Olivier Awards 2016: Full Winners List

Last night (Sunday 3 April 2016) the 2016 Olivier Awards were held at the Royal Opera House hosted by Michael Ball.

The ceremony featured performances by Cyndi Lauper, Michael Feinstein, Joe Stilgoe and Jack Savoretti. For the finale, the awards welcomed back 15 past Olivier Award winners including Maria Friedman, Ruthie Henshall and Jill Halfpenny who performed What I Did For Love from A Chorus Line - winner of Best New Musical at the 1976 awards.

There were also special performances from all the nominated productions in both the Best New Musical and Best Musical Revival categories. The ceremony was opened by Imelda Staunton who performed Everything's Coming Up Roses from Gypsy. Staunton went on to win Best Actress in a Musical.

Details confirmed for 2016 Olivier Awards

Details have been announced for the 2016 Olivier Awards which take place on Sunday 3rd April at the Royal Opera House.

Cyndi Lauper is set to perform both on her own and in a unique collaboration following the seven nominations for Kinky Boots, which features music written by Lauper. Michael Feinstein will also be performing on the night, joining a variety of past winners in a special 40th anniversary segment.

For the first time ever, all eight nominees for Best Musical Revival and Best New Musical will be performing on the Royal Opera House stage. The nominees for Best New Musical are Bend It Like Beckham, In The Heights, Kinky Boots and Mrs Henderson Presents. The nominees for Best Musical Revival are Bugsy Malone, Guys and Dolls, Gypsy and Seven Brides For Seven Brothers.

Olivier Awards 2016: Nominations list

This afternoon (29th February), Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton announced nominations for the 2016 Olivier Awards at Rosewood London. 

Ball will host this year's ceremony which takes place on Sunday 3rd April at the Royal Opera House. Chichester's Gypsy and Kinky Boots dominate in the musical categories with eight and seven nominations respectively. 

Imelda Staunton receives her 11th nomination for her performance as Mama Rose with her co-stars Dan Burton and Peter Davison being nominated as Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical and Lara Pulver nominated as Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical. 

Michael Ball to host 2016 Olivier Awards

It has been announced that the 2016 Olivier Awards will be hosted by Michael Ball.

This year's Oliviers are being held on Sunday 3rd April 2016 at the Royal Opera House whilst nominations will be announced next Monday (29th February).

Ball previously won Olivier Awards for his performances in Hairspray and Sweeney Todd. He co-costed the awards in 2011 and 2012 with Imelda Staunton. Ball will also host next week's nominations announcement which will be live streamed online.

Special concert to celebrate Olivier Awards 40th anniversary

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Olivier Awards, the Society of London Theatre are organising a concert which will take place on 25th January 2016 at the Royal Festival Hall. 

Featuring some of the biggest West End stars (TBC), the concert will also be broadcast live on BBC Radio 3. The line-up will perform numbers from musicals and be accompanied by the BBC Concert Orchestra who will be led by principal conductor Keith Lockhart.

Olivier Awards 2015: Full Winners List

The winners of the Olivier Awards 2015 were announced last night (12th April 2015) at the Royal Opera House. Full winners list below:

BEST REVIVAL

A View From The Bridge at Young Vic & Wyndham’s Theatre

BEST NEW COMEDY

The Play That Goes Wrong at Duchess Theatre

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN AN AFFILIATE THEATRE

Bull at The Maria at Young Vic

WHITE LIGHT AWARD FOR BEST LIGHTING DESIGN

Howard Harrison for City Of Angels at Donmar Warehouse

BEST SOUND DESIGN

Gareth Owen for Memphis The Musical at Shaftesbury Theatre

Olivier Awards 2015: Voting opens for the This Morning Audience Award

This year ITV's This Morning are sponsoring the Olivier Award's Audience Award which is the only Olivier to be chosen by the public. 

The 2015 Olivier Awards take place at the Royal Opera House on Sunday 12th April. Full nominations are yet to be announced. 

You have until 12:00 on 5th March to take part in stage 1 of Audience Award voting. The top four shows from stage 1 will be announced on 9th March, when voting will reopen to choose a winner. Last year's Audience Award was won by Les Miserables.

Olivier Awards team up with ITV's This Morning & Magic FM

It has been announced that next year the Olivier Awards will join forces with ITV's This Morning for the Audience Award (previously run by BBC Radio 2).

The This Morning Audience Award will celebrate the West End’s many incredible long-running productions and offer the general public the chance to have their say in crowning their favourite show an Olivier Award winner in the only category voted for solely by the public.

Voting will launch on 17th February, with 18 shows eligible to take the baton from 2014’s winner Les Misérables. The winner will be announced at the ceremony which is being held at the Royal Opera House on 12th April.

Olivier Awards 2014: Full Winners List

Gavin Creel in The Book of Mormon
Photo Credit: Joan Marcus

BEST ACTOR
Rory Kinnear for Othello at the National Theatre, Olivier

BEST ACTRESS
Lesley Manville for Ghosts at the Almeida Theatre & Trafalgar Studios

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Jack Lowden for Ghosts at the Almeida Theatre & Trafalgar Studios

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Sharon D Clarke for The Amen Corner at the National Theatre, Olivier

AMERICAN AIRLINES BEST NEW PLAY
Chimerica at the Almeida Theatre & Harold Pinter Theatre

BEST NEW COMEDY
Jeeves & Wooster In Perfect Nonsense at the Duke of York’s Theatre

Mamma Mia extends booking to April 2015 & celebrates 15th birthday

The West End production of Mamma Mia has extended its booking period at the Novello Theatre until Saturday 25th April 2015. The musical celebrates its 15th birthday in London on Sunday (6th April).

Kim Ismay, Dianne Pilkington & Jane Milligan

As we previously revealed, Abba's Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, who have rarely performed together since Abba disbanded in 1982, will join the cast of Mamma Mia in a musical finale at this year's Olivier Awards. This historic performance will be televised as part of the highlights show, being broadcast on ITV at 22:15 on Sunday 13th April.

Olivier Awards 2014: Ceremony details announced

The Olivier Awards have revealed further information about the 2014 ceremony which is being held on Sunday 13th April at the Royal Opera House (highlight broadcast from 22:15 on ITV1).

To celebrate 15 years of the hit show MAMMA MIA!, ABBA's Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus will be reuniting to appear with the current London MAMMA MIA! company in the grand finale at this year's Olivier Awards‎ with MasterCard.

Two time Tony Award© winning actress and acclaimed interpreter of Stephen Sondheim’s music and lyrics, Bernadette Peters, will be flying into London specially to perform at the Olivier Awards, accompanied by the BBC Concert Orchestra, who will back the entire evening’s entertainment.

Gemma Arterton & Stephen Mangan to host the Olivier Awards

It has been announced that Gemma Arterton and Stephen Mangan will host the 2014 Olivier Awards. The ceremony is being held on Sunday 13th April at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. Highlights of the event will be broadcast later that evening on ITV.

It was recently revealed that Arterton will star in the new musical adaptation of Made In Dagenham, opening at the Adelphi Theatre later this year. Mangan is currently starring in Jeeves & Wooster In Perfect Nonsense at the Duke Of York's Theatre.

Barry James, Josefina Gabrielle, Richard Dempsey & Kirsty Malpass to join Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Josefina Gabrielle

Barry James, Josefina Gabrielle, Richard Dempsey and Kirsty Malpass will join the previously announced Alex Jennings in the West End production of Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

This morning Charlie and the Chocolate Factory received seven Olivier Award nominations including:

• MasterCard Best New Musical
• Best Actor in a Musical (Douglas Hodge)
• Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical (Nigel Planer)
• Best Theatre Choreographer (Peter Darling)
• Best Set Design (Mark Thompson)
• Best Costume Design (Mark Thompson)
• Best Lighting Design (Paul Pyant)

New cast member Josefina Gabrielle was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical, for her performance in Merrily We Roll Along. The winners will be announced at the Royal Opera House on Sunday 13th April 2014.

New cast join Once tonight

New cast members join the West End production of Once at the Phoenix Theatre tonight (10th March 2014). 

The full cast includes: Fiona Bruce (Baruska), Jamie Cameron (Emcee), Mark Carlisle (Da), Matthew Ganley (Svec), Mathew Hamper (Andre), Daniel Healy (Eamon), Loren O’Dair (Reza), Miria Parvin (Ex-girlfriend), Tim Prottey-Jones (Billy) and Jez Unwin (Bank Manager). 

Doctor Who star Arthur Darvill joins the production from 17th March as Guy alongside original cast member Zrinka Cvitešić (Girl). Juliana Cotton, Demi Lee, Gemma Loader and Ruby Payne alternate the role of Girl’s young daughter, Ivanka. 

Olivier Awards 2014: Nominations List

Nominations have been announced for the 2014 Olivier Awards. New musical Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and the revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along lead the list with seven nominations, followed by the Best New Musical nominees Once, The Book of Mormon and The Scottsboro Boys each receiving six nominations.

The star-studded 2014 Olivier Awards ceremony will take place at the Royal Opera House on Sunday 13th April. Full nominations list below:

BEST ACTOR

Henry Goodman for The Resistible Rise Of Arturo Ui at the Duchess Theatre

Tom Hiddleston for Coriolanus at the Donmar Warehouse

Rory Kinnear for Othello at the National Theatre, Olivier

Jude Law for Henry V at the Noël Coward Theatre

BEST ACTRESS

Hayley Atwell for The Pride at the Trafalgar Studios

Anna Chancellor for Private Lives at the Gielgud Theatre

Judi Dench for Peter And Alice at the Noël Coward Theatre

Lesley Manville for Ghosts at the Almeida Theatre & Trafalgar Studios

Olivier Awards 2014: Nominations announced

The nominations for The Olivier Awards 2014 were announced this morning by Nigel Harman and Leigh Zimmerman.

New musical Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and the revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along lead the list with seven nominations, followed by the Best New Musical nominees Once, The Book of Mormon and The Scottsboro Boys each receiving six nominations. A good year for the Almeida is marked with ten nominations including two in the Best New Play category for Chimerica and 1984, and a Best Revival nomination for Ghosts.

In the coveted categories of Best Actor and Best Actress, Jude Law and Judi Dench receive nominations for their performances in Henry Vand Peter and Alice respectively, both part of the successful Michael Grandage Season at the Noël Coward Theatre, which receives four acting nominations in total. They compete with Tom Hiddleston, Henry Goodman and Rory Kinnear for Best Actor, and Anna Chancellor, Lesley Manville and Hayley Atwell for Best Actress.

Olivier Awards 2014: First details announced

The Society Of London Theatre has announced the first details for this year's Olivier Awards.

ITV will be the official television broadcast partner for the 38th Olivier Awards which take place on Sunday 13th April 2014 at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. ITV will screen a highlights programme shortly after the ceremony (the exact broadcast time will be confirmed nearer the time). 

The Olivier Awards and SOLT extends its partnership for 2014 with the ITV Stage in the Covent Garden Piazza where theatre-loving members of the public can enjoy a free Olivier Awards celebration There will be a relay of the awards’ ceremony show on big screens as well as live performances from top West End shows, along with special guests, red carpet fashion tips and much more. The hosts for this stage, and performances, will be announced nearer the date.

Musical Directors to receive recognition at 2014 Oliviers with introduction of new category

Helen Mirren

It has been announced that the Olivier Awards 2014 will be held on Sunday 13th April, once again at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. 

The cut-off date for eligible productions is Tuesday 25th February 2014. Further details will be announced in January 2014.

A new category has also been revealed. The brand new “Outstanding Achievement in Music" category will bring together potential nominations across the music fields including composition of original music for plays, orchestration and musical supervision/direction.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time extends booking following Oliviers Triumph

The National Theatre's production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time has extended its booking period at the Apollo Theatre to 25th October 2014. The show won seven Olivier Awards last Sunday, matching Matilda's record.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time received awards including Best New Play, Best Director for Marianne Elliott, Best Actor for Luke Treadaway, who plays Christopher Boone and Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Nicola Walker, who played Judy at the Cottesloe Theatre. The play moved to the West End following a sell-out run at the NT Cottesloe last year.

Olivier Awards 2013: Watch the casts of Wicked, Matilda, Billy Elliot & Phantom perform live in Covent Garden

Last night crowds gathered in Covent Garden to watch the Olivier Awards live streaming. Before the ceremony began theatre fans were treated to live performances from the casts of the four shows which were nominated for the BBC Radio 2 Audience Award - Wicked Matilda, Billy Elliot and Phantom of the Opera. Billy Elliot won the award. You can watch the four performances below.

The casts of Potted Potter and Burn The Floor also performed as well as the West End Gospel Choir and Michael Xavier, who hosted the event alongside Claudia Winkleman.