Yesterday, Denise Gough and Matt Henry proudly announced the 2017 Olivier Award nominees LIVE from London. In yet another successful season for the West End, many are looking forward to celebrating the highest honors for UK theatre which celebrate beyond just musicals and plays with dance, opera and more also receiving nominations and awards. The awards will be celebrated April 9th, 2017 at Royal Albert Hall in London.

The Olivier Awards are the highest honor for theatre in the United Kingdom. In 2016, the awards celebrated their 40th anniversary after beginning in 1976. The awards, renamed for Lord Olivier in 1984, are presented through The Society Of London Theatre and cover most staged productions in London’s West End that are eligible for awards. They offer a wider range of awards compared to The Tony Awards with several awards also named after corporate sponsors.

The 2017 Olivier Award nominees are:

Best Actor In A Supporting Role In A Musical

• Ian Bartholomew for Half A Sixpence at Noël Coward Theatre
• Adam J Bernard for Dreamgirls at Savoy Theatre
• Ben Hunter for The Girls at Phoenix Theatre
• Andrew Langtree for Groundhog Day at The Old Vic

Best Actress In A Supporting Role In A Musical

• Haydn Gwynne for The Threepenny Opera at National Theatre – Olivier
• Victoria Hamilton-Barritt for Murder Ballad at Arts Theatre
• Rebecca Trehearn for Show Boat at New London Theatre
• Emma Williams for Half A Sixpence at Noël Coward Theatre

Outstanding Achievement In Music

• Dreamgirls – Music by Henry Krieger at Savoy Theatre
• Harry Potter And The Cursed Child – Composer and Arranger: Imogen Heap at Palace Theatre
• Jesus Christ Superstar – The band and company creating the gig-like rock vibe of the original concept album of Jesus Christ Superstar at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
• School Of Rock The Musical – Three children’s bands who play instruments live every night at New London Theatre

Best New Dance Production

• Betroffenheit by Crystal Pite and Jonathon Young at Sadler’s Wells
• Blak Whyte Gray by Boy Blue Entertainment at Barbican Theatre
• Giselle by Akram Khan and English National Ballet at Sadler’s Wells
• My Mother, My Dog And CLOWNS! by Michael Clark at Barbican Theatre

Outstanding Achievement In Dance

• Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater for their London season at Sadler’s Wells
• Luke Ahmet for The Creation by Rambert at Sadler’s Wells
• English National Ballet for expanding the variety of their repertoire with Giselle and She Said at Sadler’s Wells

Best Entertainment And Family

• Cinderella at London Palladium
• David Baddiel – My Family: Not The Sitcom at Vaudeville Theatre
• Peter Pan at National Theatre – Olivier
• The Red Shoes at Sadler’s Wells

Best Theatre Choreographer

• Matthew Bourne for The Red Shoes at Sadler’s Wells
• Peter Darling and Ellen Kane for Groundhog Day at The Old Vic
• Steven Hoggett for Harry Potter And The Cursed Child at Palace Theatre
• Drew McOnie for Jesus Christ Superstar at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Best Musical Revival

• Funny Girl at Savoy Theatre
• Jesus Christ Superstar at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
• Show Boat at New London Theatre
• Sunset Boulevard at London Coliseum

Best Actor In A Musical

• David Fynn for School Of Rock The Musical at New London Theatre
• Tyrone Huntley for Jesus Christ Superstar at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
• Andy Karl for Groundhog Day at The Old Vic
• Charlie Stemp for Half A Sixpence at Noël Coward Theatre

Best Actress In A Musical

• Glenn Close for Sunset Boulevard at London Coliseum
• “The Girls” – Debbie Chazen, Sophie-Louise Dann, Michele Dotrice, Claire Machin, Claire Moore, and Joanna Riding – for The Girls at Phoenix Theatre
• Amber Riley for Dreamgirls at Savoy Theatre
• Sheridan Smith for Funny Girl at Savoy Theatre

Best Revival

• The Glass Menagerie at Duke of York’s Theatre
• This House at Garrick Theatre
• Travesties at Apollo Theatre
• Yerma at Young Vic

Best New Comedy

• The Comedy About A Bank Robbery at Criterion Theatre
• Nice Fish at Harold Pinter Theatre
• Our Ladies Of Perpetual Succour at National Theatre – Dorfman
• The Truth at Wyndham’s Theatre

Outstanding Achievement In An Affiliate Theatre

• Cuttin’ It at The Maria, Young Vic
• The Government Inspector at Theatre Royal Stratford East
• The Invisible Hand at Tricycle Theatre
• It Is Easy To Be Dead at Trafalgar Studios 2
• Rotterdam at Trafalgar Studios 2

White Light Award For Best Lighting Design

• Neil Austin for Harry Potter And The Cursed Child at Palace Theatre
• Lee Curran for Jesus Christ Superstar at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
• Natasha Katz for The Glass Menagerie at Duke of York’s Theatre
• Hugh Vanstone for Groundhog Day at The Old Vic

Best Sound Design

• Paul Arditti for Amadeus at National Theatre – Olivier
• Adam Cork for Travesties at Apollo Theatre
• Gareth Fry for Harry Potter And The Cursed Child at Palace Theatre
• Nick Lidster for Autograph for Jesus Christ Superstar at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Best Costume Design

• Gregg Barnes for Dreamgirls at Savoy Theatre
• Hugh Durrant for Cinderella at London Palladium
• Rob Howell for Groundhog Day at The Old Vic
• Katrina Lindsay for Harry Potter And The Cursed Child at Palace Theatre

Blue-i Theatre Technology Award For Best Set Design

• Bob Crowley for Disney’s Aladdin at Prince Edward Theatre
• Bob Crowley for The Glass Menagerie at Duke of York’s Theatre
• Rob Howell for Groundhog Day at The Old Vic
• Christine Jones for Harry Potter And The Cursed Child at Palace Theatre

Best Actor In A Supporting Role

• Anthony Boyle for Harry Potter And The Cursed Child at Palace Theatre
• Freddie Fox for Travesties at Apollo Theatre
• Brian J. Smith for The Glass Menagerie at Duke of York’s Theatre
• Rafe Spall for Hedda Gabler at National Theatre – Lyttelton

Best Actress In A Supporting Role

• Melissa Allan, Caroline Deyga, Kirsty Findlay, Karen Fishwick, Kirsty MacLaren, Frances Mayli McCann, Joanne McGuinness, and Dawn Sievewright for Our Ladies Of Perpetual Succour at National Theatre – Dorfman
• Noma Dumezweni for Harry Potter And The Cursed Child at Palace Theatre
• Clare Foster for Travesties at Apollo Theatre
• Kate O’Flynn for The Glass Menagerie at Duke of York’s Theatre

Best New Opera Production

• 4.48 Psychosis at Lyric Hammersmith
• Akhnaten at London Coliseum
• Così Fan Tutte at Royal Opera House
• Lulu at London Coliseum

Outstanding Achievement in Opera

• Renée Fleming for her performance in Der Rosenkavalier at Royal Opera House
• Stuart Skelton for his performance in Tristan And Isolde at London Coliseum
• Mark Wigglesworth for his conducting of Don Giovanni and Lulu at London Coliseum

Best Actor

• Ed Harris for Buried Child at Trafalgar Studios 1
• Tom Hollander for Travesties at Apollo Theatre
• Ian McKellen for No Man’s Land at Wyndham’s Theatre
• Jamie Parker for Harry Potter And The Cursed Child at Palace Theatre

Best Actress

• Glenda Jackson for King Lear at The Old Vic
• Cherry Jones for The Glass Menagerie at Duke of York’s Theatre
• Billie Piper for Yerma at Young Vic
• Ruth Wilson for Hedda Gabler at National Theatre – Lyttelton

Best Director

• Simon Stone for Yerma at Young Vic
• John Tiffany for Harry Potter And The Cursed Child at Palace Theatre
• John Tiffany for The Glass Menagerie at Duke of York’s Theatre
• Matthew Warchus for Groundhog Day at The Old Vic

Best New Play

• Elegy at Donmar Warehouse
• The Flick at National Theatre – Dorfman
• Harry Potter And The Cursed Child at Palace Theatre
• One Night In Miami… at Donmar Warehouse

Best New Musical

• Dreamgirls at Savoy Theatre
• The Girls at Phoenix Theatre
• Groundhog Day at The Old Vic
• School Of Rock The Musical at New London Theatre

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LUNER LOWDOWN: Congratulations to all of the 2017 Olivier Award nominees! This is always an exciting time of year for the London theatre community to celebrate its achievements of the past season. Leading this year’s pack is mega-hit Harry Potter And The Cursed Child as well as the new musical, Groundhog Day. Both productions are Broadway bound with Groundhog Day beginning previews on Broadway this spring at the August Wilson Theatre with Harry Potter And The Cursed Child not far behind it, scheduled for a 2018 spring Broadway bow at The Lyric. Harry Potter set a new record for a West End play with it’s 11 nominations. It is also worth noting that Andrew Lloyd Webber saw three of his productions nominated; Jesus Christ Superstar, Sunset Boulevard and School of Rock, in various categories. Sunset Boulevard has since transferred to Broadway, currently running at The Palace, with School of Rock hoping across the pond following it’s successful Broadway premiere last season.

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Many thanks to the Olivier Award’s Facebook Page for providing the featured photo at the top of the article.

London’s Olivier Awards take the stage of Royal Albert Hall April 9th, 2017! Luner on Theatre hopes to discuss more of London’s nominees for the 2017 season leading up to that exciting night! Stay tuned!

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