Theatre News

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child casts winning spell on Olivier Awards

The play picked up three acting awards, four design awards and Best New Play

| London | London's West End |

9 April 2017

Tim Minchin, Jamie Parker and Billie Piper
© Dan Wooller for WhatsOnStage

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child was the big success story of this year’s Olivier Awards, winning nine of the eleven categories it was nominated in.

The winners of this year’s awards were announced at a ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall in London, hosted by actor and comedian Jason Manford

Harry Potter took home nine awards, including Best New Play, Best Actor (Jamie Parker) Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Anthony Boyle), Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Noma Dumezweni) and Best Director (John Tiffany).

The play, which opened at the Palace Theatre in July, also won all four design categories (Best Lighting Design, Best Costume Design, Best Sound Design and Best Set Design).

Tim Minchin's Groundhog Day picked up awards for Best New Musical and Best Actor in a Musical (Andy Karl), while Amber Riley won the award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance as Effie White in Dreamgirls

Elsewhere, School of Rock won the award for Outstanding Achievement in Music and Jesus Christ Superstar won the award for Best Musical Revival.

Billie Piper took home the award for Best Actress for her role in Yerma, which also won Best Revival.

Matthew Bourne picked up both the Best Family and Entertainment and Best Theatre Choreographer awards for his work on The Red Shoes.

Best New Comedy went to Our Ladies Of Perpetual Succour, Tim Minchin won Best New Musical for Groundhog Day.

The awards were handed out by some of the theatre world’s biggest talents, including Lin-Manuel Miranda, Nathan Lane, Mark Rylance, Denise Gough, Andrew Garfield, Maureen Lipman and Matt Henry.

Kenneth Branagh won the previously announced Special Award, recognising his outstanding contribution to British theatre.

The ceremony, which was held at the Royal Albert Hall for the first time, featured performances from Dreamgirls star Amber Riley, Groundhog Day composer and lyricist Tim Minchin, the cast of School of Rock and a special performance from the cast of Matthew Bourne’s The Red Shoes. Audra McDonald performed a special rendition of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" during the show’s In Memoriam section.

Olivier Award winners in full

Winners in bold

Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical

Ian Bartholomew for Half A Sixpence at Noël Coward Theatre

Adam J Bernard for Dreamgirls at Savoy Theatre

Ben Hunter for The Girls at Phoenix Theatre

Andrew Langtree for Groundhog Day at The Old Vic

Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical

Haydn Gwynne for The Threepenny Opera at National Theatre – Olivier

Victoria Hamilton-Barritt for Murder Ballad at Arts Theatre

Rebecca Trehearn for Show Boat at New London Theatre

Emma Williams for Half A Sixpence at Noël Coward Theatre

Outstanding Achievement in Music

Dreamgirls – music by Henry Krieger at Savoy Theatre

Harry Potter And The Cursed Child – composer and arranger: Imogen Heap at Palace Theatre

Jesus Christ Superstar – The band and company creating the gig-like rock vibe of the original concept album of Jesus Christ Superstar at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

School Of Rock The Musical – Three children's bands who play instruments live every night at New London Theatre

Best New Dance Production

Betroffenheit by Crystal Pite and Jonathon Young at Sadler’s Wells

Blak Whyte Gray by Boy Blue Entertainment at Barbican Theatre

Giselle by Akram Khan and English National Ballet at Sadler’s Wells

My Mother, My Dog And CLOWNS! by Michael Clark at Barbican Theatre

Outstanding Achievement in Dance

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater for their London season at Sadler’s Wells

Luke Ahmet for The Creation by Rambert at Sadler’s Wells

English National Ballet for expanding the variety of their repertoire with Giselle and She Said at Sadler’s Wells

Best Entertainment and Family

Cinderella at London Palladium

David Baddiel – My Family: Not The Sitcom at Vaudeville Theatre

Peter Pan at National Theatre – Olivier

The Red Shoes at Sadler’s Wells

Best Theatre Choreographer

Matthew Bourne for The Red Shoes at Sadler’s Wells

Peter Darling and Ellen Kane for Groundhog Day at The Old Vic

Steven Hoggett for Harry Potter And The Cursed Child at Palace Theatre

Drew McOnie for Jesus Christ Superstar at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Magic Radio Best Musical Revival

Funny Girl at Savoy Theatre

Jesus Christ Superstar at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Show Boat at New London Theatre

Sunset Boulevard at London Coliseum

Best Actor in a Musical

David Fynn for School Of Rock The Musical at New London Theatre

Tyrone Huntley for Jesus Christ Superstar at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Andy Karl for Groundhog Day at The Old Vic

Charlie Stemp for Half A Sixpence at Noël Coward Theatre

Best Actress in a Musical

Glenn Close for Sunset Boulevard at London Coliseum

"The Girls" – Debbie Chazen, Sophie-Louise Dann, Michele Dotrice, Claire Machin, Claire Moore and Joanna Riding – for The Girls at Phoenix Theatre

Amber Riley for Dreamgirls at Savoy Theatre

Sheridan Smith for Funny Girl at Savoy Theatre

Best Revival

The Glass Menagerie at Duke of York’s Theatre

This House at Garrick Theatre

Travesties at Apollo Theatre

Yerma at Young Vic

Best New Comedy

The Comedy About A Bank Robbery at Criterion Theatre

Nice Fish at Harold Pinter Theatre

Our Ladies Of Perpetual Succour at National Theatre – Dorfman

The Truth at Wyndham’s Theatre

Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre

Cuttin’ It at The Maria, Young Vic

The Government Inspector at Theatre Royal Stratford East

The Invisible Hand at Tricycle Theatre

It Is Easy To Be Dead at Trafalgar Studios 2

Rotterdam at Trafalgar Studios 2

White Light Award for Best Lighting Design

Neil Austin for Harry Potter And The Cursed Child at Palace Theatre

Lee Curran for Jesus Christ Superstar at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Natasha Katz for The Glass Menagerie at Duke of York’s Theatre

Hugh Vanstone for Groundhog Day at The Old Vic

Best Sound Design

Paul Arditti for Amadeus at National Theatre – Olivier

Adam Cork for Travesties at Apollo Theatre

Gareth Fry for Harry Potter And The Cursed Child at Palace Theatre

Nick Lidster for Autograph for Jesus Christ Superstar at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Best Costume Design

Gregg Barnes for Dreamgirls at Savoy Theatre

Hugh Durrant for Cinderella at London Palladium

Rob Howell for Groundhog Day at The Old Vic

Katrina Lindsay for Harry Potter And The Cursed Child at Palace Theatre

Blue-i Theatre Technology Award for Best Set Design

Bob Crowley for Disney’s Aladdin at Prince Edward Theatre

Bob Crowley for The Glass Menagerie at Duke of York’s Theatre

Rob Howell for Groundhog Day at The Old Vic

Christine Jones for Harry Potter And The Cursed Child at Palace Theatre

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

Anthony Boyle for Harry Potter And The Cursed Child at Palace Theatre

Freddie Fox for Travesties at Apollo Theatre

Brian J Smith for The Glass Menagerie at Duke of York’s Theatre

Rafe Spall for Hedda Gabler at National Theatre – Lyttelton

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

Melissa Allan, Caroline Deyga, Kirsty Findlay, Karen Fishwick, Kirsty MacLaren, Frances Mayli McCann, Joanne McGuinness and Dawn Sievewright for Our Ladies Of Perpetual Succour at National Theatre – Dorfman

Noma Dumezweni for Harry Potter And The Cursed Child at Palace Theatre

Clare Foster for Travesties at Apollo Theatre

Kate O’Flynn for The Glass Menagerie at Duke of York’s Theatre