. Sorry folks. - execelsior
10 Feb 10
Is there anyway to get tickets for the Olivier Awards? Or are the public not allowed in? - Gillyfan
09 Feb 10
Why aren't the Olivier Awards broadcast on TV? I would love to see them. - Linda Watson
09 Feb 10
Thanks for alerting us to the omission. That's now been corrected. - WOS staff
08 Feb 10
For some reason, JAMES EARL JONES for CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF was left off the list for BEST ACTOR? - Blue
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