The 2023 Lawrence Olivier Awards were held at the Royal Albert Hall in London on April 2. Past and upcoming Broadway offerings were among the evening’s winners.
A revised version of “Oklahoma!” by director Daniel Fish awarded the revival of the best musical (winning, among other revivals, the West End Broadway transfer by director Bartlett Sher “My Fair Lady”. The recent adaptation of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein’s “Oklahoma!” opened on Broadway in April 2019 and Tony He won the award for best musical revival.Additionally, in 2023 the Oliviers honored Arthur Darvill with the award for Best Actor in a Musical for his performance in Curly in London.
Also on the Broadway front, Suzie Miller’s new play “First Face”, which opened in London in June 2022 and will arrive at the Rialto on April 11, won the Olivier for Best New Play. (Among the plays nominated for the hit “First Face” was the West Broadway transfer of the hit “To Kill a Mockingbird.”) “First Face” star Jodie Comer, who decided to criticize her lead role in Stem, won the Olivier for Best Actress.
Presented by the London Theater Company, the Oliviers celebrate the best of professional theatre, dance and opera in London, including the West End. Emmy-winning actress Anna Waddingham, a three-time Olivier nominee and Broadway alum, hosted the ceremony.
See below the list of winners, from the categories mentioned above.
Best Musical Revival
Victor: “Oklahoma!”
“My beautiful lady”
“Sister Act”
“South Pacific”
Best New Play
Victor: “First Face”
“For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When Hue Gets Serious”
Theater Downstairs
Fatherland
““To Kill a Mockingbird”
the best actress
Winner: Jodie Comer, “First Face”
Patsy Ferran, “A Streetcar Named Lust”
My Mac, “My Neighbor Totoro”
Janet McTeer, “Phaedra”
Nicola Walker, “Green Grain”
Julian Lynne Award for Best Theater Choreographer
Victor: Matt Cole, “Newsies”
Lynne Page, “Standing on the Edge of Heaven”
Kate Prince “Sylvia”
Basil Twist for puppetry direction “My Neighbor Totoro”
Best Costume Design
Winner: Kimie Nakano, “My Neighbor Totoro”
Frankie Bradshaw, “Blue for an Alabama Sky”
Hugh Durrant, “Jack and the Beanstalk”;
Jean Paul Gaultier, “Jean Paul Gaultier Fashion Freak Show”
The best resuscitation
Victor: “A Streetcar Named Demand”
“Crucible”
“good”
“Jerusalem”;
Optimum Healthy Design
Winner: Tony Gayle, “Next Totoro”
Gaius Aitken, “Standing on the Edge of Heaven”
Levy, “Oklahoma!”
Ben and Max Ringham, “First Face”
Best Original Score or New Orchestrations
Winner: Richard Hawley and Tom Deering, “Standing on the Edge of Heaven”
David Yazbek, Jamshied Sharifi and Andrea Grody, “Visit Band”
Joe Hisaishi and Will Stuart, “My Neighbor Totoro”
Daniel Kluger and Nathan Koci, “Oklahoma!”
Best actor in a supporting role
Victor: the will of the “Patriots” student
Mark Akintimehin, Emmanuel Akwafo, Nnabiko Ejimofor, Darragh Hand, Aruna Jalloh and Kaine Lawrence, “For Black Children Who Considered Death When Hue Is Too Heavyand“
Elliott Levey, “Good”
David Maurit, “To Kill a Mockingbird”
Sule Rimi, “Blue for an Alabama Sky”
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Winner: Anjana Vasan, “A Streetcar Named Lust”
Rosa Ayling-Ellis, “As You Like It”
Pamela Nomvete, “To Kill a Mockingbird”
Caroline Quentin, “Jack Runs Away Again”
Sharon Little, “Good”
Best Set Design
Winner: Tom Pye, “My Neighbor Totoro”
Miriam Buether, “To Kill a Mockingbird”
Ben Rocks, “Standing on the Edge of Heaven”
Mark Walters, “Jack and the Beanstalk”;
Best Lighting Design
Winner: Jessica Han Yun hung, “My Neighbor Totoro”
Natasha Chivers, “First Face”
Lee Curran, “A Streetcar Named Demand”
Tim Lutkin, “The Cross”
Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical
Winner: Beverley Knight, “Sylvia”
Maimuna Memon, “Standing on the Edge of Heaven”
Liza Sadovy, “Oklahoma!”
Marisha Wallace, “Oklahoma!”
Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical
Winner: Zubin Varla, “Tammy Faye”
Sharif Afifi “Band’s Visit”
Peter Polycarpou, “Visitation Band”
Clive Rowe, “Sister Act”
Best Actor in a Musical
Winner: Arthur Darvill, “Oklahoma!”
Alon Moni Aboutboul, “Band’s Visit”
Julian Ovenden, “South Pacific”
Andrew Rannell, “Tammy Faye”
Best Actress in a Musical
Winner: Katie Brayben, “Tammy Faye”
Anoushka Lucas, “Oklahoma!”
Miri Mesika, “Visit Band”
Faith Omole, “Standing on the edge of heaven”
Outstanding Achievement in Affiliate Theatre
Winner: “The P Word” at the Bush Theatre
“Come and feel it” at the Soho Theatre
“Blackout Songs” at Hampstead Theatre
“Paradise Now!” at the Bush Theatre
“Two Palestinians Go Dogging” at the Royal Court Theatre
Sir Peter Hall Award for Best Director
Winner: Phelim McDermott, “Next Totoro”
Rebecca Frecknall, “A Streetcar Named Lust”
Robert Hastie, “Standing on the Edge of Heaven”
Justin Martin “First Face”
Bartlett Sher, “To Kill a Mockingbird”
The best actor
Winner: Paul Mescal, “A Streetcar Named Desire”
Tom Hollander, “Patriots”
Rafe Spall, “To Kill a Mockingbird”
David Tennant, “Good”
Aegidius Terera, “Bay for Heaven Alabama”
Best New Musical
Victor: “Standing on the edge of heaven”
“Band’s Visit”
“Sylvia”
“Tammy Faye”
Noël Coward Award for Best Entertainment or Comedy Play
Victor: “My neighbor Totoro”
“Jack and the Beanstalk”
“My Son’s a Queer (But What Can You Do?)
One Woman Show
Best Family Show
Victor: “Hey Duggee: The Live Theater Show”
“Blippi the Musical”
“Mechanical Solstice”
“The Most Cultivated Giant in Town”
Best Opera Production
Winner: “Alcina” by Royal Opera
““Not at all like that other one,” from the Irish National Opera and Royal Opera House
“Peter Grimes” by Royal Opera
“Sibyl”
Things done in Opera
Winner: William Kentridge for conception and direction of “The Sibylles.”
Sinead Campbell-Wallace for her performance in “Tosca” from English National Opera
Anthony McDonald for the design of “Alcina”
Best New Dance Production
Winner: “Traplord” by Ivan Michael Blackstock
“Light n” by Crystal Pite
Passionaria from La Veronal
“Triptych (The Absent Door, The Lost Room and The Hidden Floor)” by Peeping Tom
Outstanding Achievement in Dance
Winner: Dickson Mbi for choreography “Enowate”
Manuel Liñán for the choreography of “¡Viva!”
Raquel Meseguer Zafe to that story “Rination” by Lost Dog
Catrina Nisbett for her performance in “Family Honor” by Place of Motion
Special Award
Mrs. Arlene Phillips
Lifetime Achievement Award
Lord Theodoric James
