OLIVIER AWARDS – Best Comedy Winners

Best New Comedy

2010 The Priory
2009 God of Carnage
2008 Rafta Rafta
2007 John Buchan’s The 39 Steps adapted by Patrick Barlow from an original concept by Simon Corble and Nobby Dimon
2006 Heroes by Gerald Sibleyras translated by Tom Stoppard

Best Comedy

2003 The Lieutenant Of Inishmore by Martin McDonagh
2002 The Play What I Wrote by Hamish McColl, Sean Foley and Eddie Braben
2001 Stones In His Pockets by Marie Jones
2000 The Memory Of Water by Shelagh Stephenson
1999 Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle And Dick by Terry Johnson
1998 Popcorn by Ben Elton
1997 Art by Yasmina Reza
1996 Mojo by Jez Butterworth
1995 My Night With Reg by Kevin Elyot
1994 Hysteria by Terry Johnson
1993 The Rise And Fall Of Little Voice by Jim Cartwright
1992 La Bête by David Hirson
1991 Out Of Order by Ray Cooney
1989/90 Single Spies by Alan Bennett
1988 Shirley Valentine by Willy Russell
1987 Three Men On A Horse by John Cecil Holm and George Abbott
1986 When We Are Married by J.B. Priestley
1985 A Chorus Of Disapproval by Alan Ayckbourn
1984 Up’N’Under by John Godber
1983 Daisy Pulls It Off by Denise Deegan
1982 Noises Off by Michael Frayn
1981 Steaming by Nell Dunn
1980 Educating Rita by Willy Russell
1979 Middle Age Spread by Roger Hall
1978 Filumena by Eduardo de Filippo, adapted by Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall
1977 Privates On Parade by Peter Nichols
1976 Donkey’s Years by Michael Frayn

Best Comedy Performance

1995 Niall Buggy for Dead Funny
1994 Griff Rhys Jones for An Absolute Turkey
1993 Simon Cadell for Travels With My Aunt
1992 Desmond Barrit for The Comedy Of Errors
1991 Alan Cumming for Accidental Death Of An Anarchist
1989/90 Michael Gambon for Man Of The Moment
1988 Alex Jennings for Too Clever By Half
1987 John Woodvine for The Henrys
1986 Bill Fraser for When We Are Married
1985 Michael Gambon for A Chorus Of Disapproval
1984 Maureen Lipman for See How They Run
1983 Griff Rhys Jones for Charley’s Aunt
1982 Geoffrey Hutchings for Poppy
1981 Rowan Atkinson for Rowan Atkinson in Revue
1980 Beryl Reid for Born In The Gardens
1979 Barry Humphries for A Night With Dame Edna
1978 Ian McKellen for The Alchemist
1977 Denis Quilley for Privates On Parade
1976 Penelope Keith for Donkey’s Years

It now hosts an interesting mix of theatre, with a new season of plays and musicals starting this month featuring short runs of crowd-pleasing shows, from hilarious farce Daisy Pulls It Off, to play A Man of No Importance and fun musicals Naked Boys Singing and Nunsense A-Men.

The originalvenue launched in 1927 as a private members’ theatre to avoid the censorship of the Lord Chamberlain. In the fifties it was run by Peter Hall and hosted the London premiere of Samuel Becket’s Waiting for Godot.

The 347-seat venue is run under a partnership between Dominic Madden for theatre investment group Kingdom Entertainment Group and Wimpole Theatre and the facilities of the theatre include two newly refurbished bars – plus The London Cocktail Club, a pre and post theatre private members club.

Highlights of the current season include:

DAISY PULLS IT OFF

19 January – 6 February 2010

This riotous romp returns to the West End in Denise Deegan’s hilarious parody of jolly hockey sticks adventure stories set in a 1920s girls’ boarding school.

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NUNSENSE A-MEN

25 January – 25 March 2010

An hilarious spoof about the misadventures of five nuns trying to manage a fundraiser – with all characters played by male musical stars!

Tickets from only £13.50 – Book Now

NAKED BOYS SINGING

27 January – 27 March 2010
Returning to the Arts Theatre after a successful run last year, Naked Boys Singing! is a musical comedy revue featuring an original score of 16 songs celebrating the splendours of male nudity. Seven good-looking and talented male actors celebrate the glories of the naked male body through a series of catchy, pithy cabaret numbers, both funny and poignant. Please Note: Contains full male nudity. Age recommendation 16 years +

Tickets from only £13.50 – Book Now

A MAN OF NO IMPORTANCE

10 – 27 February 2010

Chamber musical based on the 1994 film starring Albert Finney. The show won the 2003 Outer Critics Circle Award for Best off-Broadway Musical, and will run at the Arts from February 10 to 27 starring Olivier Award-winner Paul Clarkson.

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