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Phil Willmott

The 2020 Olivier Award Winners

Olivier Awards The 2020 Olivier Awards were announced last night from the Royal Albert Hall.

No particular production swept the boards but as usual nominations focused our attention on a narrow selection of last year’s West End theatre.

Finding most favour were musicals & Juliet and Dear Evan Hansen, and the play Emilia each of whom received 3 awards whilst Death of a Salesman, Leopoldstadt, Mary Poppins and Present Laughter won 2 each.

The winners were revealed in a special ITV programme filmed at The London Palladium, and on Official London Theatre’s YouTube channel. hosted by Jason Manford.

Honours included a 7th for Ian McKellen in recognition of his 80th Birthday tour. For their work on Mary Poppins there was a 9th for choreographer Matthew Bourne and a 3rd Best Set Design Olivier for Bob Crowley. There was also special award for lyricist Don Black presented by , Lord Lloyd Webber and HRH The Duchess of Cornwall.

Here’s who got what (winners in each category in bold):

Best Supporting Actor in a Musical

David Bedella, & Juliet, Shaftesbury Theatre
Stewart Clarke, Fiddler on the Roof, Playhouse Theatre
Jack Loxton, Dear Evan Hansen, Noël Coward Theatre
Rupert Young, Dear Evan Hansen, Noël Coward Theatre

Best Supporting Actress in a Musical

Lucy Anderson, Dear Evan Hansen, Noël Coward Theatre
Petula Clark, Mary Poppins, Prince Edward Theatre
Cassidy Janson, & Juliet, Shaftesbury Theatre
Lauren Ward, Dear Evan Hansen, Noël Coward Theatre

Original Original Score or New Orchestration

Bill Sherman and Dominic Fallacaro, & Juliet, Shaftesbury Theatre
Musical supervisor and arrangements by Barnaby Race, Amélie the Musical, The Other Palace
Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, orchestration by Alex Lacamoire, Dear Evan Hansen, Noël Coward Theatre
New orchestrations by Jason Carr, Fiddler on the Roof, Playhouse Theatre
Music and lyrics by Sara Bareilles, Waitress, Adelphi Theatre

Best New Dance Production

La Fiesta by Israel Galván at Sadler's Wells
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

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

Best Entertainment or Comedy Play

Emilia, Vaudeville Theatre
Fleabag, Wyndham's Theatre
Magic Goes Wrong, Vaudeville Theatre
The Upstart Crow, Gielgud Theatre

Best Theatre Choreographer

Fabian Aloise for Evita at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre
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

Best Musical Revival

Evita, Regent's Park Open Air Theatre
Fiddler on the Roof, Playhouse Theatre
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The London Palladium
Mary Poppins, Prince Edward Theatre

Best Actor in a Musical

Andy Nyman, Fiddler on the Roof, Playhouse Theatre
Charlie Stemp, Mary Poppins, Prince Edward Theatre
Sam Tutty, Dear Evan Hansen, Noël Coward Theatre
Jac Yarrow, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The London Palladium

Best Actress in a Musical

Audrey Brisson, Amélie the Musical, The Other Palace
Judy Kuhn, Fiddler on the Roof, Playhouse Theatre
Miriam-Teak Lee, & Juliet, Shaftesbury Theatre
Zizi Strallen, Mary Poppins, Prince Edward Theatre

Best Play Revival

Cyrano de Bergerac, Playhouse Theatre
Death of a Salesman, Young Vic and Piccadilly Theatre
Present Laughter, The Old Vic
Rosmersholm, Duke of York's Theatre

Best Family Show

Mr Gum And The Dancing Bear – The Musical!, National Theatre - Dorfman
Oi Frog & Friends!, Lyric Theatre
To The Moon And Back, Barbican Theatre
The Worst Witch at Vaudeville Theatre

Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre

Baby Reindeer, Bush Theatre
Blues in the Night, Kiln Theatre
Our Lady of Kibeho, Theatre Royal Stratford East
Seven Methods of Killing Kylie Jenner, Jerwood Theatre Upstairs at the Royal Court
Warheads, Park Theatre

Best Lighting Design

Neil Austin, Rosmersholm, Duke of York's Theatre
Paule Constable, The Ocean At The End Of The Lane, National Theatre – Dorfman
Howard Hudson, & Juliet, Shaftesbury Theatre
Bruno Poet, Uncle Vanya, Harold Pinter Theatre

Best Sound Design

Gregory Clarke, Rosmersholm, Duke of York's Theatre
Emma Laxton, Emilia, Vaudeville Theatre
Ben and Max Ringham, ANNA, National Theatre – Dorfman
Ben and Max Ringham, Cyrano de Bergerac, Playhouse Theatre

Best Costume Design

Hugh Durrant, Goldilocks And The Three Bears, The London Palladium
Jonathan Lipman, Fiddler On The Roof, Playhouse Theatre
Joanna Scotcher, Emilia, Vaudeville Theatre
Paloma Young, & Juliet, Shaftesbury Theatre

Best Set Design

Bob Crowley, Mary Poppins, Prince Edward Theatre
Soutra Gilmour, & Juliet, Shaftesbury Theatre
Rae Smith, Rosmersholm, Duke of York's Theatre
Rae Smith, Uncle Vanya, Harold Pinter Theatre

Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play

Arinzé Kene, Death Of A Salesman, Young Vic
Colin Morgan, All My Sons, The Old Vic
Adrian Scarborough, Leopoldstadt, Wyndham's Theatre
Reece Shearsmith, A Very Expensive Poison, The Old Vic

Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Play

Michele Austin, Cyrano de Bergerac, Playhouse Theatre
Sophie Thompson, Present Laughter, The Old Vic
Indira Varma, Present Laughter, The Old Vic
Josie Walker, The Ocean At The End Of The Lane, National Theatre – Dorfman

Best New Opera Production

Berenice, Royal Opera House – Linbury Theatre
Billy Budd, Royal Opera House
Hansel and Gretel, Regent's Park Open Air Theatre
Noye's Fludde, 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
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 in a Play

Toby Jones, Uncle Vanya, Harold Pinter Theatre
James McAvoy, Cyrano de Bergerac, Playhouse Theatre
Wendell Pierce, Death Of A Salesman, Young Vic and Piccadilly Theatre
Andrew Scott, Present Laughter, The Old Vic

Best Actress in a Play

Hayley Atwell, Rosmersholm, Duke of York's Theatre
Sharon D Clarke, Death Of A Salesman, Young Vic and Piccadilly Theatre
Juliet Stevenson, The Doctor, Almeida Theatre
Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Fleabag, Wyndham's Theatre

Best Director

Miranda Cromwell and Marianne Elliott, Death Of A Salesman, Young Vic and Piccadilly Theatre
Jamie Lloyd, Cyrano De Bergerac, Playhouse Theatre
Trevor Nunn, Fiddler On The Roof, Playhouse Theatre
Ian Rickson, Uncle Vanya, Harold Pinter Theatre

Best New Play

A Very Expensive Poison, The Old Vic
The Doctor, Almeida Theatre
Leopoldstadt, Wyndham's Theatre
The Ocean At The End Of The Lane at National Theatre – Dorfman

Best New Musical

& Juliet, Shaftesbury Theatre
Amélie the Musical, The Other Palace
Dear Evan Hansen, Noël Coward Theatre
Waitress, Adelphi Theatre