Laurence Olivier Award
The Laurence Olivier Award (also known as the Olivier Award ) is a British theater and musical award that has been presented annually since 1976 . It is considered the highest honor in British theater and is comparable to the Tony Award on American Broadway . The award is named after the renowned British actor Laurence Olivier . The award is given by the Society of London Theater to theater productions that have been seen in London's West End .
history
The Olivier's, as the awards are also abbreviated, are an annual presentation to honor professional theater work. Originally called the "Society of West End Theater Awards", it was renamed in 1984 to honor British actor Laurence Olivier .
The awards are given annually in the categories theater, musical, dance and opera. The Olivier Awards are internationally recognized as the highest distinction in British theater, synonymous with the American Broadway Tony Award and the French Molière Award . The winners receive a bronze statuette with Sir Laurence Olivier in his portrayal as Henry V in 1937. The prizes were awarded in various hotels and theaters in London. The award ceremonies have been held at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden since 2012 .
The first award ceremony took place in December 1976 in the Hotel Café Royal . The winners, which included Alan Howard , Peggy Ashcroft , Penelope Keith and Jonathan Miller , have not yet received any of the iconic bronze statuettes. Their prices were specially commissioned blue Wedgwood urns, nicknamed "The Urnies".
Categories
drama
- Best New Play
- Best Revival
- Best New Comedy
- Best Actor
- Best Actress
- Best performance in a supporting role
- Best Actor in a Supporting Role
- Best Actress in a Supporting Role
musical
- Best New Musical
- Best Musical Revival
- Best Actor in a Musical
- Best Actress in a Musical
- Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical
- Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical
- Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical
- Outstanding Achievement in Music
production
- Best Director
- Best Theater Choreographer
- Best set design
- Best costume design
- Best lighting design
- Best sound design
Dance / opera
- Best New Dance Production
- Best New Opera Production
- Outstanding Achievement in Dance
- Outstanding Achievement in Opera
Other
- Society of London Theater Special Award
- Best entertainment and family
- Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theater
- Audience Award
Former categories
- Actor of the Year in a New Play
- Actress of the Year in a New Play
- Actor of the Year in a Revival
- Actress of the Year in a Revival
- Best comedy performance
- Best performance in a musical
- Supporting Artist of the Year
- Best newcomer in a play
- Most Promising Performer
- Best company performance
- Best Director of a Play
- Best Director of a Musical
- Most Promising Playwright
- Best set designer
- Outstanding Achievement in a Musical
Award winners (selection)
people
Eight awards:
- Judi Dench (actress)
Seven awards:
- William Dudley (theater designer)
- Andrew Lloyd Webber (composer)
Six awards:
- Ian McKellen (actor)
- Alan Bennett (Actor / Writer)
- Richard Eyre (theater director)
- Stephen Sondheim (composer)
Five awards:
- Matthew Bourne (choreographer / theater director)
- Declan Donnellan (theater director)
- Mark Henderson (lighting designer)
- Mark Thompson (set designer)
Four awards:
- Michael Bryant (actor)
- Darcey Bussell (dancer)
- Michael Frayn (Author)
- Michael Gambon (actor)
- Tim Goodchild (set designer)
- Clare Higgins (actor)
- Alex Jennings (actor)
- Sam Mendes (theater director)
- John Napier (set designer)
- Trevor Nunn (theater director)
- Philip Quast (actor)
- Willy Russell (Author)
- Simon Russell Beale (actor)
- Frances de la Tour (actor)
Shows
Nine awards:
Six awards:
- 1980: Nicholas Nickleby
Five awards:
- 1982: Guys and Dolls
- 2007: Sunday in the Park with George
Four awards:
- 2007: Hairspray
- 2001: All My Sons
- 2006: Billy Elliot - The Musical
- 2006: Hedda Gabler
- 1999: Oklahoma!
- 1997: Stanley
- 1995: She Loves Me
- 1994: Sweeney Todd
- 1994: Machinal
- 1993: To Inspector Calls
- 1993: Carousel
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Chris Wiegand: Olivier awards seek theatregoers. In: The Guardian . September 30, 2008, accessed on January 25, 2011 (English): "The Oliviers, [...] are generally held to be the UK's most prestigious theater awards."
- ↑ Speeches: And the Laurence Olivier Winners Said. (No longer available online.) In: WhatsOnStage. March 9, 2008, archived from the original on April 9, 2013 ; accessed on January 25, 2011 (English): "[...] this year's 32nd annual Laurence Olivier Awards, London's equivalent of the Tonys and the UK's most prestigious stage awards [...]" Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Mark Brown, Judi Dench wins record eighth Olivier award in: The Guardian, April 3, 2016, accessed April 4, 2016
- ↑ Reallyuseful: Andrew Lloyd Webber receives seventh Olivier Award ( Memento of the original from February 13, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
