Theatre

West End Wilma: The 2016 Olivier Awards nominees are in!

This morning, Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton announced the nominees for the 2016 Olivier Awards with MasterCard, the most prestigious event in the UK’s theatrical calendar, at Rosewood London, the awards’ official hotel partner.

This year sees the 40th anniversary of the Olivier Awards, which will take place on Sunday 3 April at the Royal Opera House. Public tickets for the event are available from Tuesday 1 March for MasterCard cardholders but you’ll have to be quick if you want to secure a ticket to the hottest show in town! Last year I walked down the red carpet alongside Angela Lansbury, so you never know who you might bump into!

Guys and Dolls photo by Paul Coltas

Photo: Paul Coltas

This years nominations seem very fair. There are the obvious nominees like Dame Judi Dench, Benedict Cumberbatch, Nicole Kidman and Imelda Staunton but also some surprises like Nell Gwynn starring Gemma Arterton being up for Best New Comedy, Best Costume Design, Best Supporting Role and Best Actress. I’ve seen the show twice now and is really deserves all the support it is getting.

kinky-boots-west-end

Other surprise nominees included A Christmas Carol starring Jim Broadbent, Hand To God and Show Stopper! The Improvised Musical. Guys and Dolls at the Savoy Theatre earned five nominations as well. Kinky Boots stars Killian Donnelly and Matt Henry are up against each other in the category of Best Actor In A Musical and the best new musical nominees are Bend It Like Beckham, In The Heights, Kinky Boots and Mrs Henderson Presents. All very worthy nominees!

Mrs Henderson Presents

Voting for the Magic Radio Audience Award, the only category voted for entirely by members of the public, will close at 12:00 noon on Friday 11 March. This year there are 16 eligible long-running shows and votes can be cast via Olivierawards.com.

The star-studded Olivier Awards 2016 with MasterCard ceremony will be broadcast in the UK on ITV and Mellow Magic and on the Olivier Awards’ new YouTube channel worldwide outside the UK.

Head to Ticketmaster.co.uk now to book tickets for all West End nominees.

BILB-8

And the nominees for the 2016 Olivier Awards with MasterCard are…

Best Revival

Hamlet at Barbican Theatre

Les Liaisons Dangereuses at Donmar Warehouse

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom at National Theatre, Lyttelton

The Winter’s Tale at Garrick Theatre

Best New Comedy

A Christmas Carol at Noël Coward Theatre

Hand To God at Vaudeville Theatre

Nell Gwynn at Apollo Theatre

Peter Pan Goes Wrong at Apollo Theatre

Best Costume Design

Gregg Barnes for Kinky Boots at Adelphi Theatre

Hugh Durrant for Nell Gwynn at Apollo Theatre

Jonathan Fensom for Farinelli And The King at Duke of York’s Theatre

Katrina Lindsay for Bend It Like Beckham at Phoenix Theatre

Blue-i Theatre Technology Award for Best Set Design

Hildegard Bechtler for Oresteia at Almeida Theatre

Es Devlin for Hamlet at Barbican Theatre

Jonathan Fensom for Farinelli And The King at Duke of York’s Theatre

Anna Fleischle for Hangmen at Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court & Wyndham’s Theatre

White Light Award for Best Lighting Design

Neil Austin for The Winter’s Tale at Garrick Theatre

Natasha Chivers for Oresteia at Almeida Theatre

James Farncombe for People, Places And Things at National Theatre, Dorfman

Mark Henderson for Gypsy at Savoy Theatre

Best Sound Design

George Dennis for The Homecoming at Trafalgar Studios 1

Tom Gibbons for People, Places And Things at National Theatre, Dorfman

Christopher Shutt for The Father at Wyndham’s Theatre

Christopher Shutt for Hamlet at Barbican Theatre

Best New Opera Production

Cavalleria Rusticana/Pagliacci at Royal Opera House

The Force Of Destiny at London Coliseum

Morgen Und Abend at Royal Opera House 

Outstanding Achievement in Opera

English National Opera Chorus and Orchestra for The Force Of Destiny, Lady Macbeth Of Mtsensk and The Queen Of Spades at London Coliseum

Felicity Palmer for The Queen Of Spades at London Coliseum

Sir Antonio Pappano for his conducting of Cavalleria Rusticana/Pagliacci, Guillaume Tell and Król Roger at Royal Opera House

Tamara Wilson for The Force Of Destiny at London Coliseum

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

Mark Gatiss for Three Days In The Country at National Theatre, Lyttelton

Michael Pennington for The Winter’s Tale at Garrick Theatre

Tom Sturridge for American Buffalo at Wyndham’s Theatre

David Suchet for The Importance Of Being Earnest at Vaudeville Theatre

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

Judi Dench for The Winter’s Tale at Garrick Theatre

Michele Dotrice for Nell Gwynn at Apollo Theatre

Melody Grove for Farinelli And The King at Duke of York’s Theatre

Catherine Steadman for Oppenheimer at Vaudeville Theatre

Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre

Barbarians at The Clare, Young Vic

Phil Dunster for his role in Pink Mist at Bush Theatre

Pat Kinevane and Fishamble for Silent at Soho Theatre

Violence And Son at Jerwood Theatre Upstairs at the Royal Court

Virgin Atlantic Best New Play

Farinelli And The King at Duke of York’s Theatre

The Father at Wyndham’s Theatre

Hangmen at Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court & Wyndham’s Theatre

People, Places And Things at National Theatre, Dorfman

Best Actor

Kenneth Branagh for The Winter’s Tale at Garrick Theatre

Kenneth Cranham for The Father at Wyndham’s Theatre

Benedict Cumberbatch for Hamlet at Barbican Theatre

Adrian Lester for Red Velvet at Garrick Theatre

Mark Rylance for Farinelli And The King at Duke of York’s Theatre

Best Actress

Gemma Arterton for Nell Gwynn at Apollo Theatre

Denise Gough for People, Places And Things at National Theatre, Dorfman

Nicole Kidman for Photograph 51 at Noël Coward Theatre

Janet McTeer for Les Liaisons Dangereuses at Donmar Warehouse

Lia Williams for Oresteia at Almeida Theatre

Best Entertainment and Family

Alice’s Adventures Underground at The Vaults

Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax at The Old Vic

I Want My Hat Back at National Theatre, Temporary Theatre

Peter Pan at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Showstopper! The Improvised Musical at Apollo Theatre

Best New Dance Production

He Who Falls (Celui Qui Tombe) by Compagnie Yoann Bourgeois at the Barbican

Romeo Et Juliette by Les Ballets de Monte Carlo at London Coliseum

Woolf Works by Wayne McGregor at Royal Opera House

Outstanding Achievement in Dance

Alessandra Ferri for her performances in Chéri and Woolf Works at Royal Opera House

Javier De Frutos for his choreography of Anatomy Of A Passing Cloud at the Linbury Studio Theatre, Royal Opera House

Sasha Waltz for her choreography of Sacre at Sadler’s Wells

Autograph Sound Award for Outstanding Achievement in Music

Bend It Like Beckham – Music by Howard Goodall, Lyrics by Charles Hart and Orchestrations by Howard Goodall and Kuljit Bhamra at Phoenix Theatre

Farinelli And The King – Claire van Kampen for Musical Arrangements, the Musicians and Iestyn Davies and the Singers who alternated the singing role of Farinelli at Duke of York’s Theatre

In The Heights – Music and Lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda at King’s Cross Theatre

Kinky Boots – Music and Lyrics by Cyndi Lauper, Music Supervision, Arrangements and Orchestrations by Stephen Oremus at Adelphi Theatre

Best Theatre Choreographer

Carlos Acosta and Andrew Wright for Guys And Dolls at Savoy Theatre

Drew McOnie for In The Heights at King’s Cross Theatre

Stephen Mear for Gypsy at Savoy Theatre

Jerry Mitchell for Kinky Boots at Adelphi Theatre 

Best Director

Rob Ashford and Kenneth Branagh for The Winter’s Tale at Garrick Theatre

Matthew Dunster for Hangmen at Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at Royal Court & Wyndham’s Theatre

Robert Icke for Oresteia at Almeida Theatre

Jonathan Kent for Gypsy at Savoy Theatre

Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical

David Bedella for In The Heights at King’s Cross Theatre

Dan Burton for Gypsy at Savoy Theatre

Peter Davison for Gypsy at Savoy Theatre

Gavin Spokes for Guys And Dolls at Savoy Theatre

Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical

Preeya Kalidas for Bend It Like Beckham at Phoenix Theatre

Amy Lennox for Kinky Boots at Adelphi Theatre

Lara Pulver for Gypsy at Savoy Theatre

Emma Williams for Mrs Henderson Presents at Noël Coward Theatre

Best Musical Revival

Bugsy Malone at Lyric Hammersmith

Guys And Dolls at Savoy Theatre

Gypsy at Savoy Theatre

Seven Brides For Seven Brothers at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Best Actor in a Musical

Ian Bartholomew for Mrs Henderson Presents at Noël Coward Theatre

Killian Donnelly for Kinky Boots at Adelphi Theatre

David Haig for Guys And Dolls at Savoy Theatre

Matt Henry for Kinky Boots at Adelphi Theatre

Jamie Parker for Guys And Dolls at Savoy Theatre

Best Actress in a Musical

Tracie Bennett for Mrs Henderson Presents at Noël Coward Theatre

Natalie Dew for Bend It Like Beckham at Phoenix Theatre

Laura Pitt-Pulford for Seven Brides For Seven Brothers at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Imelda Staunton for Gypsy at Savoy Theatre

Sophie Thompson for Guys And Dolls at Savoy Theatre

MasterCard Best New Musical

Bend It Like Beckham at Phoenix Theatre

In the Heights at King’s Cross Theatre

Kinky Boots at Adelphi Theatre

Mrs Henderson Presents at Noël Coward Theatre