The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply The Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the

Society of London Theatre The Society of London Theatre (SOLT) is a British trade association for West End theatre in London. It was founded in 1908 as Society of West End Theatre Managers, becoming the Society of West End Theatre in 1975, and then changing to its curren ...

to recognize excellence in professional theatre in London. The awards were originally known as the Society of West End Theatre Awards, but they were renamed in honour of the English actor of the same name in

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...

. The awards are given annually to individuals involved in West End productions and other leading non-commercial theatres based in London across a range of categories covering plays, musicals, dance, opera and affiliate theatre. A discretionary non-competitive Special Olivier Award is also given each year. The Olivier Awards are recognised internationally as the highest honour in British theatre, equivalent to the

BAFTA Awards The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTAs or BAFTA Awards, is an annual film award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to honour the best Cinema of the United Kingdom, British and Worl ...

for

film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

and

television Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...

, and the BRIT Awards for

music Music is the arrangement of sound to create some combination of Musical form, form, harmony, melody, rhythm, or otherwise Musical expression, expressive content. Music is generally agreed to be a cultural universal that is present in all hum ...

. The Olivier Awards are considered equivalent to Broadway's

Tony Awards The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cere ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

's Molière Award,

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

's Premios Max and

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

Helpmann Awards The Helpmann Awards are accolades for live entertainment and performing arts in Australia, presented by industry group Live Performance Australia (LPA) since 2001. The annual awards recognise achievements in the disciplines of musical theatre ...

. Since inception, the awards have been held at various venues and theatres across London, from 2012 to 2016 at the

Royal Opera House The Royal Opera House (ROH) is a theatre in Covent Garden, central London. The building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. The ROH is the main home of The Royal Opera, The Royal Ballet, and the Orch ...

, before moving to the

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London, England. It has a seating capacity of 5,272. Since the hall's opening by Queen Victoria in 1871, the world's leading artists from many performance genres ...

in 2017. Television coverage is broadcast in

prime time Prime time, or peak time, is the block of broadcast programming taking place during the middle of the evening for television shows. It is mostly targeted towards adults (and sometimes families). It is used by the major television networks to ...

ITV1 ITV1 (formerly known as ITV) is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the British media company ITV plc. It provides the ITV (TV network), Channel 3 ...

, who acquired the rights from 2013 onwards, with radio coverage by Magic Radio.

History

The awards were established in 1976 by the Society of London Theatre as the Society of West End Theatre Awards and were designed by artist Tom Merrifield. The first ceremony was in December 1976 at the Café Royal. In 1984, British actor

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier ( ; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director. He and his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud made up a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage of the m ...

gave his consent for the awards to be renamed in his honour and they became known as the Laurence Olivier Awards.

Judging

Every year, judging panels for theatre, opera, dance and affiliate shows are put together by the Society of London Theatre. For opera, dance and affiliates, each panel is made up of a mix of professional panellists (journalists, casting directors, arts administrators, publishers and other industry professionals chosen for their knowledge in the field) and members of the public who are passionate about London theatre. The panels first select the shows they consider most worthy of an Olivier Award nomination, then vote on a winner at the end of the judging period. For the theatre awards, a longlist is compiled by a panel made up of members of the public, and submitted to SOLT members to vote on. Members may still vote outside of the list at this stage, except for in the four Supporting Actor/Actress categories (as these each contain thousands of eligible performers). The members' votes are collated with those of the panellists to create the list of nominees. The nominees list is then voted on by both members and panellists to produce the winners.

Ceremony

Hosts

Past hosts of the Olivier Awards ceremony include Michael Ball,

Imelda Staunton Dame Imelda Mary Philomena Bernadette Staunton (born 9 January 1956) is an English actress and singer. After training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Staunton began her career in repertory theatre in 1976 and appeared in various theatre pr ...

Clive Anderson Clive Stuart Anderson (born 10 December 1952) is an English television and radio presenter, comedian, writer and former barrister. Winner of a British Comedy Award in 1991, Anderson began experimenting with comedy and writing comedic scripts dur ...

Gemma Arterton Gemma Christina Arterton (born 2 February 1986) is a British actress. After her stage debut in Shakespeare's ''Love's Labour's Lost'' at the Globe Theatre (2007), Arterton made her feature-film debut in the comedy '' St Trinian's'' (2007). She p ...

Stephen Mangan Stephen James Mangan (born 16 May 1968) is a British actor, comedian, presenter and writer. He has played Guy Secretan in '' Green Wing'', Dan Moody in '' I'm Alan Partridge'', Seán Lincoln in ''Episodes'', Bigwig in ''Watership Down'', Postma ...

Hugh Bonneville Hugh Richard Bonniwell Williams (born 10 November 1963), known professionally as Hugh Bonneville, is an English actor. He is best known for portraying Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham, in the ITV historical drama series ''Downton Abbey'' from ...

, Sheridan Smith,

Lenny Henry Sir Lenworth George Henry (born 29 August 1958) is a British Jamaicans, British-Jamaican comedian, actor and writer. He gained success as a Stand-up comedy, stand-up comedian and impressionist in the late 1970s and early 1980s, culminating in ' ...

, Catherine Tate, Jason Manford and Hannah Waddingham.

Venues

The venue most associated with the Awards is

Grosvenor House Hotel ] JW Marriott Grosvenor House London, formerly the Grosvenor House Hotel, is a luxury hotel that opened in 1929 in the Mayfair area of London, England. Across from Hyde Park, London, Hyde Park, the hotel is built on the former site of the 19th ...

, which has housed the after-show reception nine times and hosted the whole event on four further occasions. As well as at the Grosvenor, the presentations have been held at the Noël Coward Theatre, Albery Theatre (now Noël Coward), Café Royal, Dominion Theatre,

London Palladium The London Palladium () is a Grade II* West End theatre located on Argyll Street, London, in Soho. The theatre was designed by Frank Matcham and opened in 1910. The auditorium holds 2,286 people. Hundreds of stars have played there, many wit ...

, Lyceum Theatre, Park Lane Hilton, Piccadilly Theatre, Royal National Theatre Olivier,

Royalty Theatre The Royalty Theatre was a small London theatre situated at 73 Dean Street, Soho. Established by the actress Frances Maria Kelly in 1840, it opened as Miss Kelly's Theatre and Dramatic School and finally closed to the public in 1938.

(now Peacock), Shaftesbury Theatre, Theatre Royal Drury Lane and Victoria Palace Theatre.Jones, Kenneth
"''Love Never Dies'', ''Legally Blonde'', ''Rylance'', Jacobi, Boggess, Bennett, ''End of the Rainbow'' Are Olivier Nominees"
''

Playbill ''Playbill'' is an American monthly magazine for Audience, theatergoers. Although there is a subscription issue available for home delivery, most copies of ''Playbill'' are printed for particular productions and distributed at the door as the ...

'', 7 February 2011 The awards ceremony was held at the

from 2012 to 2016, moving to the

in 2017.

Broadcast

The first Laurence Olivier Awards to be broadcast on television was the 1981 ceremony, which was broadcast on

BBC1 BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and Flagship (broadcasting), flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includ ...

. This continued until 1992, before a switch to

BBC2 BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's second flagship channel, and it covers a wide range of subject matter, incorporating genres such as comedy, drama and ...

until 2003. The awards ceremony was then only broadcast on radio until 2011, when the BBC broadcast live interactive red-button coverage of the event, while Paul Gambaccini presented a programme on

BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the List of most-listened-to radio programs, most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 14 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the sta ...

with live coverage and interviews. The same coverage followed in 2012 before ITV secured the broadcast rights, which saw the return of the Olivier Awards to mainstream television in 2013. This has continued in recent years, and the ceremony has also been broadcast on Magic Radio.

Award categories

Drama

* Best New Play * Best Revival * Best Entertainment or Comedy Play * 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 Musical Contribution

Production

* Best Director * Best Theatre 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

* Special Award * Best Family Show * Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre

Retired

* 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 * Audience Award * Best Original Score or New Orchestrations

Award milestones

Some notable records and facts about the Laurence Olivier Awards include the following:

Productions

* The most Olivier Awards ever received in the history of the ceremony were given to the play '' Harry Potter and the Cursed Child'' in 2017, when it won nine awards including Best New Play. *The record for the most Olivier Awards ever received by a musical is tied between ''

Sunset Boulevard Sunset Boulevard is a boulevard in the central and western part of Los Angeles, California, United States, that stretches from the Pacific Coast Highway (California), Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, Pacific Palisad ...

'' (2024), ''

Cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, casino, hotel, restaurant, or nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or drinking, ...

'' (2022), ''

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: * Alexander Hamilton (1755/1757–1804), first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States * ''Hamilton'' (musical), a 2015 Broadway musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda ** ''Hamilton'' (al ...

'' (2018) and '' Matilda'' (2012) each of which received seven awards including Best Musical (for ''Matilda'' and ''Hamilton'') or Best Musical Revival (for ''Cabaret'' and ''Sunset Boulevard'') * '' The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time'' (2013) received seven Olivier Awards. '' Nicholas Nickleby'' (1980) and ''

My Neighbour Totoro is a 1988 Anime, Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and animated by Studio Ghibli for Tokuma Shoten. It stars the voices of Noriko Hidaka, Chika Sakamoto and Hitoshi Takagi, and focuses on two young sister ...

'' (2023) received six. '' Life of Pi'' (2022), '' Chimerica'' (2014), ''

Sunday in the Park with George ''Sunday in the Park with George'' is a 1984 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. It was inspired by the French pointillist painter Georges Seurat's painting '' A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La G ...

'' (2007), '' She Loves Me'' (1995) and ''

Guys and Dolls ''Guys and Dolls'' is a musical theater, musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It is based on "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" (1933) and "Blood Pressure", which are two short stories by Damon Run ...

'' (1982) received five. ''

Gypsy {{Infobox ethnic group , group = Romani people , image = , image_caption = , flag = Roma flag.svg , flag_caption = Romani flag created in 1933 and accepted at the 1971 World Romani Congress , po ...

'' (2016), '' The Book of Mormon'' (2014), '' After the Dance'' (2011), '' Spring Awakening'' (2010), ''

Black Watch The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland (3 SCOTS) is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The regiment was created as part of the Childers Reforms in 1881, when the 42nd (Royal Highland) Regiment ...

'' (2009), '' Hairspray'' (2008), '' Jerry Springer: The Opera'' (2004), '' All My Sons'' (2001), ''

Billy Elliot ''Billy Elliot'' is a 2000 British coming-of-age Comedy film, comedy-drama film directed by Stephen Daldry and written by Lee Hall (playwright), Lee Hall. Set in County Durham in North East England during the 1984–1985 miners' strike, the fi ...

'' (2006), '' Hedda Gabler'' (2006), ''

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

'' (1999), '' Stanley'' (1997), '' Machinal'' (1994), ''

Sweeney Todd Sweeney Todd is a fictional character who first appeared as the villain of the penny dreadful serial '' The String of Pearls'' (1846–1847). The original tale became a feature of 19th-century melodrama and London legend. A barber from Fleet St ...

'' (1994), '' An Inspector Calls'' (1993) and ''

Carousel A carousel or carrousel (mainly North American English), merry-go-round (International English), or galloper (British English) is a type of amusement ride consisting of a rotating circular platform with seats for riders. The seats are tradit ...

'' (1993) received four. * The most nominations ever received by a production is 13 with ''

'' (2018) and ''

Fiddler on the Roof ''Fiddler on the Roof'' is a musical theatre, musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and musical theatre#Book musicals, book by Joseph Stein, set in the Pale of Settlement of Russian Empire, Imperial Russia in or around 19 ...

'' (2025). ''

'' (2024), ''

'' (2022), '' Harry Potter and the Cursed Child'' (2017) and '' Hairspray'' (2008) received 11. '' Follies'' (2018) had 10. '' Dear England'' (2024), ''

'' (2024), ''

'' (2023), '' Life of Pi'' (2022), '' & Juliet'' (2020), '' Come from Away'' (2019), ''

Company A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether Natural person, natural, Juridical person, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members ...

'' (2019), '' Memphis'' (2015), '' Matilda'' (2012), ''

'' (2006), ''

Mary Poppins Mary Poppins may refer to: * Mary Poppins (character), a nanny with magical powers * Mary Poppins (franchise), based on the fictional nanny ** Mary Poppins (book series), ''Mary Poppins'' (book series), the original 1934–1988 children's fanta ...

'' (2005), '' Kiss Me, Kate'' (2002), ''

'' (1999) and ''

'' (1993) received nine. '' The Inheritance'' (2019), '' The Ferryman'' (2018), ''

Groundhog Day Groundhog Day (, , , ; Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia: Daks Day) is a tradition observed regionally in the United States and Canada on February 2 of every year. It derives from the Pennsylvania Dutch superstition that if ...

'' (2017), ''

'' (2016), '' Beautiful: The Carole King Musical'' (2015), '' The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time'' (2013), '' The Producers'' (2005), ''

'' (2006), ''

Jerry Springer Gerald Norman Springer (February 13, 1944 – April 27, 2023) was a British-American broadcaster, journalist, actor, lawyer, and politician. He was best known for hosting the controversial tabloid talk show '' Jerry Springer'' from 1991 to 2 ...

'' (2004), '' Pacific Overtures'' (2004), ''

Ragtime Ragtime, also spelled rag-time or rag time, is a musical style that had its peak from the 1890s to 1910s. Its cardinal trait is its Syncopation, syncopated or "ragged" rhythm. Ragtime was popularized during the early 20th century by composers ...

'' (2004), ''

My Fair Lady ''My Fair Lady'' is a musical theatre, musical with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. The story, based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play ''Pygmalion (play), Pygmalion'' and on the Pygmalion (1938 film), 1938 film ...

'' (2002), '' Spend, Spend, Spend'' (2000), ''

The Lion King ''The Lion King'' is a 1994 American animated musical coming-of-age drama film directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff, produced by Don Hahn, and written by Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts, and Linda Woolverton. Produced by Walt Disney ...

'' (2000), '' Tommy'' (1997), '' She Loves Me'' (1995) and ''

'' (2020) received eight. *'' Kiss Me, Kate'' (2002) holds the record for most nominations without any wins at nine.

Individuals

* Sonia Friedman is the producer with the most Olivier wins with 18. She is also the only producer to have won Best Play, Best Musical, Best Play Revival, and Best Musical Revival. Judi_Dench_2015

* William Dudley (designer),

Judi Dench Dame Judith Olivia Dench (born 9 December 1934) is an English actress. Widely considered one of Britain's greatest actors, she is noted for her versatility, having appeared in films and television, as well as for her numerous roles on the stage ...

(actress) and Matthew Bourne (choreographer) are tied for the record for the most competitive wins by an individual with seven each. Dench also won a Special Olivier Award in 2004. *

Andrew Lloyd Webber Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber (born 22 March 1948) is an English composer and impresario of musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End theatre, West End and on Broadway theatre, Broad ...

(composer/producer) has won six plus the Special Olivier Award in 2008. *

Ian McKellen Sir Ian Murray McKellen (born 25 May 1939) is an English actor. He has played roles on the screen and stage in genres ranging from Shakespearean dramas and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction. He is regarded as a British cu ...

Alan Bennett Alan Bennett (born 9 May 1934) is an English actor, author, playwright and screenwriter. He has received numerous awards and honours including four BAFTA Awards, four Laurence Olivier Awards, and two Tony Awards. In 2005 he received the Socie ...

, Richard Eyre and

Stephen Sondheim Stephen Joshua Sondheim (; March22, 1930November26, 2021) was an American composer and lyricist. Regarded as one of the most important figures in 20th-century musical theater, he is credited with reinventing the American musical. He received Lis ...

have all won five competitive awards plus the Special Olivier Award. * Six wins: Paule Constable and

. * Five wins: Declan Donnellan, Mark Henderson, Mark Thompson. * Four wins: Michael Bryant,

Michael Frayn Michael Frayn, FRSL (; born 8 September 1933) is an English playwright and novelist. He is best known as the author of the farce ''Noises Off'' and the dramas ''Copenhagen (play), Copenhagen'' and ''Democracy (play), Democracy''. Frayn's novel ...

, Tim Goodchild, Clare Higgins, Alex Jennings,

Sam Mendes Sir Samuel Alexander Mendes (born 1 August 1965) is a British film and stage director, producer, and screenwriter. In 2000, Mendes was appointed a CBE for his services to drama, and he was Knight Bachelor, knighted in the 2020 New Year Honours ...

, Trevor Nunn, Philip Quast, Willy Russell, Simon Russell Beale, Frances de la Tour, Paule Constable, Bunny Christie. * Paule Constable has a record seventeen Olivier nominations, winning an Olivier six times. *

Michael Gambon Sir Michael John Gambon (; 19 October 1940 – 27 September 2023) was an Irish-English actor. Gambon started his acting career with Laurence Olivier as one of the original members of the Royal National Theatre. Over his six-decade-long career ...

has thirteen Olivier nominations, winning an Olivier three times. * Performers who have won Olivier Awards in both the play and musical categories are: Simon Russell Beale,

Jonathan Pryce Sir Jonathan Pryce (born John Price; 1 June 1947) is a Welsh actor. He is known for his performances on stage and in film and television. He has received numerous awards, including two Tony Awards and two Laurence Olivier Awards as well as nom ...

, Henry Goodman,

, Sheridan Smith, Janie Dee, Sharon D. Clarke, Sheila Atim and

Eddie Redmayne Edward John David Redmayne OBE (; born 6 January 1982) is an English actor. His accolades include an Academy Award, a Tony Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe Award, and two Olivier Awards. Redmayne began his professional ac ...

. ** Of those 10, Judi Dench is the only performer to win both the play and musical Olivier acting awards in the same year (1996) – for her performances in ''Absolute Hell'' and '' A Little Night Music''. *In 1991 Karla Burns became the first black performer to win the award, for the role of Queenie in the

Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and opens around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, Stratf ...

's production of ''

Show Boat ''Show Boat'' is a musical theatre, musical with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It is based on Edna Ferber's best-selling 1926 Show Boat (novel), novel of the same name. The musical follows the lives of the per ...

''. *

Maggie Smith Dame Margaret Natalie Smith (28 December 1934 – 27 September 2024) was a British actress. Known for her wit in both comedic and dramatic roles, she had List of Maggie Smith performances, an extensive career on stage and screen for over seve ...

has never won the award despite being nominated a total of six times. She did receive the Special Olivier Award in 2010. *

Sinéad Cusack Sinéad Moira Cusack ( ; born 18 February 1948) is an Irish actress. Her first acting roles were at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, before moving to London in 1969 to join the Royal Shakespeare Company. She has won the Critics' Circle and ''Eve ...

has never won the award despite being nominated a total of five times. * Philip Quast has won the Olivier for Best Actor in a Musical on three occasions, while

Michael Crawford Michael Patrick Smith (born 19 January 1942), known professionally as Michael Crawford, is an English actor, comedian and singer. Crawford is best known for playing the hapless Frank Spencer in the sitcom '' Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em'', Cornel ...

, Robert Lindsay, Daniel Evans, Michael Ball and John Dagleish have all won the award twice. *

has won the Olivier for Best Actress in a Musical four times. Julia McKenzie, Joanna Riding, Maria Friedman, Samantha Spiro and Katie Brayben have all won twice. Imelda Staunton also holds the record for the most Olivier nominations in the Best Actress in a Musical category, with eight nominations. Maria Friedman is next, with six nominations. * In 1985, Patti LuPone tied with herself for an Olivier for her performances as

Fantine Fantine (French pronunciation: ) is a fictional character in Victor Hugo's 1862 novel ''Les Misérables''. She is a young ''Grisette (person), grisette'' in Paris who is impregnated by a rich student. After he abandons her, she is forced to look ...

in the original London cast of '' Les Miserables'', and as Moll in ''

The Cradle Will Rock ''The Cradle Will Rock'' is a 1937 Musical theater, play in music by Marc Blitzstein. Originally a part of the Federal Theatre Project, it was directed by Orson Welles and produced by John Houseman. Set in Steeltown, U.S.A., the Bertold Brecht, ...

''. * Jenny Galloway and Tracie Bennett have both won the Olivier for Best Supporting Performance in a Musical twice. * Shows that have won Olivier Awards for both Best Actor and Best Actress in a Musical:

Barbara Dickson Barbara Ruth Dickson (born 27 September 1947) is a Scottish singer and actress whose hits include " I Know Him So Well" (a chart-topping duet with Elaine Paige), " Answer Me" and " January February". Dickson has placed fifteen albums on the UK ...

and Con O'Neill in '' Blood Brothers'' (1988),

and Lea Salonga in ''

Miss Saigon ''Miss Saigon'' is a sung-through musical theatre, stage musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, with lyrics by Boublil and Richard Maltby Jr. It is based on Giacomo Puccini's 1904 opera ''Madama Butterfly'', and similarly tells th ...

'' (1990), Alun Armstrong and Julia McKenzie in ''

'' (1993), Daniel Evans and Samantha Spiro in '' Merrily We Roll Along'' (2001), Alex Jennings and Joanna Riding in ''

'' (2003), Daniel Evans and Jenna Russell in ''

'' (2007), Michael Ball and Leanne Jones in '' Hairspray'' (2008),

Bertie Carvel Robert Hugh Carvel (born 6 September 1977) is a British film and theatre actor. He has twice won a Laurence Olivier Award: for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical for his role as Miss Trunchbull in '' Matilda the Musical'', and for Best ...

and all four Matildas in '' Matilda'' (2012) Michael Ball and

in ''

'' (2013),

and Jessie Buckley in ''Cabaret'' (2022) and Tom Francis and

Nicole Scherzinger Nicole Prascovia Elikolani Scherzinger ( ; ; born June 29, 1978) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, and television personality. She was a member of the girl group and dance ensemble the Pussycat Dolls between 2003 and 2010. With ...

in ''

'' (2024) * In 1984, Tim Flavin was the first American actor to win the Olivier Award for his performance in '' On Your Toes'' at the Palace Theatre. He was nominated twice in the same year for Most Promising Newcomer and Best Actor in a Musical and the award was presented by Dame

Anna Neagle Dame Florence Marjorie Wilcox (''née'' Robertson; 20 October 1904 – 3 June 1986), known professionally as Anna Neagle, was an English stage and film actress, singer, and dancer. She was a successful box-office draw in British cinema for 2 ...

. In 1985, Patti LuPone was the first American actress to win an Olivier award for her work in ''

'' and '' Les Miserables''.

Jessica Lange Jessica Phyllis Lange (; born April 20, 1949) is an American actress. With a career spanning over five decades, she is known for her roles Jessica Lange on screen and stage, on stage and screen. She has received List of awards and nominati ...

was the first American actress nominated for the Olivier Award for Best Actress for her performance in '' Long Day's Journey into Night'' * '' Hairspray'' won all three musical acting awards in 2008: Best Actor and Actress in a Musical for Michael Ball and Leanne Jones and Best Supporting Performance in a Musical for Tracie Bennett. ''Cabaret'' won all four musical acting awards in 2022: Best Actor and Actress ina Musical for

and Jessie Buckley and Best Actor and Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical for Elliot Levey and

Liza Sadovy Liza Sadovy is a British actress. She is best known for ''Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007 film), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street'' (2007), ''Prime Suspect 3'' (1993) and ''Company'' (1996). Other television work ...

. * Roles that have won awards for actors on more than one occasion include: Miss Adelaide in ''

'' (1982 and 2006), George in ''

'' (1991 and 2007), The Baker's Wife in ''

Into the Woods ''Into the Woods'' is a 1986 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. The musical intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm fairy tales, exploring the consequences of the characters' wishes and quests. T ...

'' (1991 and 1999), Nicely Nicely Johnson in ''

'' (1982 and 1997), Sweeney Todd in ''

'' (1980, 1994 and 2013), Mrs. Lovett in ''

'' (1994 and 2013), Frau Schneider in ''

'' (1994 and 2007) and Eliza Doolittle in ''

'' (2002 and 2003). * Michael Ball,

and Jak Malone all won Oliviers for playing roles of the opposite sex, in 2008 for '' Hairspray, 2012 for '' Matilda'', and 2024 for Operation Mincemeat (musical) respectively. * Shared wins: In 2022, all seven actors sharing the role of the Tiger in '' Life of Pi'' received the Olivier for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. In 2012, all four actresses sharing the role of Matilda in ''

Matilda the Musical ''Roald Dahl's Matilda'', also known simply as ''Matilda'' and ''Matilda the Musical'', is a musical with music and lyrics by Tim Minchin and a book by Dennis Kelly. It is based on the 1988 novel '' Matilda'' by Roald Dahl. The musical's narr ...

'' received the Olivier for Best Actress in a Musical. In 2006, all three actors sharing the role of Billy Elliot in ''

Billy Elliot the Musical ''Billy Elliot: The Musical'' is a Coming-of-age story, coming-of-age stage musical based on the Billy Elliot, 2000 film of the same name. The music is by Elton John, and the book and lyrics are by Lee Hall (playwright), Lee Hall, who wrote th ...

'' received the Olivier for Best Actor in a Musical. * Shared nominations: In 2017, the eight members of the cast (six leads and two understudies) of '' Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour'' were jointly nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. Also in 2017, the six cast members from '' The Girls'' were jointly nominated in the Best Actress in a Musical category. In 2019, the six cast members of '' Six'' were jointly nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical for their performances as the six wives of Henry VIII. * On April 15, 2012, at age 10 years 299 days,

Eleanor Worthington Cox Eleanor Winifred Worthington Cox (born 21 June 2001) is an English actress from Merseyside best known for portraying Matilda Wormwood in ''Matilda the Musical''. Eleanor won a 2012 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role in ...

became the youngest winner of an award, when she received the Olivier for Best Actress in a Musical for ''

''. * In 2018,

Billie Piper Billie Paul Piper (born Leian Paul Piper; 22 September 1982) is an English actress and former singer who is best known for her portrayal as Rose Tyler in ''Doctor Who'' (2005–2006, 2008, 2010). She initially gained recognition as a singer a ...

became the first, and so far only, actor to have won all six of the currently available UK Theatre Best Actress awards for a single performance: Evening Standard Theatre Awards, What's On Stage Theatre Awards, Critic's Circle Theatre Awards, Broadway UK Theatre Awards, Glamour Awards and Laurence Olivier Theatre Awards. This accolade was achieved by her performance in '' Yerma'', which was hailed as "the performance of the decade", "shattering, exhausting, earthquaking" and "unbearably harrowing".

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* * {{Laurence Olivier 1976 establishments in the United Kingdom Awards established in 1976 Laurence Olivier Stagecraft

History

Judging

Ceremony

Hosts

Venues

Broadcast

Award categories

Drama

Musical

Production

Dance/Opera

Other

Retired

Award milestones

Productions

Individuals

See also

References

External links