Nominations have been announced for the Olivier Awards 2022 with Mastercard, British theatre’s most prestigious honours, which take place on Sunday 10 April at the Royal Albert Hall.
Eddie Redmayne and Jessie Buckley are both up for leading actor awards for Cabaret, a revival of the 1966 Kander and Ebb musical which has transformed the West End’s Playhouse Theatre into the ‘Kit Kat Club’ to huge critical acclaim. The production has received 11 nominations across the board – the most for a single show this year – including for director Rebecca Frecknall, supporting actors Liza Sadovy and Elliot Levey, and for Magic Radio Best Musical Revival.
Life Of Pi, Lolita Chakrabarti’s stage adaptation of the bestselling novel which began life in Sheffield in 2019 and is currently playing at the Wyndham’s Theatre, leads the field for plays with nine nominations, including Best Actor for Hiran Abeysekera in the title role and Best Supporting Actor for the seven performers who play ‘Richard Parker’, the puppet tiger – Fred Davis, Daisy Franks, Romina Hytten, Tom Larkin, Habib Nasib Nader, Tom Stacy and Scarlet Wilderink.
Also garnering nine nominations – including Best Musical Revival – is the classic Cole Porter musical Anything Goes, which broke box office records at the Barbican Theatre last summer. Broadway star Sutton Foster is nominated for Best Actress in a Musical for her role in the production, alongside Robert Lindsay, Carly Mercedes Dyer and Gary Wilmot in supporting categories, and nods for directing, choreography, orchestrations and costume design.
Back To The Future – The Musical, a new stage adaptation of the hit 1985 sci-fi film currently playing at the Adelphi Theatre, has seven nominations, including Mastercard Best New Musical, as well as Best Original Score or New Orchestrations for Grammy-winning composers Alan Silvestri and Glen Ballard and orchestrators Ethan Popp and Bryan Crook. Olly Dobson is nominated for Best Actor in a Musical for his role as Marty McFly, with Hugh Coles (George McFly) up for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical.
With five nominations apiece are Moulin Rouge! The Musical, a Tony Award-winning hit which transferred to the Piccadilly Theatre and is up for Best New Musical, and the National Theatre’s production of Larry Kramer’s play The Normal Heart – set in New York’s gay community during the 1980s AIDS crisis – for which Liz Carr, Ben Daniels, Dino Fetscher and Danny Lee Wynter all receive acting nods.
Frozen is nominated for four Olivier Awards, with Stephanie McKeon up for Best Actress in a Musical for her role as Anna. Also with four nominations are Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical – a retelling of the reggae icon’s life starring Arinzé Kene and Gabrielle Brooks (both nominated themselves) – and Michael Longhurst’s star-studded Donmar Warehouse production of the Nick Payne play Constellations, which was performed by four revolving casts and has received acting nominations for Omari Douglas and Sheila Atim.
Lily Allen has received a Best Actress nomination for her West End debut in 2:22 A Ghost Story (which was also nominated for Best New Play), alongside Cush Jumbo for playing the title role in Hamlet at the Young Vic, and Emma Corrin for Anna X at the Harold Pinter Theatre, part of producer Sonia Friedman’s post-lockdown RE:EMERGE season of new plays. Among the Best Actor nominees is Charles Edwards, for his performance as Gore Vidal in James Graham’s new play Best of Enemies at the Young Vic.
Elsewhere in the nominations, Pride And Prejudice* (*Sort Of), a comedic, all-female retelling of the Jane Austen classic first seen at the Edinburgh Fringe, is nominated three times. Cruise, Jack Holden’s Soho-set one-man play – produced by West End newcomers and one of the first shows to open post-lockdown in 2021 – is a contender for Best New Play.
In the Opera and Dance categories, nominees include English National Opera’s The Cunning Little Vixen (Best New Opera Production), mezzo soprano Christine Rice for her performance in 4/4 at the Royal Opera House (Outstanding Achievement in Opera) and De Punta A Cabo in 100% Cuban, a programme by dance superstar Carlos Acosta’s company Acosta Danza at Sadler’s Wells (Outstanding Achievement in Dance).
Commenting on the nominations, Julian Bird, Chief Executive of the Society of London Theatre and Executive Producer of the Olivier Awards, said: ‘I want to offer enormous congratulations to all the 2022 Olivier Awards nominees. This year’s fantastic array truly demonstrates the breadth and diversity of London’s world-leading theatre industry, and its extraordinary creativity and resilience during an extremely challenging period for our sector. After a two-year hiatus, we are delighted to be able to bring the theatre community together again to celebrate our brightest talents. I’m sure the atmosphere in the Royal Albert Hall on Sunday 10 April will be absolutely electric.’
The Olivier Awards will be hosted by Jason Manford and broadcast via official media partners ITV and Magic Radio. Further details of the ceremony will be announced soon.
Full list of Olivier Awards 2022 nominations:
Cunard Best Revival
A Number at The Old Vic
Constellations – Donmar Warehouse at Vaudeville Theatre
The Normal Heart at National Theatre – Olivier
The Tragedy Of Macbeth at Almeida Theatre
Noël Coward/Geoffrey Johnson Award for Best Entertainment or Comedy Play
The Choir Of Man at Arts Theatre
Pantoland At The Palladium at The London Palladium
Pride And Prejudice* (*Sort Of) at Criterion Theatre
The Shark Is Broken at Ambassadors Theatre
Magic Radio Best Musical Revival
Anything Goes at Barbican Theatre
Cabaret at The Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre
Spring Awakening at Almeida Theatre
Best Costume Design
Jon Morrell for Anything Goes at Barbican Theatre
Christopher Oram for Frozen at Theatre Royal Drury Lane
Tom Scutt for Cabaret at The Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre
Catherine Zuber for Moulin Rouge! The Musical at Piccadilly Theatre
d&b audiotechnik Award for Best Sound Design
Ian Dickinson for 2:22 A Ghost Story at Noël Coward Theatre
Carolyn Downing for Life Of Pi at Wyndham’s Theatre
Nick Lidster for Cabaret at The Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre
Gareth Owen for Back To The Future – The Musical at Adelphi Theatre
Best Original Score or New Orchestrations
Anything Goes – New Orchestrations: Bill Elliott, David Chase and Rob Fisher at Barbican Theatre
Back To The Future – The Musical – Composers: Alan Silvestri and Glen Ballard; Orchestrations: Ethan Popp and Bryan Crook at Adelphi Theatre
Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical – Orchestrator: Simon Hale at Lyric Theatre
Life Of Pi – Composer: Andrew T. Mackay at Wyndham’s Theatre
Best Theatre Choreographer
Finn Caldwell for Life Of Pi at Wyndham’s Theatre
Julia Cheng for Cabaret at The Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre
Kathleen Marshall for Anything Goes at Barbican Theatre
Sonya Tayeh for Moulin Rouge! The Musical at Piccadilly Theatre
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
7 actors who play the Tiger for Life Of Pi at Wyndham’s Theatre
Dino Fetscher for The Normal Heart at National Theatre – Olivier
Nathaniel Parker for The Mirror And The Light at Gielgud Theatre
Danny Lee Wynter for The Normal Heart at National Theatre – Olivier
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Tori Burgess for Pride And Prejudice* (*Sort Of) at Criterion Theatre
Liz Carr for The Normal Heart at National Theatre – Olivier
Christina Gordon for Pride And Prejudice* (*Sort Of) at Criterion Theatre
Akiya Henry for The Tragedy Of Macbeth at Almeida Theatre
Blue-I Theatre Technology Award for Best Set Design
Tim Hatley for Design and Nick Barnes & Finn Caldwell for Puppets for Life Of Pi at Wyndham’s Theatre
Tim Hatley for Design and Finn Ross for Video Design for Back To The Future – The Musical at Adelphi Theatre
Derek McLane for Moulin Rouge! The Musical at Piccadilly Theatre
Tom Scutt for Cabaret at The Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre
White Light Award for Best Lighting Design
Neil Austin for Frozen at Theatre Royal Drury Lane
Isabella Byrd for Cabaret at The Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre
Tim Lutkin for Back To The Future – The Musical at Adelphi Theatre
Tim Lutkin and Andrzej Goulding for Life Of Pi at Wyndham’s Theatre
Best Actress In A Supporting Role In A Musical
Gabrielle Brooks for Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical at Lyric Theatre
Victoria Hamilton-Barritt for Cinderella at Gillian Lynne Theatre
Carly Mercedes Dyer for Anything Goes at Barbican Theatre
Liza Sadovy for Cabaret at The Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre
Best Actor In A Supporting Role In A Musical
Clive Carter for Moulin Rouge! The Musical at Piccadilly Theatre
Hugh Coles for Back To The Future – The Musical at Adelphi Theatre
Elliot Levey for Cabaret at The Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre
Gary Wilmot for Anything Goes at Barbican Theatre
Outstanding Achievement In Opera
Christine Rice for her performance in 4/4 at Royal Opera House
takis for set and costume design of HMS Pinafore by English National Opera at London Coliseum
Peter Whelan and the Irish Baroque Orchestra for Bajazet at Royal Opera House – Linbury Theatre
Best New Opera Production
Bajazet at Royal Opera House – Linbury Theatre
The Cunning Little Vixen by English National Opera at London Coliseum
Jenůfa at Royal Opera House
Theodora at Royal Opera House
Best Actor In A Musical
Olly Dobson for Back To The Future – The Musical at Adelphi Theatre
Arinzé Kene for Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical at Lyric Theatre
Robert Lindsay for Anything Goes at Barbican Theatre
Eddie Redmayne for Cabaret at The Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre
Best Actress In A Musical
Jessie Buckley for Cabaret at The Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre
Sutton Foster for Anything Goes at Barbican Theatre
Beverley Knight for The Drifters Girl at Garrick Theatre
Stephanie McKeon for Frozen at Theatre Royal Drury Lane
Outstanding Achievement In Dance
Acosta Danza for De Punta A Cabo in 100% Cuban at Sadler’s Wells
Dancers for NDT2 Tour at Sadler’s Wells
Arielle Smith for her choreography of Jolly Folly in Reunion by English National Ballet at Sadler’s Wells
Edward Watson for his performance in The Dante Project at Royal Opera House
Best New Dance Production
Draw From Within by Rambert Dance Company at Sadler’s Wells
Revisor by Crystal Pite and Jonathon Young / Kidd Pivot at Sadler’s Wells
Transverse Orientation by Dance Umbrella and Sadler’s Wells at Sadler’s Wells
Best Actress
Lily Allen for 2:22 A Ghost Story at Noël Coward Theatre
Sheila Atim for Constellations – Donmar Warehouse at Vaudeville Theatre
Emma Corrin for Anna X at Harold Pinter Theatre
Cush Jumbo for Hamlet at Young Vic
Best Actor
Hiran Abeysekera for Life Of Pi at Wyndham’s Theatre
Ben Daniels for The Normal Heart at National Theatre – Olivier
Omari Douglas for Constellations – Donmar Warehouse at Vaudeville Theatre
Charles Edwards for Best Of Enemies at Young Vic
Sir Peter Hall Award for Best Director
Rebecca Frecknall for Cabaret at The Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre
Michael Longhurst for Constellations – Donmar Warehouse at Vaudeville Theatre
Kathleen Marshall for Anything Goes at Barbican Theatre
Max Webster for Life Of Pi at Wyndham’s Theatre
Outstanding Achievement in Affiliate Theatre
10 Nights at Bush Theatre
Folk at Hampstead Theatre Downstairs
The Invisible Hand at Kiln Theatre
Old Bridge at Bush Theatre
A Place For We at Park Theatre
Best Family Show
Billionaire Boy at Garrick Theatre
Dragons And Mythical Beasts at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
What The Ladybird Heard at Palace Theatre
Wolf Witch Giant Fairy at Royal Opera House – Linbury Theatre
Best New Play
2:22 A Ghost Story at Noël Coward Theatre
Best Of Enemies at Young Vic
Cruise at Duchess Theatre
Life Of Pi at Wyndham’s Theatre
Mastercard Best New Musical
Back To The Future – The Musical at Adelphi Theatre
The Drifters Girl at Garrick Theatre
Frozen at Theatre Royal Drury Lane
Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical at Lyric Theatre
Moulin Rouge! The Musical at Piccadilly Theatre
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