NEWS: Nominations announced for this year’s Olivier Awards

March 3, 2020

The nominations have been announced for this year’s Olivier Awards, which take place on Sunday 5 April at the Royal Albert Hall.

& Juliet, a new British musical using the pop songs of Swedish hitmaker Max Martin to retell Shakespeare’s classic love story, has nine nominations – including Best New Musical, Best Actress in a Musical, Best Set Design and Best Costume Design.

Trevor Nunn’s revival of the 1964 musical Fiddler On The Roof, which opened at the Menier Chocolate Factory before transferring to the West End last year, is nominated eight times, with a Best Director nod for Nunn, as well as acting nominations for Andy Nyman and Judy Kuhn. There are also seven nominations for new musical Dear Evan Hansen, which opened on Broadway in 2016, and six for the Richard Eyre-directed revival of Mary Poppins currently running at the Prince Edward Theatre.

Leading the nominations for plays with five each, including Best Revival, are the Young Vic production of Death Of A Salesman and Rosmersholm at the Duke of York’s Theatre. Uncle Vanya at the Harold Pinter Theatre, Present Laughter at The Old Vic and Cyrano De Bergerac at the Playhouse Theatre each have four nominations.

This year’s Best New Play nominees include A Very Expensive Poison by Lucy Prebble, based on a book about the murder of Alexander Litvinenko, and Tom Stoppard’s Leopoldstadt, the epic story of a Viennese Jewish family at the start of the 20th century.

In the Best Actor category, Toby Jones is nominated for his performance in Uncle Vanya, James McAvoy for Cyrano De Bergerac (his fourth nomination), Wendell Pierce for his West End debut in Death Of A Salesman, and Andrew Scott for Present Laughter.

In the Best Actress category, Hayley Atwell is nominated for Rosmersholm, Sharon D. Clarke (who has now been nominated six times across all four acting categories) for Death Of A Salesman, and Juliet Stevenson (also now a six-time nominee) for The Doctor, an Almeida Theatre production coming to the West End in April. Phoebe Waller-Bridge receives her first acting nomination for Fleabag, which was Olivier nominated in 2014 for its run at the Soho Theatre.

Petula Clark, last Olivier-nominated in 1981, receives a Best Supporting Actress in a Musical nomination for her role as the Bird Woman in Mary Poppins. She is joined in the musical acting categories by several first-time nominees, including Miriam-Teak Lee for & Juliet, Zizi Strallen for Mary Poppins, Sam Tutty for Dear Evan Hansen and Jac Yarrow for Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Julian Bird, Chief Executive of Society of London Theatre and Executive Producer of the Olivier Awards, said:

‘2020’s nominations demonstrate the range of productions, talent and enterprise on our stages over the last year, with a mix of breadth and diversity that showcases the modern British theatre landscape. We look forward to celebrating all this incredible, world-leading talent on Sunday 5 April.’

The Nominees’ Celebration will take place on Friday 13 March at The May Fair Hotel (part of Edwardian Hotels London, official hotel partner for the Olivier Awards), in association with Olivier Awards partner Cunard.

The Olivier Awards ceremony will be hosted by Jason Manford, and broadcast via official media partners ITV and Magic Radio. Further details to be announced soon.

Full list of Olivier Awards 2020 nominations:

Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical

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
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
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
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

Noel Coward Award for Best Entertainment or Comedy Play

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
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
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
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
Miriam-Teak Lee for & Juliet at Shaftesbury Theatre
Zizi Strallen for Mary Poppins at Prince Edward Theatre

Cunard Best Revival

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
The Worst Witch at Vaudeville Theatre

Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre

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
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
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
Joanna Scotcher for Emilia at Vaudeville Theatre
Paloma Young for & Juliet at Shaftesbury Theatre

Blue-I Theatre Technology Award for Best Set Design

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
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
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
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
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
Andrew Scott for Present Laughter at The Old Vic

Best Actress

Hayley Atwell for Rosmersholm at Duke of York’s Theatre
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

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