Winners of the 2020 Olivier Awards were finally revealed last night in a pre-recorded ceremony hosted by Jason Manford from the stage of the London Palladium.
Following a six-month delay due to covid, honours at the re-imagined virtual awards ceremony were widely shared amongst the nominees, with no one show sweeping the board.
New musicals & Juliet and Dear Evan Hanson picked up three awards each, as did new play Emilia.
Nominated for nine awards, & Juliet, Max Martin’s juke box musical which reimagines Romeo & Juliet’s tale won Best Actress in a Musical for Mirian-Teak Lee, and Best Actor and Actress in a Supporting Role for David Bedella and Cassidy Jansen.
Janson dedicated her award to the team behind & Juliet, saying: “You are so skilled, so viable, so valuable and please don’t any of you ever retrain” – a reference to the Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s comments about “viable” jobs and government-backed adverts suggesting those in the arts could retrain in tech.
Dear Evan Hansen won Best New Musical, Best Original Score for Benj Pasek and Justin Paul and Best Actor in a Musical for newcomer Sam Tutty.
Sharon D. Clarke scooped the award for Best Actress in a Play for Death of A Salesman, with the show also winning Best Director for Marianne Elliott and Miranda Cromwell.
Accepting her award, Clarke thanked her wife Susie McKenna and theatre’s freelancers, who have been among the hardest hit cultural workers during the pandemic. “We must know our worth in this industry, and what our incredible industry brings not only to the coffers, but to the soul of our nation. Keep the faith people. We will be back.”
Andrew Scott beat out Toby Jones, Wendell Pierce and James McAvoy to win the award for Best Actor in a Play for his performance in the Old Vic’s revival of Noël Cowards Present Laughter.
Matthew Bourne won his ninth Olivier, becoming the most successful individual in the history of the awards. Bourne won best theatre choreographer alongside Stephen Mear for Mary Poppins.
Lyricist Don Black was given the special award, while Ian McKellen was honoured for his 80th birthday one-man show, which he toured to more than 80 theatres, raising money for venues around the UK.
Julian Bird, the executive producer of the Olivier awards and chief executive of the Society of London Theatre, said: “This is not how we had originally planned to celebrate this year’s outstanding Olivier nominees, but like so many others we have adapted to these challenging times. I am thrilled that we have been able to safely pull together this programme that will hopefully engage and inspire audiences at home while reminding them of the talent and vibrancy within our theatre industry.”
Winners in full
Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical
WINNER: David Bedella for & Juliet at Shaftesbury Theatre
Stewart Clarke for Fiddler On The Roof at Playhouse Theatre
Jack Loxton for Dear Evan Hansen at Noël Coward Theatre
Rupert Young for Dear Evan Hansen at Noël Coward Theatre
Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical
Lucy Anderson for Dear Evan Hansen at Noël Coward Theatre
Petula Clark for Mary Poppins at Prince Edward Theatre
WINNER: Cassidy Janson for & Juliet at Shaftesbury Theatre
Lauren Ward for Dear Evan Hansen at Noël Coward Theatre
Best Original Score or New Orchestrations
& Juliet – New Orchestrations by Bill Sherman and Dominic Fallacaro at Shaftesbury Theatre
Amélie The Musical – Musical Supervisor and Arrangements by Barnaby Race at The Other Palace
WINNER: Dear Evan Hansen – Music and Lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, Orchestration by Alex Lacamoire at Noël Coward Theatre
Fiddler On The Roof – New Orchestrations by Jason Carr at Playhouse Theatre
Waitress – Music and Lyrics by Sara Bareilles at Adelphi Theatre
Best New Dance Production
La Fiesta by Israel Galván at Sadler’s Wells
WINNER: Ingoma by Mthuthuzeli November for Ballet Black at Royal Opera House – Linbury Theatre
MÁM by Michael Keegan-Dolan for Teaċ Daṁsa at Sadler’s Wells
Vessel by Damien Jalet & Kohei Nawa at Sadler’s Wells
Outstanding Achievement in Dance
WINNER: Sara Baras for her choreography and performance in Ballet Flamenco – Sombras at Sadler’s Wells
Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker for her performance in Mitten Wir Im Leben Sind/Bach6Cellosuiten at Sadler’s Wells
Gisèle Vienne for her choreography of Crowd, presented by Dance Umbrella at
Sadler’s Wells
Noel Coward Award for Best Entertainment or Comedy Play
WINNER: Emilia at Vaudeville Theatre
Fleabag at Wyndham’s Theatre
Magic Goes Wrong at Vaudeville Theatre
The Upstart Crow at Gielgud Theatre
Best Theatre Choreographer
Fabian Aloise for Evita at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
WINNER: Matthew Bourne and Stephen Mear for Mary Poppins at Prince Edward Theatre
Jerome Robbins and Matt Cole for Fiddler On The Roof at Playhouse Theatre
Jennifer Weber for & Juliet at Shaftesbury Theatre
Magic Radio Best Musical Revival
Evita at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
WINNER: Fiddler On The Roof at Playhouse Theatre
Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at The London Palladium
Mary Poppins at Prince Edward Theatre
Best Actor in a Musical
Andy Nyman for Fiddler On The Roof at Playhouse Theatre
Charlie Stemp for Mary Poppins at Prince Edward Theatre
WINNER: Sam Tutty for Dear Evan Hansen at Noël Coward Theatre
Jac Yarrow for Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at The London Palladium
Best Actress in a Musical
Audrey Brisson for Amélie The Musical at The Other Palace
Judy Kuhn for Fiddler On The Roof at Playhouse Theatre
WINNER: Miriam-Teak Lee for & Juliet at Shaftesbury Theatre
Zizi Strallen for Mary Poppins at Prince Edward Theatre
Cunard Best Revival
WINNER: Cyrano De Bergerac at Playhouse Theatre
Death Of A Salesman at Young Vic and Piccadilly Theatre
Present Laughter at The Old Vic
Rosmersholm at Duke of York’s Theatre
Best Family Show
Mr Gum And The Dancing Bear – The Musical! at National Theatre – Dorfman
Oi Frog & Friends! at Lyric Theatre
To The Moon And Back at Barbican Theatre
WINNER: The Worst Witch at Vaudeville Theatre
Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre
WINNER: Baby Reindeer at Bush Theatre
Blues In The Night at Kiln Theatre
Our Lady Of Kibeho at Theatre Royal Stratford East
Seven Methods Of Killing Kylie Jenner at Jerwood Theatre Upstairs at the Royal Court Theatre
Warheads at Park Theatre
White Light Award for Best Lighting Design
Neil Austin for Rosmersholm at Duke of York’s Theatre
WINNER: Paule Constable for The Ocean At The End Of The Lane at National Theatre – Dorfman
Howard Hudson for & Juliet at Shaftesbury Theatre
Bruno Poet for Uncle Vanya at Harold Pinter Theatre
Royal Albert Hall Award for Best Sound Design
Gregory Clarke for Rosmersholm at Duke of York’s Theatre
WINNER: Emma Laxton for Emilia at Vaudeville Theatre
Ben and Max Ringham for ANNA at National Theatre – Dorfman
Ben and Max Ringham for Cyrano De Bergerac at Playhouse Theatre
Best Costume Design
Hugh Durrant for Goldilocks And The Three Bears at The London Palladium
Jonathan Lipman for Fiddler On The Roof at Playhouse Theatre
WINNER: Joanna Scotcher for Emilia at Vaudeville Theatre
Paloma Young for & Juliet at Shaftesbury Theatre
Blue-I Theatre Technology Award for Best Set Design
WINNER: Bob Crowley for Mary Poppins at Prince Edward Theatre
Soutra Gilmour for & Juliet at Shaftesbury Theatre
Rae Smith for Rosmersholm at Duke of York’s Theatre
Rae Smith for Uncle Vanya at Harold Pinter Theatre
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Arinzé Kene for Death Of A Salesman at Young Vic
Colin Morgan for All My Sons at The Old Vic
WINNER: Adrian Scarborough for Leopoldstadt at Wyndham’s Theatre
Reece Shearsmith for A Very Expensive Poison at The Old Vic
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Michele Austin for Cyrano De Bergerac at Playhouse Theatre
Sophie Thompson for Present Laughter at The Old Vic
WINNER: Indira Varma for Present Laughter at The Old Vic
Josie Walker for The Ocean At The End Of The Lane at National Theatre – Dorfman
Best New Opera Production
Berenice at Royal Opera House – Linbury Theatre
WINNER:Billy Budd at Royal Opera House
Hansel And Gretel at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Noye’s Fludde at Theatre Royal Stratford East
Outstanding Achievement in Opera
Jette Parker Young Artists for their performances in Berenice, Death In Venice and Phaedra at Royal Opera House
WINNER: The Children’s Ensemble for their performance in Noye’s Fludde at Theatre Royal Stratford East
Martyn Brabbins and James Henshaw for their conducting of The Mask Of Orpheus for English National Opera at London Coliseum
Best Actor
Toby Jones for Uncle Vanya at Harold Pinter Theatre
James McAvoy for Cyrano De Bergerac at Playhouse Theatre
Wendell Pierce for Death Of A Salesman at Young Vic and Piccadilly Theatre
WINNER: Andrew Scott for Present Laughter at The Old Vic
Best Actress
Hayley Atwell for Rosmersholm at Duke of York’s Theatre
WINNER: Sharon D. Clarke for Death Of A Salesman at Piccadilly Theatre
Juliet Stevenson for The Doctor at Almeida Theatre
Phoebe Waller-Bridge for Fleabag at Wyndham’s Theatre
Sir Peter Hall Award for Best Director
WINNER: Marianne Elliott and Miranda Cromwell for Death Of A Salesman at Young Vic and Piccadilly Theatre
Jamie Lloyd for Cyrano De Bergerac at Playhouse Theatre
Trevor Nunn for Fiddler On The Roof at Playhouse Theatre
Ian Rickson for Uncle Vanya at Harold Pinter Theatre
American Airlines Best New Play
A Very Expensive Poison at The Old Vic
The Doctor at Almeida Theatre
WINNER: Leopoldstadt at Wyndham’s Theatre
The Ocean At The End Of The Lane at National Theatre – Dorfman
Mastercard Best New Musical
& Juliet at Shaftesbury Theatre
Amélie The Musical at The Other Palace
WINNER: Dear Evan Hansen at Noël Coward Theatre
Waitress at Adelphi Theatre
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