Olivier Awards nominations – biggest shocks, surprises and delightful moments

The Olivier Awards nominations have been revealed!

With a lot of excitement and build-up, it’s only right we run down some of our favourite moments, some exciting revelations, and some surprises along the way.

Delightful moments

We’ve GOT to start with the Fiddler of it all. Thirteen nominations, including in all the performance categories, ties it with Hamilton for most nominations ever received for a production. Rightly so. This open-air, spellbinding success was a landmark moment for London theatre.

It was a delightful moment having Lauren Drew and Layton Williams both recognised for their performances in the recent West End transfer of Titanique – the New York cult sensation. In general, a variety of shows that are entirely entertainment-driven were thoroughly recognised alongside heavy-hitting pertinent work like Fiddler.

It was excellent to see Heather Agyepong nominated for Best Actress, as well as Benedict Lombe’s brilliant Shifters, which started at the Bush Theatre before moving to the West End. In fact, it was a great year in general for shows that started in the off-West End eco-system – you’ve also got The Curious Case of Benjamin Button recognised for Best New Musical – it was first seen at Southwark Playhouse.

Rosie Sheehy was nominated for Best Actress – she’s definitely going to be one of the most exciting talents going forwards. We also have to recognise Liv Andrusier – another rising star who was also recognised in Fiddler on the Roof. Another brilliant turn – Amy Di Bartolomeo – was the only nominee for the blockbuster production of The Devil Wears Prada. 

Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 was the most-awarded new musical – a show we absolutely adore here at WhatsOnStage. Two equally magnificent central performances from Chumisa Dornford-May and Jamie Muscato were also being recognised – we wouldn’t be sure whether Muscato would be classed as a supporting or lead turn – the Oliviers have opted for lead. Surely it’ll now plan a return visit?

In general, the two most successful shows were programmed by the same man – the Donmar Warehouse’s artistic director Timothy Sheader, formerly AD at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre.

We also cheered when Why Am I So Single?, Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss‘ musical, got a nomination for Best New Musical. One final surprise is Romola Garai, nominated twice in the same category for two different shows. That doesn’t happen all too often, so it’s brilliant when it does. She is definitely a force to be reckoned with in both Giant  and The Years, so it’s only right that she gets a double-nomination

The biggest shocks 

Perhaps one of the biggest shocks was the complete absence of the Barbican Theatre’s huge production of Kiss Me, Kate – which didn’t pick up a single nomination – including its kinetic choreography.

There seemed to be a bit of scepticism for major Broadway productions transferring to the West End – for example, the WhatsOnStage Award-winning Mean Girls only picked up a single nomination for the admittedly quite wonderful Tom Xander (it received 12 Tony Award nominations), while Slave Play, which during its Broadway run was the most nominated show in Tony history, didn’t pick up a single nomination at the Oliviers. Admittedly, the Tonys break out their creative categories by play or musical, but it does suggest an interesting trend.

Starlight Express, which had been the most awarded musical at the WhatsOnStage Awards with seven wins, picked up three nominations at the Oliviers, with nothing for any of the performers and only two creative nominations – for lighting and costume.

Another revival that was a heavy hit with audiences was the National Theatre’s production of The Importance of Being Earnest which only picked up a pair of nods – it wouldn’t have been a surprise to see recognition for stars such as Ncuti Gatwa – or perhaps something for the costume or set design.

Rebecca Frecknall, who is often a huge favourite at the Olivers following her productions of Cabaret, Summer and Smoke and A Streetcar Named Desire, wasn’t recognised at all for her work on Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, which played at the Almeida over Christmas with Daisy Edgar-Jones starring. It went home empty-handed (empty-pawed?).