Olivier Awards (2013) – The Winners and Losers

The 37th Olivier Awards took place this past Sunday; an evening brought together to celebrate the very best of theatre in the UK.

As expect, the evening brought-out the very best of British theatre talent to the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, displaying that not only can us Brits do theatre better than anyone else in the world but we can also look better than any others too.

It was ball gowns and bow ties every way you turned. But hey, who was complaining? These theatre folk aren’t exactly ugly!

2011 Best Actress in a Musical winner and West End actress Sheridan Smith, alongside television favourite Hugh Bonnerville, lead the evenings proceedings with the stageyest of openings from Miss Smith who performed Diamonds Are a Girls Best Friend; dancers and all.

The evening honoured the very best of British theatre both in the musical, opera, play and production genres.

For the first time ever, the Olivier Awards were broadcast on mainstream television; featuring on ITV for an hour-long highlights programme at 10:15pm. The show also streamed live from the Opera House on BBC Radio 2.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time dominated the awards, equaling the record by picking up seven Oliviers, including best actor for its star, Luke Treadaway.

Curious Incident also won Best New Play with Marianne Elliott won best director and Spooks actor Nicola Walker, who played the teenager’s mother in the original production, won best supporting actress.

During her acceptance speech, Marianne Elliott said: “We took risks and we thought we would fail and it is a testament to subsidised theatre that we were allowed to think we might fail.”

The evening also saw British actress Helen Mirren win her first Olivier for her performance as the Queen in The Audience. Richard McCabe, who played Harold Wilson alongside Mirren, was named Best Supporting Actor.

Sweeney Todd and Top Hat also won three awards each including Best Musical for Top Hat and Actor and Actress for Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton for Sweeney.

Leigh Zimmerman, who celebrated her join citizenship with Britain, won Best Supporting Musical Performance for her role in A Chorus Line at the London Palladium.The BBC Radio 2 audience award, celebrating long-running musicals, was awarded to Billy Elliot.

Special awards were also given to choreographer and director Gillian Lynne and playwright Michael Frayn.

The evening also featured performances from Idina Menzel, Top Hat, A Chorus Line, Michael Ball and Heather Headley.

Heather Headley performing ‘I Will Always Love You’ from The Bodyguard – The Musical.

The Olivier Awards have grown in popularity and respect from around the world. No longer are they over-shadowed by the American Tony Awards and have become awards with recognition. The evening once again celebrated a vast amount of talent from across the theatre arts world. Great to see Curious Incident get the recognition it deserves and celebrate not both performers on stage but off as well with Gillian Lynne.

No doubt The Book of Mormon will achieve well in the 2014 awards and with the expected revival of  Miss Saigon and potentially even Charlie and the Chocolate Factory musical as well, next years awards will be full of different musical genres to please everyone.

See you in April 2014!

Winners… 

BEST ACTOR – Luke Treadaway – The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time

BEST ACTRESS – Helen Mirren – The Audience

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – Richard McCabe – The Audience

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – Nicola Walker – The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time

MASTERCARD BEST NEW PLAY – The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time

BEST DIRECTOR – Marianne Elliott – The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time

BEST ACTOR IN A MUSICAL – Michael Ball – Sweeney Todd

BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL – Imelda Staunton – Sweeney Todd

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MUSICAL – Leigh Zimmerman – A Chorus Line

BEST NEW MUSICAL – Top Hat

BEST REVIVAL – Long Day’s Journey Into Night

BEST MUSICAL REVIVAL – Sweeney Todd

BEST ENTERTAINMENT AND FAMILY – Goodnight Mister Tom

WHITE LIGHT AWARD FOR BEST LIGHTING DESIGN – Paule Constable – The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time

BEST SOUND DESIGN – Ian Dickinson – The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time

BEST COSTUME DESIGN – Jon Morrell – Top Hat

XL VIDEO AWARD FOR BEST SET DESIGN – Bunny Christie & Finn Ross – The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time

BEST NEW DANCE PRODUCTION – Aeternum by the Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House, choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN DANCE – Marianela Nunez for Aeternum, Diana & Actaeon and Viscera, The Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House

BEST THEATRE CHOREOGRAPHER – Bill Deamer – Top Hat

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN AN AFFILIATE THEATRE – The season of new writing at the Royal Court Upstairs

BEST NEW OPERA PRODUCTION – Einstein On The Beach at the Barbican Theatre

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN OPERA – Bryan Hymel for his performances in Les Troyens, Robert Le Diable and Rusalka at the Royal Opera House

BBC RADIO 2 AUDIENCE AWARD – Billy Elliot The Musical

SPECIAL AWARD – Gillian Lynne & Michael Frayn

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Olivier Awards (2013) – Highlights

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Olivier Awards (2013) – My Prediction

The 2013 Laurence Olivier Awards, the UK’s more prestigious theatre ceremony, will return to the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, on the 28th April 2013.

Marking its 37th year, the Olivier Awards present the best of British theatre both on-stage and off live at the Royal Opera House in London’s Covent Garden. The evening will feature performances from many nominated West End shows, solo performances and special guests as well as tributes to the nominated and successful award winners.

The ceremony will be broadcasted on ITV from 10:15pm and live on BBC Radio 2 from 6pm. Following on from the great success last year, large telivision screens will display the ceremony to city’s theatre loving audience.

Criticism from last years ceremony, avalaible by the BBC red button, has resulted in the production being moved over to ITV in an hour-long highlights section.

But… who will win?

Predicting award winners can always be difficult. Going on last year, I think there will be a few surprises. Sweeney Todd and The Bodyguard at the Adelpi, Loserville at the Garrick and Top Hat at the Aldwych I think will do very well as revivals and new pieces respectivly.

Picking out individual performances that will recieive praise is difficult this year. Like with productions themselves, I think any lead from all the above shows mentioned will succeed in one manor or another. Sheridan Smith‘s move into plays may get a special mention and potentially even War Horse aswell; still taking the West End by storm.

Heather Headley, currently recreating the role of Rachel Marron, made famous by Whitney Houston in the original film, has prooved a popular performer amongst new attendees, bringing a new warmth of life to the stage. The Bodyguard marks her West End debut as a leading lady.

Tom Chambers in Tophat could provide a popular choice amongst theatre attendee’s this year.

A list of full nominations can be found at www.olivierawards.com/nominations

No doubt my predictions will be far-off and the Oliviers will surprise us all but that’s part of the mystery of theatre.

I look forward to listening to the show tonight from 6pm will full details of the ceremony and the award winners too.

Good luck to all invovled!