The glitzy, glamorous Olivier Awards were held last night and the crème de la crème of West End were in attendance.
After a difficult couple of years following COVID, it seems that the theatre world is bouncing back with an inspiring set of winners. Host Jason Manford joked about the now-infamous Will Smith-Chris Rock slap at the Oscars.
“There will be moments where I’ve got to fill a bit of time when they’re changing the set,” the comedian said. “So I’ll come out and have a chat with some of you guys in the audience. Please don’t slap me in the face.”
Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club was the musical to beat on the night with 11 nominations and a cast of Hollywood regulars. Jessie Buckley and Eddie Redmayne collected the prizes for Best Actress and Best Actor in a musical respectively, beating Frozen’s Stephanie McKeon and Anything Goes’ Robert Lindsay.
Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club
Cabaret collected a total of 7 awards on the night, including Best Director for Recebba Frecknall, the director’s first Olivier award. Cabaret also won Best Musical Revival while Back to the Future: The Musical was named Best New Musical, but that remained the musical’s only prize for the night.
Moulin Rouge! The Musical took home Best Costume Design and the audience was also treated to a live performance from the musical. There were also performances by the casts of Frozen, Anything Goes and Back To The Future: The Musical among others.
Life of Pi was named Best New Play and not only did Hiran Abeysekera win Best Actor, but the play received a prize for supporting actor, or, in fact, actors. The seven actors who control the tiger, named Richard Parker, in Life of Pi, based on Yann Martel’s novel, were all awarded for their efforts to bring the animal alive.
Life of Pi
Here’s the full list of winners:
Best revival
A Number at the Old Vic
Constellations, a Donmar Warehouse production at the Vaudeville Theatre
The Normal Heart at the Olivier, National Theatre
The Tragedy of Macbeth at the Almeida Theatre
Best entertainment or comedy play
The Choir of Man at the Arts Theatre
Pantoland at the Palladium at the London Palladium
Pride and Prejudice* (*Sort Of) at the Criterion Theatre
The Shark Is Broken at the Ambassadors Theatre
Best musical revival
Anything Goes at the Barbican Theatre
Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre
Spring Awakening at the Almeida Theatre
Best costume design
Jon Morrell for Anything Goes at the Barbican Theatre
Christopher Oram for Frozen at Theatre Royal Drury Lane
Tom Scutt for Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre
Catherine Zuber for Moulin Rouge! The Musical at the Piccadilly Theatre
Best sound design
Ian Dickinson for 2:22 A Ghost Story at the Noël Coward Theatre
Carolyn Downing for Life of Pi at Wyndham’s Theatre
Nick Lidster for Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre
Gareth Owen for Back to the Future the Musical at the Adelphi Theatre
Best original score or new orchestrations
Bill Elliott, David Chase and Rob Fisher (new orchestrations) for Anything Goes at the Barbican Theatre
Alan Silvestri and Glen Ballard (composers) and Ethan Popp and Bryan Crook (orchestrations) for Back to the Future the Musical at the Adelphi Theatre
Simon Hale (orchestrator) for Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical at the Lyric Theatre
Andrew T Mackay (composer) for Life of Pi at Wyndham’s Theatre
Best theatre choreographer
Finn Caldwell for Life of Pi at Wyndham’s Theatre
Julia Cheng for Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre
Kathleen Marshall for Anything Goes at the Barbican Theatre
Sonya Tayeh for Moulin Rouge! The Musical at the Piccadilly Theatre
Best actor in a supporting role
7 actors who play the Tiger for Life of Pi at Wyndham’s Theatre
Dino Fetscher for The Normal Heart at the Olivier, National Theatre
Nathaniel Parker for The Mirror And The Light at the Gielgud Theatre
Danny Lee Wynter for The Normal Heart at the Olivier, National Theatre
Best actress in a supporting role
Tori Burgess for Pride and Prejudice* (*Sort Of) at the Criterion Theatre
Liz Carr for The Normal Heart at the Olivier, National Theatre
Christina Gordon for Pride and Prejudice* (*Sort Of) at the Criterion Theatre
Akiya Henry for The Tragedy of Macbeth at the Almeida Theatre
Best set design
Tim Hatley for design and Nick Barnes and Finn Caldwell for puppets for Life of Pi at Wyndham’s Theatre
Tim Hatley for design and Finn Ross for video design for Back to the Future the Musical at the Adelphi Theatre
Derek McLane for Moulin Rouge! The Musical at the Piccadilly Theatre
Tom Scutt for Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre
Best lighting design
Neil Austin for Frozen at Theatre Royal Drury Lane
Isabella Byrd for Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre
Tim Lutkin for Back to the Future the Musical at the Adelphi Theatre
Tim Lutkin and Andrzej Goulding for Life of Pi at Wyndham’s Theatre
Best actress in a supporting role in a musical
Gabrielle Brooks for Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical at the Lyric Theatre
Victoria Hamilton-Barritt for Cinderella at the Gillian Lynne Theatre
Carly Mercedes Dyer for Anything Goes at the Barbican Theatre
Liza Sadovy for Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre
Best actor in a supporting role in a musical
Clive Carter for Moulin Rouge! The Musical at the Piccadilly Theatre
Hugh Coles for Back to the Future the Musical at the Adelphi Theatre
Elliot Levey for Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre
Gary Wilmot for Anything Goes at the Barbican Theatre
Outstanding achievement in opera
Christine Rice for her performance in 4/4 at Royal Opera House
takis for set and costume design of HMS Pinafore by English National Opera at the London Coliseum
Peter Whelan and the Irish Baroque Orchestra for Bajazet at the Linbury Theatre, Royal Opera House
Best new opera production
Bajazet at the Linbury Theatre, Royal Opera House
The Cunning Little Vixen by English National Opera at the London Coliseum
Jenůfa at the Royal Opera House
Theodora at the Royal Opera House
Best actor in a musical
Olly Dobson for Back to the Future the Musical at the Adelphi Theatre
Arinzé Kene for Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical at the Lyric Theatre
Robert Lindsay for Anything Goes at the Barbican Theatre
Eddie Redmayne for Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre
Best actress in a musical
Jessie Buckley for Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre
Sutton Foster for Anything Goes at the Barbican Theatre
Beverley Knight for The Drifters Girl at the Garrick Theatre
Stephanie McKeon for Frozen at Theatre Royal Drury Lane
Outstanding achievement in dance
Acosta Danza for De Punta a Cabo in 100% Cuban at Sadler’s Wells
Dancers for NDT2 Tour at Sadler’s Wells
Arielle Smith for her choreography of Jolly Folly in Reunion by English National Ballet at Sadler’s Wells
Edward Watson for his performance in The Dante Project at Royal Opera House
Best new dance production
Draw from Within by Rambert Dance Company at Sadler’s Wells
Revisor by Crystal Pite and Jonathon Young / Kidd Pivot at Sadler’s Wells
Transverse Orientation by Dance Umbrella and Sadler’s Wells at Sadler’s Wells
Best actress
Lily Allen for 2:22 A Ghost Story at the Noël Coward Theatre
Sheila Atim for Constellations, a Donmar Warehouse production at the Vaudeville Theatre
Emma Corrin for Anna X at the Harold Pinter Theatre
Cush Jumbo for Hamlet at the Young Vic
Best actor
Hiran Abeysekera for Life of Pi at Wyndham’s Theatre
Ben Daniels for The Normal Heart at the Olivier, National Theatre
Omari Douglas for Constellations, a Donmar Warehouse production at the Vaudeville Theatre
Charles Edwards for Best of Enemies at the Young Vic
Best director
Rebecca Frecknall for Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre
Michael Longhurst for Constellations, a Donmar Warehouse production at the Vaudeville Theatre
Kathleen Marshall for Anything Goes at the Barbican Theatre
Max Webster for Life of Pi at Wyndham’s Theatre
Outstanding achievement in affiliate theatre
10 Nights at Bush Theatre
Folk at Hampstead Theatre Downstairs
The Invisible Hand at Kiln Theatre
Old Bridge at Bush Theatre
A Place For We at Park Theatre
Best family show
Billionaire Boy at Garrick Theatre
Dragons And Mythical Beasts at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
What the Ladybird Heard at Palace Theatre
Wolf Witch Giant Fairy at Royal Opera House – Linbury Theatre
Best new play
2:22 A Ghost Story at Noël Coward Theatre
Best of Enemies at Young Vic
Cruise at Duchess Theatre
Life of Pi at Wyndham’s Theatre
Best new musical
Back to the Future the Musical at Adelphi Theatre
The Drifters Girl at Garrick Theatre
Frozen at Theatre Royal Drury Lane
Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical at Lyric Theatre
Moulin Rouge! The Musical at Piccadilly Theatre
