OLIVIER AWARDS 1997

Awards announced: 1997

Best Comedy
Winner: Art by Yasmina Reza, at Wyndham’s

Nominees:
Art by Yasmina Reza, at Wyndham’s
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) by Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield, at the Criterion
Laughter on the 23rd Floor by Neil Simon, at the Queen’s

Best Actress
Winner: Janet McTeer for A Doll’s House, at The Playhouse

Nominees:
Eileen Atkins for John Gabriel Borkman, at the RNT Lyttelton
Janet McTeer for A Doll’s House, at The Playhouse
Vanessa Redgrave for John Gabriel Borkman, at the RNT Lyttelton
Diana Rigg for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, at the Aldwych

Best Actor
Winner: Antony Sher for Stanley, at the RNT Cottesloe

Nominees:
Paul Scofield for John Gabriel Borkman, at the RNT Lyttelton
Antony Sher for Stanley, at the RNT Cottesloe
Ken Stott for Art, at Wyndham’s
David Suchet for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, at the Aldwych

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Winner: Deborah Findlay for Stanley, at the RNT Cottesloe

Nominees:
Frances Barber for Uncle Vanya, at the Albery
Claire Holman for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, at the Aldwych
Anna Chancellor for Stanley, at the RNT Cottesloe
Deborah Findlay for Stanley, at the RNT Cottesloe

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Winner: Trevor Eve for Uncle Vanya, at the Albery

Nominees:
Stephen Boxer for The Herbal Bed, RSC at the Pit
Trevor Eve for Uncle Vanya, at the Albery
Tony Haygarth for Twelve Angry Men, at the Comedy
Owen Teale for A Doll’s House, at The Playhouse

Best Director
Winner: Des McAnuff for Tommy, at the Shaftesbury

Nominees:
Richard Eyre for John Gabriel Borkman, at the RNT Lyttelton
Des McAnuff for Tommy, at the Shaftesbury
Anthony Page for A Doll’s House, at The Playhouse
Matthew Warchus for Art, at Wyndham’s

Best Set Designer
Winner: Tim Hatley for Stanley, at the RNT Cottesloe

Nominees:
John Arnone for Tommy, at the Shaftesbury
Paul Farnsworth for Passion, at the Queen’s
Tim Hatley for Stanley, at the RNT Cottesloe
Mark Thompson for Art, at Wyndham’s

Best Lighting Designer
Winner: Chris Parry for Tommy, at the Shaftesbury

Nominees:
Mark Henderson for John Gabriel Borkman, at the RNT Lyttelton
David Hersey for Martin Guerre, at the Prince Edward
Chris Parry for Tommy, at the Shaftesbury
Hugh Vanstone for Art, at Wyndham’s

Best Costume Designer
Winner: Tim Goodchild for The Relapse, RSC at The Pit

Nominees:
Louise Belson for By Jeeves, at the Duke of York’s and the Lyric
William Dudley for Mary Stuart, at the RNT Lyttelton
Tim Goodchild for The Relapse, RSC at The Pit
David C Woolard for Tommy, at the Shaftesbury

Best Theatre Choreographer
Winner: Bob Avian for Martin Guerre, at the Prince Edward

Nominees:
Bob Avian for Martin Guerre, at the Prince Edward
Wayne Cilento for Tommy, at the Shaftesbury

Best New Opera Production
Winner: English National Opera’s Tristan and Isolde, at the London Coliseum

Nominees:
Welsh National Opera’s Cavelleria Rusticana / I Pagliacci, at the Royal Opera House
English National Opera’s Fidelio, at the London Coliseum
English National Opera’s Tristan and Isolde, at the London Coliseum

Outstanding Achievement in Opera
Winner: Elgar Howarth for conducting English national Opera’s Die Soldaten / The Prince of Homburg, at the London Coliseum

Nominees:
Wolfgang Gobbel for lighting design of The Royal Opera’s The Midsummer Marriage, at the Royal Opera House / English National Opera’s Tristan and Isolde, at the London Coliseum
Elgar Howarth for conducting English national Opera’s Die Soldaten / The Prince of Homburg, at the London Coliseum
Karita Mattila for her performance in The Royal Opera’s Don Carlos, at the Royal Opera House

Best New Dance Production
Winner: English National Ballet’s Cinderella, at the London Coliseum

Nominees:
English National Ballet’s Alice In Wonderland, at the London Coliseum
Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Carmina Burana, at the Royal Opera House
English National Ballet’s Cinderella, at the London Coliseum

Outstanding Achievement in Dance
Winner: The Dancers of Rambert Dance Company for their season at the London Coliseum

Nominees:
Sue Blane for her design of English National Ballet’s Alice In Wonderland, at the London Coliseum
Viviana Durante for performances in The Royal Ballet’s Anastasia…Now Langourous, Now Wild… ,at the Royal Opera House
Thomas Edur for performances in English National Ballet’s Alice in Wonderland / Giselle, at the London Coliseum
The Dancers of Rambert Dance Company for their season at the London Coliseum

Best Actor in a Musical
Winner: Robert Lindsay for Oliver!, at the London Palladium

Nominees:
Iain Glen for Martin Guerre, at the Prince Edward
Robert Lindsay for Oliver!, at the London Palladium
Paul Keating for Tommy, at the Shaftesbury
Stephen Pacey for By Jeeves, at the Duke of York’s and the Lyric

Best Actress in a Musical
Winner: Maria Friedman for Passion, at the Queen’s

Nominees:
B J Crosby for Smokey Joe’s Café The Songs of Lieber and Stoller, at the Prince of Wales
Maria Friedman for Passion, at the Queen’s
Joanna Riding for Guys and Dolls, at the RNT Olivier
Imelda Staunton for Guys and Dolls, at the RNT Olivier

Best Supporting Performance in a Musical starWinner: Clive Rowe for Guys and Dolls, at the RNT Olivier

Nominees:
James Gillan for Tommy, at the Shaftesbury
Hugh Ross for Passion, at the Queen’s
Clive Rowe for Guys and Dolls, at the RNT Olivier
Tony Selby for Paint Your Wagon, at the Open Air

The American Express Award for Best New Musical
Winner: Martin Guerre, book by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg, music by Claude-Michel Schanberg, lyrics by Edward Handy and Stephen Clark, original text by A Boublil, additional lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer and A Boubil, at the Prince Edward

Nominees:
Martin Guerre, book by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg, music by Claude-Michel Schanberg, lyrics by Edward Handy and Stephen Clark, original text by A Boublil, additional lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer and A Boubil, at the Prince Edward
Nine, book by Arthur Kopit, music and lyrics by Maury Yeston adapted from the Italian by Mario Fratti, at the Donmar Warehouse
Passion, musicand lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by James Lapine, at the Queen’s

Outstanding Musical Production
Winner: Tommy music and lyrics by Pete Townshend, book by Pete Townshend and Des McAnuff, at the Shaftesbury

Nominees:
By Jeeves lyrics by Alan Ayckbourn and Andrew Lloyd Webber, musical stories, based on the Jeeves by P G Wodehouse, at the Duke of York’s
Jesus Christ Superstar lyrics by Tim Rice music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, at the Lyceum
Smokey Joe’s Café The Song of Lieber and Stoller, words and music by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, at the Prince of Wales
Tommy music and lyrics by Pete Townshend, book by Pete Townshend and Des McAnuff, at the Shaftesbury

BBC Award for the Play of the Year
Winner: Stanley by Pam Gems, at the RNT Cottesloe

Nominees:
The Beauty Queen of Leenane by Martin McDonagh, at the Royal Court
Blinded By The Sun by Stephen Poliakoff, at the RNT Cottesloe
The Herbal Bed by Peter Whelan, RSC at the Pit
Stanley by Pam Gems, at the RNT Cottesloe

The Society’s Special Award
Winner: Margaret Harris

Nominees:
Margaret Harris