Hollywood stars up for awards
This year’s Olivier Award nominations were announced today, with Hollywood stars dominating the line up of talent.
Keira Knightley, James Earl Jones, Jude Law, James McAvoy, Gillian Anderson and Rachel Weisz are among the big name stars vying for Larry gongs.
Also this year plays continue to dominate the West End, reflected by the organiser’s decision to extend the Best Actor, Best Actress in a Supporting Role and Best Revival categories from five to six nominations.
Enron, six nominations
The main drama-producing houses reaped a number of nominations, notably the Royal Court, who picked up 15 nominations for four different productions – Jerusalem, Enron, The Priory and Cock. The Donmar Warehouse and National Theatre have also done well with 19 nominations between them for plays including the Donmar Warehouse production of Hamlet starring Jude Law, who was also nominated.
The Society of London Theatre, the organiser’s of the awards, have also added a new Audience Award to recognise long-running West End shows which opened before 2009, allowing Billy Elliot the Musical, The Phantom of the Opera, War Horse, We Will Rock You and Wicked another crack at the whip.
Nominee Keira Knightley
In the acting categories, competition will be fierce. The Best Actor category includes James Earl Jones, Jude Law, James McAvoy, Mark Rylance, Ken Stott and Samuel West, whilst the Best Actress category features Gillian Anderson, Lorraine Burroughs, Imelda Staunton, Juliet Stevenson and Rachel Weisz. Keira Knightley (pictured) will compete with Hayley Atwell, Michelle Dockery, Alexandra Gilbreath, Rachael Stirling and Ruth Wilson for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.
Another closely contested category will be Best Revival, with Arcadia, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Misanthrope, A Streetcar Named Desire, A View From the Bridge and Three Days of Rain all up for the award.
In the musical categories, Spring Awakening leads with six nominations, followed by A Little Night Music with five, and Sister Act and Hello, Dolly!, both with four. Nominees include Rowan Atkinson for Oliver!, Sheila Hancock for Sister Act, Maureen Lipman for A Little Night Music and Melanie C for Blood Brothers.
Society of London Theatre President Nica Burns said: “In an outstanding year for drama, a whole new generation of playwrights step into the spotlight. Eight wonderful new plays – challenging, stimulating and inspiring – include two women in their twenties. Mirroring this, the voting for the best acting awards was so close that the nominations had to be increased, with some of the most exciting young acting talent around taking their place alongside some our most acclaimed screen stars. What a memorable year!”
The winners will be announced at the Grosvenor House Hotel on 21 March.
The list of nominees for the 2010 Olivier Awards in full:
BEST ACTRESS
Gillian Anderson for A DOLL’S HOUSE at the Donmar Warehouse
Lorraine Burroughs for THE MOUNTAINTOP at Trafalgar Studio 1
Imelda Staunton for ENTERTAINING MR SLOANE at Trafalgar Studio 1
Juliet Stevenson for DUET FOR ONE at the Almeida theatre and Vaudeville theatre
Rachel Weisz for A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE at the Donmar Warehouse
BEST ACTOR
James Earl Jones for CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF at the Novello theatre
Jude Law for HAMLET, Donmar at Wyndham’s theatre
James McAvoy for THREE DAYS OF RAIN at the Apollo theatre
Mark Rylance for JERUSALEM at the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court and now at the Apollo theatre
Ken Stott for A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE at the Duke of York’s theatre
Samuel West for ENRON at the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court and now at the Noël Coward theatre
BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Hayley Atwell for A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE at the Duke of York’s theatre
Michelle Dockery for BURNT BY THE SUN at the National Theatre, Lyttelton
Alexandra Gilbreath for TWELFTH NIGHT at the Duke of York’s theatre
Keira Knightley for THE MISANTHROPE at the Comedy theatre
Rachael Stirling for THE PRIORY at the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court
Ruth Wilson for A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE at the Donmar Warehouse
BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Mackenzie Crook for JERUSALEM at the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court and now at the Apollo theatre
Rory Kinnear for BURNT BY THE SUN at the National Theatre, Lyttelton
Tim Pigott-Smith for ENRON at the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court and now at the Noël Coward theatre
Eddie Redmayne for RED at the Donmar Warehouse
BEST NEW PLAY
ENRON by Lucy Prebble at the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court and now at the Noël Coward theatre
JERUSALEM by Jez Butterworth at the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court and now at the Apollo theatre
THE MOUNTAINTOP by Katori Hall at Trafalgar Studio 1
RED by John Logan at the Donmar Warehouse
BEST NEW COMEDY
CALENDAR GIRLS by Tim Firth at the Noël Coward theatre
ENGLAND PEOPLE VERY NICE by Richard Bean at the National Theatre, Olivier
PARLOUR SONG by Jez Butterworth at the Almeida theatre
THE PRIORY by Michael Wynne at the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court
BEST MUSICAL REVIVAL
Irving Berlin’s ANNIE GET YOUR GUN music and lyrics by Irving Berlin, book by Herbert and Dorothy Fields, at the Young Vic
HELLO DOLLY! book by Michael Stewart, music and lyrics by Jerry Herman, based on the play ‘The Matchmaker’ by Thornton Wilder, at the Open Air theatre
A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by Hugh Wheeler, suggested by a film by Ingmar Bergman, originally produced and directed on Broadway by Harold Prince, at the Garrick theatre
Lionel Bart’s OLIVER! based on the original production by Sam Mendes, at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
BEST NEW MUSICAL
DREAMBOATS AND PETTICOATS book by Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran, at the Savoy theatre
PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT – THE MUSICAL book by Stephan Elliott and Allan Scott, based on the Latent Image/Specific Films motion picture distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc., at the Palace theatre
SPRING AWAKENING music by Duncan Sheik, book and lyrics by Steven Sater, based on the play by Frank Wedekind, at the Novello theatre
SISTER ACT music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Glenn Slater, book by Cheri Steinkellner and Bill Steinkellner, at the London Palladium
BEST ENTERTAINMENT
ARTURO BRACHETTI: CHANGE written and directed by Sean Foley, original concept by Serge Denoncourt, based on the repertoire of Arturo Brachetti, at the Garrick theatre
DERREN BROWN: ENIGMA written by Derren Brown and Andy Nyman, at the Adelphi theatre
MORECAMBE by Tim Whitnall, at the Duchess theatre
BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL OR ENTERTAINMENT
Melanie C for BLOOD BROTHERS at the Phoenix theatre
Patina Miller for SISTER ACT at the London Palladium
Samantha Spiro for HELLO DOLLY! at the Open Air theatre
Hannah Waddingham for A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC at the Garrick theatre
Charlotte Wakefield for SPRING AWAKENING at the Novello theatre
BEST ACTOR IN A MUSICAL OR ENTERTAINMENT
Rowan Atkinson for OLIVER! at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
Aneurin Barnard for SPRING AWAKENING at the Novello theatre
Bob Golding for MORECAMBE at the Duchess theatre
Alexander Hanson for A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC at the Garrick theatre
Tony Sheldon for PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT – THE MUSICAL at the Palace theatre
BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE IN A MUSICAL OR ENTERTAINMENT
Sheila Hancock for SISTER ACT at the London Palladium
Maureen Lipman for A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC at the Garrick theatre
Kelly Price for A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC at the Garrick theatre
Iwan Rheon for SPRING AWAKENING at the Novello theatre
BEST DIRECTOR
Rupert Goold for ENRON at the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court and now at the Noël Coward theatre
Michael Grandage for HAMLET, Donmar at Wyndham’s theatre
Lindsay Posner for A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE at the Duke of York’s theatre
Ian Rickson for JERUSALEM at the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court and now at the Apollo theatre
Bijan Sheibani for OUR CLASS at the National Theatre, Cottesloe
BEST REVIVAL
ARCADIA directed by David Leveaux at the Duke of York’s theatre
CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF directed by Debbie Allen at the Novello theatre
THE MISANTHROPE directed by Thea Sharrock at the Comedy theatre
A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE directed by Rob Ashford at the Donmar Warehouse
A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE directed by Lindsay Posner at the Duke of York’s theatre
THREE DAYS OF RAIN directed by Jamie Lloyd at the Apollo theatre
BEST THEATRE CHOREOGRAPHER
Matthew Bourne for OLIVER! at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
Bill T Jones for SPRING AWAKENING at the Novello theatre
Anthony Van Laast for SISTER ACT at the London Palladium
Stephen Mear for HELLO DOLLY! at the Open Air theatre
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN
BURNT BY THE SUN designed by Mark Henderson at the National Theatre, Lyttelton
ENRON designed by Mark Henderson the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court and now at the Noël Coward theatre
SPRING AWAKENING designed by Kevin Adams at the Novello theatre
THREE DAYS OF RAIN designed by Jon Clark at the Apollo theatre
BEST SET DESIGN
ENGLAND PEOPLE VERY NICE designed by Mark Thompson with animation by Pete Bishop at the National Theatre, Olivier
ENRON designed by Anthony Ward at the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court and now at the Noël Coward theatre
JERUSALEM designed by Ultz at the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court and now at the Apollo theatre
RED designed by Christopher Oram at the Donmar Warehouse
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
HELLO DOLLY! designed by Peter McKintosh at the Open Air theatre
MADAME DE SADE designed by Christopher Oram, Donmar at Wyndham’s theatre
THE MISANTHROPE designed by Amy Roberts at the Comedy theatre
PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT- THE MUSICAL designed by Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner at the Palace theatre
BEST SOUND DESIGN
EVERY GOOD BOY DESERVES FAVOUR designed by Christopher Shutt at the National Theatre, Olivier
JERUSALEM designed by Ian Dickinson for Autograph at the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court and now at the Apollo theatre
MOTHER COURAGE AND HER CHILDREN designed by Andrew Bruce and Nick Lidster for Autograph at the National Theatre, Olivier
SPRING AWAKENING designed by Brian Ronan at the Novello theatre
THE AUDIENCE AWARD FOR MOST POPULAR SHOW
BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL music by Elton John, books and lyrics by Lee Hall at the Victoria Palace
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA music and book by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Charles Hart, book and additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe at His Majesty’s theatre
WAR HORSE based on the novel by Michael Morpurgo, adapted by Nick Stafford at the New London theatre
WE WILL ROCK YOU based on the songs of Queen, by Ben Elton in collaboration with Brian May and Roger Taylor at the Dominion theatre
WICKED music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, book by Winnie Holzman at the Apollo Victoria theatre
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN AN AFFILIATE THEATRE
Soho Theatre/ Tiata Fahodzi for IYA ILE (THE FIRST WIFE)
The Tricycle Theatre for THE GREAT GAME
The Royal Court for COCK at the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs
BEST NEW OPERA PRODUCTION
The Royal Opera’s DER FLIEGENDE HOLLÄNDER at the Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera’s LULU at the Royal Opera House
English National Opera’s PETER GRIMES at the London Coliseum
The Royal Opera’s TRISTAN UND ISOLDE at the Royal Opera House
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN OPERA
Anja Kampe for her performance in the Royal Opera’s DER FLIEGENDE HOLLÄNDER at the Royal Opera House
Stuart Skelton for his performance in English National Opera’s PETER GRIMES at the London Coliseum
Nina Steme for her performance in the Royal Opera’s TRISTAN UND ISOLDE at the Royal Opera House
Michael Volle for his performances in the Royal Opera’s LULU and TRISTAN AND ISOLDE at the Royal Opera House
BEST NEW DANCE PRODUCTION
Russell Maliphant’s AFTERLIGHT at Sadler’s Wells
Birmingham Royal Ballet’s E=MC² at Sadler’s Wells
The Brandstrup – Rojo project’s GOLDBERG at the Royal Opera House
Rambert Dance Company’s A LINHA CURVA at Sadler’s Wells
Fabulous Beast Dance’s THE RITE OF SPRING at the London Coliseum
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN DANCE
Colin Dunne for his performance in OUT OF TIME at The Barbican Pit
Michael Hulls for his lighting designs for Russell Maliphant’s TWO:FOUR:TEN at the London Coliseum; and for Russell Maliphant’s AFTERLIGHT and for Ex Machina & Sylvie Guillem’s EONNAGATA at Sadler’s Wells
Rambert Dance Company for an outstanding year of new work
Transfer News: Juliet Stevenson, Avenue Q, Prunella Scales and War Horse
March 17, 2009 by admin
Filed under News, Show transfers
It’s all change in the West End as a number of shows close to make way for transfers from other theatres. In an increasingly risk-averse climate for producers, a hit in a small venue or success in a limited run could mean money if it transfers into the West End. The subsidised National Theatre and Almeida are bringing in War Horse and Duet for One respectively, Cameron Mackintosh decides to keep Avenue Q running and Carrie’s War and Saturday Night transfer from smaller venues.
Duet For One
The Almeida’s recently acclaimed production Duet for One will transfer to the West End in May.
Tom Kempinski’s two-hander stars Juliet Stevenson and Henry Goodman and centres on a concert violinist (Stevenson) who goes to a psychiatrist (Goodman) in the wake of a tragedy.
Directed by Matthew Lloyd, it will transfer to the Vaudeville Theatre from 7th May.
Avenue Q
There’s nothing like the threat of missing out to boost a show. Avenue Q - which has already run for 3 years at the Noel Coward Theatre, had announced its closure to make way for Calendar Girls.
But a new demand for tickets to catch the show before it exits London has promoted Cameron Mackintosh to transfer it to another one of his theatres – this time the Gielgud. It will reside there from 1 June.
Avenue Q will replace Enjoy starring Alison Steadman and David Troughton.
SAVE £18.50 ON TICKETS TO SEE ENJOY
Carrie’s War
Heart-warming family drama Carrie’s War – about two young evacuees during the Second World War and based on the classic kid’s novel by Nina Bawden is transferring from Sadler’s Wells into the West End.
Much loved actress Prunella Scales stars in the play, which will begin on 18 June at the Apollo Theatre. The show also stars Sarah Edwardson, who reprises the role of Carrie, and Amanda Symonds and James Beddard.
Carrie’s War will replace Three Days of Rain at the Apollo, currently starring James McAvoy.
SAVE £16.50 ON TICKETS TO CARRIE’S WAR
SAVE £14 ON TICKETS TO THREE DAYS OF RAIN
War Horse
From World War II to the First World War – and the opening this month in the West End of the National Theatre’s critically smash-hit War Horse – galloping across the river from the National to the New London Theatre from next week – 28th March.
The award-winning adaptation of Michael Morpurgo’s novel, set during World War I,is directed by Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris, and is told using the puppetry of the South African Handspring Puppet Company – including life-size horses and a tank!
Sondheim’s Saturday Night
Stephen Sondheim’s first Broadway musical Saturday Night will at long last enjoy a West End premiere, despite being penned by Sondheim in the 1950s.
After selling out run the Jermyn Street Theatre, it will come to the Arts Theatre for a short run from 25 March. Set it New York just before the Wall Street crash of 1929, the show stars Helena Blackman, who was runner up in the BBC1 talent show “How Do You Solve a Problem like Maria?”
London Theatre – 2009 Preview
December 30, 2008 by admin
Filed under News, Shows opening
If theatre mirrors life then you would expect 2009 to be a bad year for the performing arts in London: economic downturns and credit crunches sound like gloomy news for our discretionary entertainment spending. But West End theatre box office figures have kept on going up in recent years, and the huge number of new productions sailing into town during 2009 could mean that Theatreland manages to buck the trend.
THE GREAT REVIVAL
The RSC, National Theatre, Donmar and Old Vic dominated straight drama in the West End in 2008, and they haven’t finished yet. Big hitters coming to town include Judi Dench and Rosamund Pike in the Donmar in the West End’s Madame de Sade at the Wyndhams; Jude Law offering us his, hopefully fighting fit, Hamlet; Gillian Anderson in Ibsen’s A Doll’s House and Rachel Weisz in A Streetcar Named Desire at the Donmar Warehouse; Helen Mirren making her return to the London stage in Phaedra at the National Theatre; and a number of crowd-pleasing revivals at the Old Vic, no more so than Dancing at Lughnasa, Brian Friel’s hugely successful play starring Andrea Corr, and Sam Mendes directing Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard and Shakespeare’s A Winter’s Tale, both featuring Ethan Hawke, Simon Russell Beale and Sinead Cusack.
STAR POWER
Other stars shimmying into town include Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart in Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot at the Haymarket, Ken Stott and Hayley Atwell in Arthur Miller’s A View from the Bridge at the Duke of York’s, heavy-hitter Pete Postlethwaite as King Lear at the Young Vic, and Antony Sher giving us his Prospero in the RSC’s The Tempest. The Gavin and Stacey phenomenon continues to roll on, as we see Joe Orton’s delicious romp Entertaining Mr Sloane at the Trafalgar Studios starring Gavin himself, Matthew Horne, alongside Imelda Staunton; whilst Gavin’s onscreen Mum Alison Steadman plays a barking Leeds housewife in Alan Bennett’s Enjoy at the Gielgud Theatre.
NEW PLAYS
The sharp eyed amongst you will notice that all of these plays are revivals rather than new work, keeping audiences firmly in their comfort zones. That said, new plays may be thin on the ground but not absent all together, with the National offering up Richard Bean’s England People Very Nice, following two lovers across four centuries, and Samuel Adamson’s Mrs Affleck set in the 1950s. Jez Butterworth has two new plays in pre-production, with comedy Parlour Song at the Almeida and Jerusalem at the Royal Court. Also at the Royal Court, Mark Ravenhill will bring his new play Over There. Plus Hollywood man of the moment James McAvoy is to star in Richard Greenberg’s acclaimed play Three Days of Rain at the Apollo, and at The Old Vic Richard Dreyfuss headlines the world premiere of American playwright Joe Sutton’s new play Complicit, directed by Kevin Spacey.
“BASED ON A FILM”
In musical theatre, 2009 promises to be a year of great big fabulous and familiar shows, surely enough to see us through the dark times? And it’s no coincidence that many of them are based on hugely successful films.
Oliver! will be well and truly steaming ahead through 2009 at the Drury Lane Theatre Royal with Rowan Atkinson and Jodie Prenger; La Cage Aux Folles will continue camping it up at the Playhouse but with Graham Norton taking over from Douglas Hodge; and at the Adelphi Theatre Lee Mead will bow out of Joseph to be replaced by Gareth Gates.
Jason Donovan will be donning the wigs and lip gloss to take us on an Australian power-mince in Priscilla Queen of the Desert at the Palace Theatre. And Sister Act at the London Palladium will be doing its best to recreate the fun of the film, helped along by Whoopi Goldberg as co-producer. And not quite a musical but as good as, Calendar Girls the stage play will up the naked flesh quotient in the West End, starring Patricia Hodge and Lynda Bellingham at the Noel Coward Theatre.
Also in musicals-land the power of reality TV continues to wield its power, with Gareth Gates going into Joseph at the Adelphi Theatre, the X-factor’s Niki Evans continuing in Blood Brothers at the Phoenix, Jodie Prenger in Oliver at the Drury Lane, and Ray Quinn and Danny Bayne in Grease – joined for a limited time by the legendary Jimmy Osmond.
KIDS RULE
Kids should also see a good year in 2009 with an enormous live theatrical production of Walking with Dinosaurs coming to a stadium near you, and War Horse transfers from its successful run at the National Theatre to the New London Theatre.
