The Olivier Awards 2020 winners were announced on Sunday evening in a special ITV programme filmed at The London Palladium, and on Official London Theatre’s YouTube channel. The presentation was hosted by Jason Manford, and honoured Ian McKellen with his seventh Olivier Award for his 80th Birthday tour, as well as lyricist Don Black, who received his Special Award from Lord Lloyd Webber and HRH The Duchess of Cornwall, who gave an impassioned speech about the importance and resilience of theatre.
It was a night where both youth and experience triumphed, with many winning their first Olivier Award, while choreographer Matthew Bourne won his ninth, crowning him the individual with the most Olivier Awards. Bourne won Best Theatre Choreographer alongside Stephen Mear for Mary Poppins, while Bob Crowley won his third Best Set Design Olivier for the musical.
Best Actress went to Sharon D. Clarke for her performance in the Young Vic’s Death Of A Salesman. In 2020, Sharon became the first person to be nominated in all four performing categories and she has now won in three of them. The production also received further accolades, with Marianne Elliott and Miranda Cromwell winning the Sir Peter Hall Best Director Award.
Present Laughter at The Old Vic won two awards, with Andrew Scott winning Best Actor and Indira Varma winning Best Supporting Actress, her first Olivier Award.
The Jamie Lloyd Company won Cunard Best Revival for its production of Cyrano De Bergerac, directed by Jamie Lloyd and starring James McAvoy at the Playhouse Theatre.
Brand new musicals Dear Evan Hansen and & Juliet each took home three awards. Dear Evan Hansen won the Mastercard Best New Musical Award and the composers Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, together with orchestrator Alex Lacamoire, won Best Original Score or New Orchestrations. This was a year to celebrate new talent, with Best Actor in a Musical going to Sam Tutty in his first leading role and Miriam-Teak Lee winning Best Actress in a Musical for & Juliet. She was joined by castmates Cassidy Janson, who won Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical, and David Bedella, who received his third Olivier Award, winning Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical.
Female theatre makers were at the forefront of the awards, with the all-female creative team behind Emilia winning three awards. The Noel Coward Award for Best Entertainment or Comedy Play went to playwright Morgan Lloyd Malcolm, with Joanna Scotcher winning Best Costume Design and Emma Laxton winning for Best Sound Design.
Legendary lighting designer Paule Constable won her fifth award for lighting design for the National Theatre’s production of The Ocean At The End Of The Lane. Emma Reeves and Theresa Heskins collected the new award for Best Family Show for The Worst Witch.
Sonia Friedman Productions won three awards: Leopoldstadt by Tom Stoppard won American Airlines Best New Play and Best Supporting Actor went to Leopoldstadt’s Adrian Scarborough, while Fiddler On The Roof won Magic Radio Best Musical Revival.
Richard Gadd’s debut play Baby Reindeer triumphed for the Bush Theatre in the Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre category.
In the opera and dance categories, Best New Dance Production went to Ingoma by Mthuthuzeli November for Ballet Black, and Best New Opera Production to Billy Budd – both at the Royal Opera House. Sara Baras won Outstanding Achievement in Dance for her choreography and performance in Ballet Flamenco – Sombras at Sadler’s Wells and the Children’s Ensemble of Noye’s Fludde at Theatre Royal Stratford East won Outstanding Achievement in Opera.
ITV repeats the Olivier Awards with Mastercard at 11:15pm on Tuesday 27th October, and the show is available for the next month on the ITV Hub.
