This morning I went to the May Fair Hotel to find out who is nominated for the Olivier Awards 2013. The nominees were announced by Olivier Award Winners Ruth Wilson and Elaine Paige and the event was broadcast live on the BBC Radio 2 Ken Bruce show. We were also treated to a performance from last year’s seven-time winner, Matilda The Musical (which was delightful).
The National Theatre’s production of The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time leads the list with eight nominations, followed by the toe-tapping new musical Top Hat receiving seven, and the West End transfer of Chichester Festival Theatre’s revival of Sweeney Todd in close competition with six. Other stand-out nominations include The Audience and Kiss Me Kate receiving five each, and Constellations, The Bodyguard and Twelfth Night with four.
After months of voting, the highly anticipated shortlist for the BBC Radio 2 Audience Award (the only Olivier Award voted for by the public) was announced. Billy Elliot The Musical, Matilda The Musical, The Phantom Of The Opera and Wicked have made it to the final four!
Speaking to West End Frame about the audience award after the nominations were announced, Elaine Paige said "It is a very important award. It was my BBC Radio 2 show which introduced the award to try and elevate the popularity of the Olivier Awards. Over 65,000 people have voted which just shows how much love of theatre there is!"
The categories are as tough as ever! Heather Headley (the Bodyguard), Imelda Staunton (Sweeney Todd), Summer Strallen (Top Hat) and Hannah Waddingham (Kiss Me Kate) are all nominated for Best Actress in a Musical - it is impossible to choose a front runner! Click here to read the full nominations list.
This year’s list of Olivier nominees is as star-studded as ever and theatregoers can enjoy many of this year’s Olivier nominees performing currently in the West End including Helen Mirren and Richard McCabe in The Audience, Heather Headley and Debbie Kurup in The Bodyguard, Leigh Zimmerman in A Chorus Line, Luke Treadaway in The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time, Rupert Everett in The Judas Kiss, James McAvoy in Macbeth and Kristen Scott Thomas in Old Times. Billie Piper, Helen McCrory, Imelda Staunton, Hannah Waddingham, Michael Ball, Tom Chambers, Adam Garcia, Mark Rylance, Rafe Spall and Will Young are just a few of the other talented actors and actresses joining the illustrious line-up.
The Olivier Awards ceremony will take place at the Royal Opera House on Sunday 28th April hosted by Hugh Bonneville and Sheridan Smith. The ceremony will be live on BBC Radio 2 from 6.30 pm with the award announcements as they happen and also exclusive red carpet interviews with the stars as they arrive before the big night. A full television highlights package will also be broadcast on ITV later in the evening.
Theatre-lovers are invited to gather at the BBC Radio 2 Stage in Covent Garden Piazza from 4 pm on the day for a free Olivier Awards celebration featuring live performances from several top West End shows – including the four shortlisted BBC Radio 2 Audience Award nominees – as well as special guests. Awards-themed fun on offer will include make-up demos courtesy of MAC, styling tips from Chester Barrie and cocktail making lessons with Radisson Edwardian.
Andrew Tomlins (Editor)
andrew@westendframe.com
Andrew Tomlins (Editor)
andrew@westendframe.com
Please visit www.olivierawards.com for further information
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