UPDATED WITH A FEW WINNERS.
The
Olivier Awards will be presented on Sunday, April 14, 2024. Here are categories in which I have choices. I have omitted categories in which I have not seen any productions. I don't think many of my choices will win, even though I think "How can James Norton not win for Best Actor in Play?" But there are favorites, and momentum is with someone else.
Full list of nominations for Olivier Awards 2024
My choices are in bold. These are not predictions, just my choices. (Btw, I loved the hugely popular production of
Guys and Dolls. It just lacked that extra bit of NY/Broadway pizzazz that I expected.)
Noël Coward Award for Best New Entertainment or Comedy Play
Accidental Death Of An Anarchist by Dario Fo & Franca Rame, adapted by Tom Basden at the Lyric Hammersmith & Theatre Royal Haymarket
Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends, music & lyrics by Stephen Sondheim at the Gielgud Theatre
Stranger Things: The First Shadow by Kate Trefry at the Phoenix Theatre
WINNER
Vardy V Rooney: The Wagatha Christie Trial, adapted by Liv Hennessy at the Ambassadors Theatre
Gillian Lynne Award for Best Theatre Choreographer
Fabian Aloise for Sunset Boulevard at the Savoy Theatre
Ellen Kane & Hannes Langolf for Dear England at the National Theatre – Olivier & Prince Edward Theatre
Arlene Phillips with James Cousins for Guys & Dolls at the Bridge Theatre
WINNER
Mark Smith for The Little Big Things at @sohoplace
Susan Stroman for Crazy For You at the Gillian Lynne Theatre
Mithridate Award for Best Costume Design
Bunny Christie & Deborah Andrews for Guys & Dolls at the Bridge Theatre
Ryan Dawson Laight for La Cage Aux Folles at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Hugh Durrant for Peter Pan at The London Palladium
Marg Horwell for The Picture Of Dorian Gray at the Theatre Royal Haymarket
WINNER
Best Musical Revival
Groundhog Day, music & lyrics by Tim Minchin, book by Danny Rubin at The Old Vic
Guys & Dolls, music & lyrics by Frank Loesser, book by Jo Swerling & Abe Burrows at the Bridge Theatre
Hadestown, music, lyrics & book by Anaïs Mitchell at the Lyric Theatre
Sunset Boulevard, music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics & book by Don Black & Christopher Hampton at the Savoy Theatre WINNER
d&b audiotechnik Award for Best Sound Design
Paul Arditti for Stranger Things: The First Shadow at the Phoenix Theatre
Dan Balfour & Tom Gibbons for Dear England at the National Theatre – Olivier & Prince Edward Theatre
Adam Fisher for Sunset Boulevard at the Savoy Theatre
WINNER
Gareth Fry for Macbeth at the Donmar Warehouse
Outstanding Musical Contribution
Tom Brady for Musical Supervision & Arrangements and Charlie Rosen for Orchestrations for Guys & Dolls at the Bridge Theatre
Matt Brind for Musical Supervision, Arrangements & Orchestrations for Just For One Day at The Old Vic
Steve Sidwell for Orchestrations & Joe Bunker for Musical Direction for Operation Mincemeat at the Fortune Theatre
Alan Williams for Musical Supervision & Musical Direction for Sunset Boulevard at the Savoy Theatre WINNER
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
(This was the hardest category for me, as I've seen and enjoyed four of the performances. I would be happy if Terera, Thompson, or Varla won.)
Will Close for Dear England at the National Theatre – Olivier & Prince Edward Theatre WINNER
Paul Hilton for An Enemy Of The People at the Duke Of York’s Theatre
Giles Terera for Clyde’s at the Donmar Warehouse
Luke Thompson for A Little Life at the Harold Pinter Theatre & Savoy Theatre
Zubin Varla for A Little Life at the Harold Pinter Theatre & Savoy Theatre
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Lorraine Ashbourne for Till The Stars Come Down at the National Theatre – Dorfman
Priyanga Burford for An Enemy Of The People at the Duke Of York’s Theatre
Haydn Gwynne for When Winston Went To War With The Wireless at the Donmar Warehouse WINNER
Gina McKee for Dear England at the National Theatre – Olivier
Tanya Reynolds for A Mirror at the Almeida Theatre & Trafalgar Theatre
Blue-i Theatre Technology Award for Best Set Design
Two picks.
Miriam Buether for Set Design & 59 Productions for Video Design for Stranger Things: The First Shadow at the Phoenix Theatre
Bunny Christie for Set Design for Guys & Dolls at the Bridge Theatre
Es Devlin for Set Design & Ash J Woodward for Video Design for Dear England at the National Theatre – Olivier & Prince Edward Theatre
Soutra Gilmour for Set Design and Nathan Amzi & Joe Ransom for Video Design for Sunset Boulevard at the Savoy Theatre
White Light Award for Best Lighting Design
Jon Clark for Dear England at the National Theatre – Olivier & Prince Edward Theatre
Jon Clark for Stranger Things: The First Shadow at the Phoenix Theatre
Paule Constable for Guys & Dolls at the Bridge Theatre
Jack Knowles for Sunset Boulevard at the Savoy Theatre WINNER
Best Actress in a Supporting Role In a Musical
Grace Hodgett Young for Sunset Boulevard at the Savoy Theatre
Zoë Roberts for Operation Mincemeat at the Fortune Theatre
Amy Trigg for The Little Big Things at @sohoplace WINNER
Eleanor Worthington-Cox for Next To Normal at the Donmar Warehouse
Best Actor in a Supporting Role In a Musical
Jak Malone for Operation Mincemeat at the Fortune Theatre.
WINNER
Cedric Neal for Guys & Dolls at the Bridge Theatre
David Thaxton for Sunset Boulevard at the Savoy Theatre
Jack Wolfe for Next To Normal at the Donmar Warehouse
Best Actor in a Musical
David Cumming for Operation Mincemeat at the Fortune Theatre
Tom Francis for Sunset Boulevard at the Savoy Theatre
WINNER
Daniel Mays for Guys & Dolls at the Bridge Theatre
Charlie Stemp for Crazy For You at the Gillian Lynne Theatre
Best Actress in a Musical
Natasha Hodgson for Operation Mincemeat at the Fortune Theatre
Caissie Levy for Next To Normal at the Donmar Warehouse
Nicole Scherzinger for Sunset Boulevard at the Savoy Theatre WINNER
Marisha Wallace for Guys & Dolls at the Bridge Theatre
Unusual Rigging Award for Outstanding Achievement in Affiliate Theatre
Blue Mist by Mohamed-Zain Dada at the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs at the Royal Court Theatre
A Playlist For The Revolution by AJ Yi at the Bush Theatre
Sleepova by Matilda Feyişayo at the Bush Theatre
WINNER
The Swell by Isley Lynn at the Orange Tree Theatre
The Time Machine: A Comedy by Steven Canny and John Nicholson at the Park Theatre
Sir Peter Hall Award for Best Director
Four pillars of the British theater competing!
Stephen Daldry & Justin Martin for Stranger Things: The First Shadow at the Phoenix Theatre
Rupert Goold for Dear England at the National Theatre – Olivier & Prince Edward Theatre
Jamie Lloyd for Sunset Boulevard at the Savoy Theatre
WINNER
Sam Mendes for The Motive And The Cue at the National Theatre – Lyttelton & Noël Coward Theatre
Best Actress
Laura Donnelly for The Hills Of California at the Harold Pinter Theatre
Sophie Okonedo for Medea at @sohoplace
Sarah Jessica Parker for Plaza Suite at the Savoy Theatre
Sheridan Smith for Shirley Valentine at the Duke Of York’s Theatre
Sarah Snook for The Picture Of Dorian Gray at the Theatre Royal Haymarket
WINNER
Best Actor
Five brilliant performances, but Norton was incredible!
Joseph Fiennes for Dear England at the National Theatre – Olivier & Prince Edward Theatre
Mark Gatiss for The Motive And The Cue at the National Theatre – Lyttelton & Noël Coward Theatre
WINNER
James Norton for A Little Life at the Harold Pinter Theatre & Savoy Theatre
Andrew Scott for Vanya at the Duke Of York’s Theatre
David Tennant for Macbeth at the Donmar Warehouse
The Londoner Award for Best New Play
I have to pick two in this category and hope for a tie.
Dear England by James Graham at the National Theatre – Olivier & Prince Edward Theatre WINNER
The Hills Of California by Jez Butterworth at the Harold Pinter Theatre
The Motive And The Cue by Jack Thorne at the National Theatre – Lyttelton & Noël Coward Theatre
Till The Stars Come Down by Beth Steel at the National Theatre – Dorfman
Mastercard Best New Musical
The Little Big Things, music by Nick Butcher, lyrics by Nick Butcher & Tom Ling, book by Joe White at @sohoplace
Next To Normal, music by Tom Kitt, book & lyrics by Brian Yorkey at the Donmar Warehouse
Operation Mincemeat, music, lyrics & book by David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson & Zoë Roberts at the Fortune Theatre
WINNER
A Strange Loop, music, lyrics & book by Michael R. Jackson at the Barbican Theatre
The incredible Haydn Gwynne in the benefit production of
Old Friends. She was supposed to reprise her performance in the West End run of the show but became ill and passed away a month later. A great loss. I've seen her and admired and enjoyed her performances on stage many times. I hope she wins her Olivier for
When Winston Went to War with the Wireless.