Theatre News

2008 Laurence Olivier Winners Announced Sunday

Winners of the 32nd annual Laurence Olivier Awards, London’s equivalent of the Tonys and the UK’s most prestigious stage awards, are announced this Sunday evening, 9 March 2008 (See News, 7 Feb 2008).

Full coverage & entertainment

On the night, Whatsonstage.com will be reporting live from the event, with details of winners across all 24 categories – the 23 shortlisted below and the annual Special Award given for overall career achievement – announced to you as they’re announced to the industry guests. In addition to up-to-the-minute results, our multimedia Oliviers coverage will include photo galleries, podcasts, speech highlights, interactive discussion and in-depth analysis, capturing all of the event’s glitz, glamour and overall buzz.

ALL AWARDS COVERAGE IS AVAILABLE VIA OUR DEDICATED
LAURENCE OLIVIERS’ PAGE –
CLICK HERE NOW
!

This year’s star-studded Oliviers ceremony is hosted by Richard E Grant at the Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane, with nominees and guest presenters confirmed to attend including: Michael Ball, Bill Bailey, Darius Danesh, Anne Marie Duff, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Tamsin Greig, Leanne Jones,
Alistair McGowan, Ian McKellen, Kelly Reilly, Mark Rylance,
Kristin Scott Thomas, Fiona Shaw, John Simm, Sheridan Smith,
Summer Strallen, Jessie Wallace, Penelope Wilton
and Barbara Windsor.

The evening’s entertainment will comprise performances from many of this year’s nominated musicals: “All the Wasted Time/ The Old Red Hills of Home” from Parade; “Do You Love Me?” from Fiddler on the Roof; “You Can’t Stop the Beat” from Hairspray; “Suddenly Seymour” from Little Shop of Horrors; “Papageno’s Aria” and “The Sun Has Risen” from The Magic Flute; and “Song of Hope” from The Lord of the Rings.

Who’s in the running?

In terms of nomination tallies, Hairspray has received a record-breaking 11 nominations including Best New Musical, Best Actor in a Musical (a cross-dressing Michael Ball), Best Actress in a Musical (Leanne Jones, who made her professional debut as Tracy Turnblad), Best Director (Jack O’Brien) and Best Choreographer (Jerry Mitchell), while in the Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical, the show’s Tracie Bennett and Elinor Collett go head-to-head. The previous record for Olivier nominations was nine, which has been achieved by three productions, all musical revivals, to date: the Broadway transfer of Kiss Me, Kate (2002) and the National Theatre productions of Oklahoma! (1999) and Carousel (1993).

Amongst plays, the NT adaptation of Michael Morpurgo’s children’s novel War Horse leads the way with six nominations, including Best New Play. And fast on War Horse’s heels are two Shakespeares: the Chichester Festival transfer of Macbeth and the Donmar Warehouse’s production of Othello, with five and four nominations apiece.

A Newcomer category has been introduced this year, though it is limited to performances in plays. The category sees Tom Hiddleston in competition with himself for two Bard performances – Cymbeline at the Barbican and the Donmar Othello. By theatre, the National has made the strongest showing with 15 nominations, followed closely by the Donmar Warehouse with 13.

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. The full list of nominations follows. (For full analysis of this year’s nominations: See News, 18 Jan 2007).


How will the decisions of this year’s Olivier judges compare with those of the Evening Standard & Critics’ Circle judges as well as the public’s choices in our own Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers’ Choice Awards. Tune in on Sunday to find out!


The full list of 2008 Olivier nominations is as follows:

BEST ACTRESS

Anne-Marie Duff for SAINT JOAN at the Olivier
Kelly Reilly for OTHELLO at the Donmar Warehouse
Kristin Scott Thomas for THE SEAGULL at the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court
Fiona Shaw for HAPPY DAYS at the Lyttelton
Penelope Wilton for JOHN GABRIEL BORKMAN at the Donmar Warehouse

BEST ACTOR

Chiwetel Ejiofor for OTHELLO at the Donmar Warehouse
Ian McKellen for KING LEAR at the New London
Mark Rylance for BOEING-BOEING at the Comedy
John Simm for ELLING at the Trafalgar Studios 1
Patrick Stewart for MACBETH at the Gielgud

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Michelle Fairley for OTHELLO at the Donmar Warehouse
Pam Ferris for THE ENTERTAINER at The Old Vic
Conleth Hill for PHILISTINES at the Lyttelton
Rory Kinnear for THE MAN OF MODE at the Oliver

BEST NEWCOMER IN A PLAY

David Dawson for THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF NICHOLAS NICKLEBY at the Gielgud
Tom Hiddleston for CYMBELINE at the Barbican
Tom Hiddleston for OTHELLO at the Donmar Warehouse
Stephen Wight for DEALER’S CHOICE at the Trafalgar Studios 1

BEST NEW PLAY

A DISAPPEARING NUMBER by Simon McBurney at the Barbican
THE REPORTER by Nicholas Wright at the Cottesloe
VERNON GOD LITTLE by DBC Pierre, adapted by Tanya Ronder at the Young Vic
WAR HORSE based on the novel by Michael Morpurgo, adapted by Nick Stafford at the Olivier

BEST NEW COMEDY

ABSURDIA: THE CRIMSON HOTEL by Michael Frayn at the Donmar Warehouse
ELLING based on a novel by Ingvar Ambjørnsen, stage adaptation by Axel Hellstenius in collaboration with Peter Næss translated by Nicholas Norris
RAFTA RAFTA by Ayub Khan-Din based on All in Good Time by Bill Naughton at the Lyttelton
WHIPPING IT UP by Steve Thompson at the New Ambassadors

BEST REVIVAL

BOEING-BOEING by Marc Camoletti, translated by Beverley Cross at the Comedy Theatre
DEALER’S CHOICE by Patrick Marber at Trafalgar Studios 1
MACBETH by William Shakespeare at the Gielgud
SAINT JOAN by Bernard Shaw at the Olivier
THE SEAGULL by Anton Chekhov, a version by Christopher Hampton at the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court.

BEST NEW MUSICAL

THE DROWSY CHAPERONE music and lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison, book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar, by special arrangement with Paul Mack at the Novello
HAIRSPRAY book by Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan, music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman, based upon the New Line Cinema film written and directed by John Waters
THE LORD OF THE RINGS book and lyrics by Shaun McKenna and Matthew Warchus, music by A.R. Rahman, Värttinä with Christopher Nightingale at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
PARADE book by Alfred Uhry, music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown, co-conceived by Harold Prince at the Donmar Warehouse

BEST MUSICAL REVIVAL

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF book by Joseph Stein, music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick at the Savoy
LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS based on the film by Roger Corman, screenplay by Charles Griffiths, book and lyrics by Howard Ashman, music by Alan Menken at the Duke of York’s and Ambassadors
THE MAGIC FLUTE- IMPEMPE YOMLINGO adapted from Mozart by Mark Dornford-May, words and music by Mandisi Dyantyis, Mbali Kgosidintsi, Pauline Malefane and Nolufefe Mtshabe at the Young Vic

BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL

Leanne Jones for HAIRSPRAY at the Shaftesbury
Lara Pulver for PARADE at the Donmar Warehouse
Sheridan Smith for LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS at the Duke of York’s and Ambassadors
Summer Strallen for THE DROWSY CHAPERONE at the Novello

BEST ACTOR IN A MUSICAL

Michael Ball for HAIRSPRAY at the Shaftesbury
Bertie Carvel for PARADE at the Donmar Warehouse
Henry Goodman for FIDDLER ON THE ROOF at the Savoy
Bob Martin for THE DROWSY CHAPERONE at the Novello

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MUSICAL

Tracie Bennett for HAIRSPRAY at the Shaftesbury
Elinor Collett for HAIRSPRAY at the Shaftesbury
Shaun Escoffery for PARADE at the Donmar Warehouse
Alistair McGowan for LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS at the Duke of York’s and Ambassadors

BEST DIRECTOR

Rob Ashford for PARADE at the Donmar Warehouse
Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris for WAR HORSE at the Olivier
Rupert Goold for MACBETH at the Gielgud
Jack O’Brien for HAIRSPRAY at the Shaftesbury

BEST THEATRE CHOREOGRAPHER

Rob Ashford for PARADE at the Donmar Warehouse
Jerry Mitchell for HAIRSPRAY at the Shaftesbury
Casey Nicholaw for THE DROWSY CHAPERONE at the Novello
Toby Sedgwick for WAR HORSE at the Olivier

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN

HAIRSPRAY designed by Kenneth Posner at the Shaftesbury
THE LORD OF THE RINGS designed by Paul Pyant at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
MACBETH designed by Howard Harrison at the Gielgud
WAR HORSE designed by Paule Constable at the Olivier

BEST SET DESIGN

HAIRSPRAY designed by David Rockwell at the Shaftesbury
THE LORD OF THE RINGS designed by Rob Howell at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
MACBETH designed by Anthony Ward and Lorna Heavey at the Gielgud
WAR HORSE designed by Rae Smith and Handspring Puppet Company at the Olivier

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

THE DROWSY CHAPERONE designed by Gregg Barnes for at the Novello
HAIRSPRAY designed by William Ivey Long at the Shaftesbury
THE LORD OF THE RINGS designed by Rob Howell at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
THE MAN OF MODE designed by Vicki Mortimer at the Olivier

BEST SOUND DESIGN

HAIRSPRAY designed by Steve C. Kennedy at the Shaftesbury
THE LORD OF THE RINGS designed by Simon Baker at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
PARADE designed by Terry Jardine and Nick Lidster for Autograph at the Donmar Warehouse
SAINT JOAN designed by Paul Arditti with music by Jocelyn Pook at the Olivier
WAR HORSE designed by Christopher Shutt with music by Adrian Sutton and John Tams at the Oliver

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN AN AFFILIATE THEATRE

THE BROTHERS SIZE at the Maria, Young Vic
CINDERELLA at Theatre Royal, Stratford East
GONE TOO FAR at the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs at the Royal Court
– The cast of THAT FACE at the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs at the Royal Court

BEST NEW OPERA PRODUCTION

– English National Opera’s AGRIPPINA at the Coliseum
– The Royal Opera’s LA FILLE DU RÉGIMENT at the Royal Opera House
– The Royal Opera’s PELLÉAS ET MÉLISANDE at the Royal Opera House
– English National Opera’s TURN OF THE SCREW at the Coliseum

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN OPERA

Natalie Dessay for her performance in LA FILLE DU RÉGIMENT at the Royal Opera House
Gerald Finley for his performance in PELLÉAS ET MÉLISANDE at the Royal Opera House
Angelika Kirchschlager for her performance in PELLÉAS ET MÉLISANDE at the Royal Opera House
David McVicar for directing English National Opera’s TURN OF THE SCREW and AGRIPPINA at the Coliseum

BEST NEW DANCE PRODUCTION

– Fabulous Beast Dance’s THE BULL at the Barbican
– The Royal Ballet’s JEWELS at the Royal Opera House
– Mark Morris Dance Group’s MOZART DANCES at the Barbican
– Northern Ballet Theatre’s THE THREE MUSKETEERS at Sadler’s Wells

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN DANCE

Savion Glover for his performance in LIVE FOR LONDON at Sadler’s Wells
Jonathan Goddard for his performances with the Richard Alston Dance Company at Sadler’s Wells
– The Royal Ballet Company for their performances in JEWELS
Wendy Whelan for her performance in The Christopher Wheeldon Company’s FOOL’S PARADISE at Sadler’s Wells

ALL AWARDS COVERAGE IS AVAILABLE VIA OUR DEDICATED
LAURENCE OLIVIERS’ PAGE –
CLICK HERE NOW
!