Winners of the 33rd annual Laurence Olivier Awards, London’s equivalent of the Tonys and the UK’s most prestigious stage awards, are announced this Sunday evening, 8 March 2009 (See News, 3 Feb 2009).
Full coverage & entertainment
On the night, Whatsonstage.com will be reporting live from the event, with details of winners across all 25 categories – the 24 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 video footage, photo galleries, 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 James Nesbitt at the Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane, with nominees, guest presenters and other VIPs confirmed to attend including: Lindsay Duncan, Penelope Wilton, Michael Gambon, Patrick Stewart, Derek Jacobi, Deanna Dunagan, David Bradley, Elena Roger, Ruthie Henshall, Denis Lawson, Douglas Hodge, Margaret Tyzack, Michael Grandage, Michael Boyd, Sonia Friedman, Sadie Frost, Imelda Staunton, Ian Lavender, Andrea Corr, Dominic Cooper, Sheridan Smith, David Hare, Pete Postlethwaite, Jason Donovan, Tom Chambers, Gareth Gates, Anton du Beke, Kevin Spacey, Jodie Prenger, Sian Phillips, Gillian Anderson, Rosalind Plowright, David Morrissey and Liza Goddard.
The evening’s entertainment will comprise performances from many of this year’s nominated – musicals Sunset Boulevard, La Cage aux Folles, Piaf, Zorro, West Side Story and Jersey Boys and cabaret troupe La Clique – as well as West End long-runners The Lion King and Mamma Mia!, both celebrating their tenth anniversaries this year. David Hare will also present a tribute to fellow playwright Harold Pinter, who passed away on Christmas Eve (See News, 25 Dec 2008).
Who’s in the running?
In terms of nomination tallies, the Donmar Warehouse leads the field with 13 nominations across four productions – The Chalk Garden (four nods) and Piaf (five), both originated at its Covent Garden home base, and Ivanov (two) and Twelfth Night (two) as part of its year-long Donmar West End season at Wyndham’s Theatre.
Other plays that have made strong showings on the shortlists include: the National Theatre of Scotland London debut production of Gregory Burke’s Black Watch (five) and, all with four nominations apiece, Steppenwolf’s premiere of Tracy Letts’ August: Osage County at the National, the Old Vic’s in-the-round revival of Alan Ayckbourn’s The Norman Conquests, the Royal Shakespeare Company’s eight-play cycle of The Histories at the Roundhouse, and Kneehigh’s multimedia version of Brief Encounter at the specially created Cinema Haymarket.
In musical categories, La Cage aux Folles weighs in with seven nominations (more than any other single production in this year’s awards), while this year’s only Best New Musical contenders, Jersey Boys and Zorro, are both vying for prizes in five fields.
The Oliviers have this year introduced a new category celebrating ensemble work, entitled Best Company Performance. Last year’s new category of Best Newcomer in a Play has been dropped in 2009 and the occasional field of Best Entertainment re-inserted.
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, 3 Feb 2009)).
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 2009 Olivier nominations is as follows:
BEST ACTRESS
Deanna Dunagan for AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY at the NT Lyttelton
Lindsay Duncan for THAT FACE at the Duke of York’s
Margaret Tyzack for THE CHALK GARDEN at the Donmar
Penelope Wilton for THE CHALK GARDEN at the Donmar
BEST ACTOR
David Bradley for NO MAN’S LAND at the Duke of York’s
Michael Gambon for NO MAN’S LAND at the Duke of York’s
Adam Godley for RAIN MAN at the Apollo
Derek Jacobi for TWELFTH NIGHT, Donmar at Wyndham’s
BEST PERFORMANCE IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Oliver Ford Davies for HAMLET at the Novello
Kevin R McNally for IVANOV, Donmar at Wyndham’s
Paul Ritter for THE NORMAN CONQUESTS at The Old Vic
Patrick Stewart for HAMLET at the Novello
BEST COMPANY PERFORMANCE
AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY directed by Anna D Shapiro at the Lyttelton
BLACK WATCH directed by John Tiffany at the Barbican
THE HISTORIES directed by Michael Boyd at the Roundhouse
THE NORMAN CONQUESTS directed by Matthew Warchus at The Old Vic
SUNSET BOULEVARD directed by Craig Revel Horwood at the Comedy
BEST NEW PLAY
AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY by Tracy Letts at the Lyttelton
BLACK WATCH by Gregory Burke at the Barbican
THE PITMEN PAINTERS by Lee Hall at the Cottesloe
THAT FACE by Polly Stenham at the Duke Of York’s
BEST NEW COMEDY
FAT PIG by Neil La Bute at the Comedy
THE FEMALE OF THE SPECIES by Joanna Murray-Smith at the Vaudeville
GOD OF CARNAGE by Yasmina Reza, translated by Christopher Hampton at the Gielgud
BEST REVIVAL
THE CHALK GARDEN directed by Michael Grandage at the Donmar
THE HISTORIES directed by Michael Boyd at the Roundhouse
THE NORMAN CONQUESTS directed by Matthew Warchus at The Old Vic
BEST ENTERTAINMENT
Noel Coward’s BRIEF ENCOUNTER at the Cinema Haymarket
LA CLIQUE at the Hippodrome
MARIA FRIEDMAN: RE-ARRANGED at Trafalgar Studios 1
BEST NEW MUSICAL
JERSEY BOYS The Story Of Frankie Valli And The Four Seasons book by Marshall Brickman & Rick Elice, music by Bob Gaudio, lyrics by Bob Crewe at the Prince Edward
ZORRO book & lyrics by Stephen Clark, music by The Gipsy Kings, original story by Stephen Clark & Helen Edmundson, music co-composed and adapted by John Cameron at the Garrick
BEST MUSICAL REVIVAL
LA CAGE AUX FOLLES, music and lyrics by Jerry Herman, book by Harvey Fierstein, based on the play “La Cage Aux Folles” by Jean Poiret, at the Playhouse Theatre.
PIAF by Pam Gems at the Donmar and Vaudeville
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s SUNSET BOULEVARD book and lyrics by Don Black and Christopher Hampton, based on the Billy Wilder film at the Comedy
WEST SIDE STORY based on a conception by Jerome Robbins, book by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, entire original production directed and choreographed by Jerome Robbins at Sadler’s Wells
BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Sofia Escobar for WEST SIDE STORY at Sadler’s Wells
Kathryn Evans for SUNSET BOULEVARD at the Comedy
Ruthie Henshall for MARGUERITE at the Haymarket
Elena Roger for PIAF at the Donmar and Vaudeville
Emma Williams for ZORRO at the Garrick
BEST ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Douglas Hodge for LA CAGE AUX FOLLES at the Playhouse
Denis Lawson for LA CAGE AUX FOLLES at the Playhouse
Ryan Molloy for JERSEY BOYS at the Prince Edward
Matt Rawle for ZORRO at the Garrick
BEST PERFORMANCE IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Alexander Hanson for MARGUERITE at the Haymarket
Katherine Kingsley for PIAF at the Donmar and Vaudeville
Lesli Margherita for ZORRO at the Garrick
Jason Pennycooke for LA CAGE AUX FOLLES at the Playhouse
Dave Willetts for SUNSET BOULEVARD at the Comedy
BEST DIRECTOR
Terry Johnson for LA CAGE AUX FOLLES at the Playhouse
Des McAnuff for JERSEY BOYS at the Prince Edward
Emma Rice for BRIEF ENCOUNTER at the Cinema Haymarket
John Tiffany for BLACK WATCH at the Barbican
BEST THEATRE CHOREOGRAPHER
Rafael Amargo for ZORRO at the Garrick
Steven Hoggett for BLACK WATCH at the Barbican
Lynne Page for LA CAGE AUX FOLLES at the Playhouse
Kate Prince for INTO THE HOODS at the Novello
Sergio Trujillo for JERSEY BOYS at the Prince Edward
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN
THE CHALK GARDEN designed by Paule Constable at the Donmar
IVANOV designed by Paule Constable, Donmar at Wyndham’s
NO MAN’S LAND designed by Neil Austin at the Duke of York’s
PIAF designed by Neil Austin at the Donmar and Vaudeville
BEST SET DESIGN
AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY designed by Todd Rosenthal at the Lyttelton
BRIEF ENCOUNTER designed by Neil Murray, projections by Gemma Carrington and Jon Driscoll at the Cinema Haymarket
THE HISTORIES designed by Tom Piper at the Roundhouse
THE LOVER AND THE COLLECTION designed by Soutra Gilmour at the Comedy
MARGUERITE designed by Paul Brown at the Haymarket
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
THE HISTORIES designed by Tom Piper and Emma Williams at the Roundhouse
LA CAGE AUX FOLLES designed by Matthew Wright at the Playhouse
THE NORMAN CONQUESTS designed by Rob Howell at The Old Vic
TWELFTH NIGHT designed by Christopher Oram, Donmar at Wyndham’s
BEST SOUND DESIGN
BLACK WATCH designed by Gareth Fry at the Barbican
BRIEF ENCOUNTER designed by Simon Baker at the Cinema Haymarket
JERSEY BOYS designed by Steve Canyon Kennedy at the Prince Edward
PIAF designed by Christopher Shutt, Max & Ben Ringham at the Donmar and Vaudeville
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN AN AFFILIATE THEATRE
The ensemble cast of OXFORD STREET, Jerwood Theatre Upstairs at the Royal Court
The Royal Court Theatre’s production of THE PRIDE, Jerwood Theatre Upstairs
Clive Rowe for his performance in MOTHER GOOSE at Hackney Empire
Jo Newbery for the design of SCARBOROUGH, Jerwood Theatre Upstairs at the Royal Court
BEST NEW OPERA PRODUCTION
The Royal Opera’s DON CARLO at the Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera’s THE MINOTAUR at the Royal Opera House
English National Opera’s I PAGLIACCI at the Coliseum
English National Opera’s PARTENOPE at the Coliseum
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN OPERA
Patricia Bardon for her performances in The Royal Opera’s THE RAKE’S PROGRESS at the Royal Opera House and English National Opera’s PARTENOPE and RIDERS TO THE SEA at the Coliseum
Feruccio Furlanetto for his performance in the Royal Opera’s DON CARLO at the Royal Opera House
Ed Gardner for conducting English National Opera’s BORIS GODUNOV, CAVALLIERA RUSTICANA, DER ROSENKAVALIER, I PAGLIACCI, RIDERS TO THE SEA at the Coliseum and PUNCH AND JUDY at the Young Vic
Christine Rice for her performances in the Royal Opera’s THE MINOTAUR at the Royal Opera House and English National Opera’s PARTENOPE at the Coliseum
BEST NEW DANCE PRODUCTION
Pina Bausch Tanztheater Wuppertal’s CAFÉ MULLER/ THE RITE OF SPRING at Sadler’s Wells
The Royal Ballet of Flanders’ IMPRESSING THE CZAR at Sadler’s Wells
The Royal Ballet’s INFRA at the Royal Opera House
DV8’s TO BE STRAIGHT WITH YOU at the Lyttelton
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN DANCE
The company of the Royal Ballet of Flanders for their performances in IMPRESSING THE CZAR at Sadler’s Wells
The company of the The Royal Ballet for their performances in INFRA
Savion Glover, Marshall Davis Jr and Maurice Chestnut for their performances in Savion Glover’s BARE SOUNDZ at Sadler’s Wells
ALL AWARDS COVERAGE IS AVAILABLE VIA OUR DEDICATED
LAURENCE OLIVIERS’ PAGE –
CLICK HERE NOW!
