Matilda The Musical scoops 7 Olivier Awards

Matilda The Musical dominated the 2012 Olivier Awards this evening at the Royal Opera House, winning seven awards.

The 2012 Olivier Awards were presented at the Royal Opera House today in a star-studded ceremony organised by The Society of London Theatre.

The awards were dominated by the RSC’s production of Matilda The Musical which scooped seven awards including Best New Musical, Best Director for Matthew Warchus, Best Actress in a Musical for the four young Matilda leads, Sophia Kiely, Kerry Ingram, Cleo Demetriou and Eleanor Worthington Cox, and Best Actor in a Musical for Bertie Carvel. The show also won Best Sound Design for Simon Baker, Best Theatre Choreography for Peter Darling and Best Set Design for Rob Howell. Based on Roald Dahl’s best-selling children’s book and written by Dennis Kelly with music and lyrics by comedian Tim Minchin, the show continues to play to packed audiences at the Cambridge Theatre in London.

Other big winners tonight included the Donmar’s production of Anna Christie which scooped Best Revival for Rob Ashford’s production and Best Actress for Ruth Wilson.

Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller were jointly awarded the prize for Best Actor for their alternating roles in Danny Boyle’s Frankenstein at the National theatre, plus Bruno Poet won Best Lighting Design for the show. The National Theatre also took home Best New Play for Collaborators by John Hodge, although missed out on any awards for its blockbuster comedy One Man, Two Guvnors now playing on Broadway and at the Theatre Royal Haymarket.

The Open Air Theatre’s production of Crazy For You won both Best Musical Revival and Best Costume Design for Peter McKintosh. Other musical nods included the Radio Two Audience Award which went to Les Miserables and Nigel Harman winning Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical for Shrek The Musical at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane.

Sheridan Smith, who won Best Actress in a Musical last year for her role in Legally Blonde, kept the momentum by taking home a Best Performance in a Supporting Role award for her role in Trevor Nunn’s Flare Path at the Theatre Royal Haymarket.

Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre went to the Theatre Royal Stratford East in association with the Barbican and Traverse Theatre for Roadkill.

In dance, the Outstanding Achievement in Dance went to Edward Watson for his acclaimed performance in The Metamorphosis at the Royal Opera House, and the Royal Opera House’s Dame Monica Mason was presented with a Special Award by Zoe Wanamaker for her extraordinary contribution to British dance. The Best New Dance Production went to DESH by Akram Khan Company at Sadler’s Wells.

In the Opera categories, English National Opera triumphed by winning both awards: Best New Opera Production for Castor And Pollux and the Outstanding Achievement in Opera award for the breadth and diversity of its artistic programme.

Best Entertainment and Family show was won by Derren Brown for Svengali, taking home his second Entertainment Olivier Award.

The evening ended with a Special Award tribute to lyricist Sir Tim Rice, with Siobhan McCarthy and Maria Friedman singing I know Him So Well from Chess, Elaine Paige performing Don’t Cry For Me Argentina from Evita and the cast of The Lion Ling.

Hosted for a second year by Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton, who are currently starring in Sweeney Todd at the Adelphi Theatre, the awards celebrate the best of London’s West End Theatre.

LINKS

See the full list of Olivier Awards 2012 winners here

Olivier Awards microsite

WATCH the Olivier Awards on BBC iPlayer

 

OLIVIER AWARDS – Best Opera Winners

OLIVIER AWARDS – Best Opera Winners

Best New Opera Production

2012 English National Opera’s Castor And Pollux at the London Coliseum
2011 OperaUpClose and Soho Theatre’s La Boheme at the Soho Theatre
2010 The Royal Opera’s Tristan und Isolde
2009 English National Opera’s Partenope
2008 Pelleas Et Melisande
2007 English National Opera’s Jenufa
2006 English National Opera’s Madam Butterfly
2005 The Royal Opera’s Lady Macbeth Of Mtsensk
2004 English National Opera’s The Trojans (Parts I and II)
2003 The Royal Opera’s Wozzeck
2002 The Royal Opera’s Boulevard Solitude
2001 The Royal Opera’s The Greek Passion
2000 Welsh National Opera’s Hansel And Gretel
1999 Welsh National Opera’s La Clemenza Di Tito
1998 The Royal Opera’s Paul Bunyan
1997 English National Opera’s Tristan And Isolde
1996 The Royal Opera’s Billy Budd
1995 English National Opera’s Khovanshchina
1994 The Royal Opera’s La Damnation De Faust
1993 The Royal Opera’s Stiffelio

Outstanding Achievement in Opera

2012 ENO for the breadth and diversity of its artistic programme
2011 Christian Gerhaher for his performance in the Royal Opera’s Tannhauser at the Royal Opera House
2010 Nina Stemme for her performance in the Royal Opera’s Tristan und Isolde
2009 Edward Gardner for conducting English National Opera’s Boris Godunov, Cavalliera Rusticana, Der Rosenkavalier, I Pagliacci, Riders To The Sea, and Punch And Judy At The Young Vic
2008 Natalie Dessay for her performance in La Fille Du Regiment
2007 Amanda Roocroft for her performance in English National Opera’s Jenufa
2006 Simon Keenlyside for his performances in the Royal Opera’s 1984 at the Royal Opera House and English National Opera’s Billy Budd
2005 Thomas Adès and the Royal Opera House for the world premiere of The Tempest
2004 Cristina Gallardo-Domas for The Royal Opera’s Madama Butterfly
2003 Antonio Pappano for a distinguished opening to his tenure as Music Director of The Royal Opera with Ariadne Auf Naxos and Wozzeck
2002 Bernard Haitink for his contribution to The Royal Opera’s Jenufa and The Queen of Spades and the musical directorship of a season of great distinction by the Royal Opera
2001 Mark-Anthony Turnage (composer) and Amanda Holden (librettist) for creating English National Opera’s The Silver Tassie
2000 English National Opera for its high standard of production and for championing the works of Handel
1999 The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House for its consistently outstanding musicianship in The Royal Opera’s Le Nozze Di Figaro, The Bartered Bride and The Golden Cockerel
1998 Paul Daniel for conducting English National Opera’s From The House Of The Dead and for his contribution to English National Opera
1997 Elgar Howarth for conducting English National Opera’s Die Soldaten and The Prince of Homburg
1996 Bernard Haitink for conducting The Royal Opera’s Siegfried and Gotterdämmerung
1995 Roberto Alagna for his performance in The Royal Opera’s Roméo Et Juliette
1994 The Orchestra of English National Opera for Lohengrin and Inquest Of Love
1993 Sir Edward Downes for conducting The Royal Opera’s The Fiery Angel and Stiffelio
1992 The Royal Opera’s Mitridate, Rè Di Ponto
1991 Mark Elder for conducting English National Opera’s Duke Bluebeard’s Castle, Macbeth, Pelléas Et Méllisande, and Wozzeck
1989/90 The Komische Oper’s Orpheus and Eurydice
1988 Leontina Vaduva for her performance in The Royal Opera’s Manon
1987 English National Opera’s Lady Macbeth Of Mtsensk
1986 English National Opera’s Doctor Faust, Graham Clark and Thomas Allen specially commended
1982 English National Opera’s Rigoletto
1981 The Royal Opera’s Les Contes D’Hoffman
1980 English National Opera’s Così Fan Tutte
1979 The Royal Opera’s The Rake’s Progress
1978 English National Opera for their enterprising repertoire
1977 Glyndebourne Festival Opera’s Don Giovanni

Additional Opera Awards

1985 Kathleen Battle for Ariadne Auf Naxos (The Royal Opera)
1985 English National Opera’s Xerxes
1984 Welsh National Opera’s From The House Of The Dead
1984 Philip Langridge for Osud (English National Opera)
1983 The Cologne Opera’s Il Matrimonio Segreto
1983 Valerie Masterson for Semele (The Royal Opera)
1982 Jeffrey Tate for La Clemenza Di Tito (The Royal Opera)
1981 Anne Mackay for The Gypsy Princess (Sadler’s Wells Theatre production)
1980 Rosalind Plowright for The Turn Of The Screw (English National Opera)
1978 The Royal Opera’s Lohengrin