Awards Postponed

Many readers will be aware that the Olivier Awards 2020 were due to take place this coming Sunday, 5 April.

Due to the coronavirus epidemic, an early decision was taken to defer the event until a future date, perhaps in the autumn, although nothing has so far been announced.

Without wishing to go into too many details, this will have a number of ramifications. In particular, it means that there will be a long delay between the end of the qualifying year and the awarding of prizes.

Many will be going to shows that are long gone, although one hopes that some of the best might be in the throes of building up business again in what we must all hope are happier times.

One also has to wonder whether the ceremony is really more important than the awards. That is clearly the conclusion that the organisers came to when they decided to defer the selection of winners, which could easily have taken place in the absence of the glitterati in their expensive frocks and flashy suits.

Maybe this is a comment on the nature of the beast these days, where media hype has apparently become at least as important as the desire to recognise and commemorate exceptional merit.

As an interim measure and completely unofficially, here is this critic’s selection from the main shortlists. In the fullness of time, readers might compare and contrast today’s selections with the final list.

Best new play

  • A Very Expensive Poison at The Old Vic
  • The Doctor at Almeida Theatre
  • Leopoldstadt at Wyndham’s Theatre
  • The Ocean at the End of the Lane at National Theatre—Dorfman

Best revival

  • Cyrano De Bergerac at Playhouse Theatre
  • Death of a Salesman at Young Vic and Piccadilly Theatre
  • Present Laughter at the Old Vic
  • Rosmersholm at Duke of York’s Theatre

Best new musical

  • & Juliet at Shaftesbury Theatre
  • Amélie the Musical at The Other Palace
  • Dear Evan Hansen at Noël Coward Theatre
  • Waitress at Adelphi Theatre

Best musical revival

  • Evita at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
  • Fiddler on the Roof at Playhouse Theatre
  • Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the London Palladium
  • Mary Poppins at Prince Edward Theatre

Best entertainment or comedy play

  • Emilia at Vaudeville Theatre
  • Fleabag at Wyndham’s Theatre
  • Magic Goes Wrong at Vaudeville Theatre
  • The Upstart Crow at Gielgud Theatre

Best director

  • Marianne Elliott and Miranda Cromwell for Death of a Salesman at Young Vic and Piccadilly Theatre
  • Jamie Lloyd for Cyrano De Bergerac at Playhouse Theatre
  • Trevor Nunn for Fiddler on the Roof at Playhouse Theatre
  • Ian Rickson for Uncle Vanya at Harold Pinter Theatre

Best actor

  • Toby Jones for Uncle Vanya at Harold Pinter Theatre
  • James McAvoy for Cyrano De Bergerac at Playhouse Theatre
  • Wendell Pierce for Death of a Salesman at Young Vic and Piccadilly Theatre
  • Andrew Scott for Present Laughter at the Old Vic

Best actress

  • Hayley Atwell for Rosmersholm at Duke of York’s Theatre
  • Sharon D Clarke for Death of a Salesman at Piccadilly Theatre
  • Juliet Stevenson for The Doctor at Almeida Theatre
  • Phoebe Waller-Bridge for Fleabag at Wyndham’s Theatre

Best actor in a supporting role

  • Arinzé Kene for Death of a Salesman at Young Vic
  • Colin Morgan for All My Sons at the Old Vic
  • Adrian Scarborough for Leopoldstadt at Wyndham’s Theatre
  • Reece Shearsmith for A Very Expensive Poison at the Old Vic

Best actress in a supporting role

  • Michele Austin for Cyrano De Bergerac at Playhouse Theatre
  • Sophie Thompson for Present Laughter at the Old Vic
  • Indira Varma for Present Laughter at the Old Vic
  • Josie Walker for The Ocean at the End of the Lane at National Theatre—Dorfman

Best actor in a musical

  • Andy Nyman for Fiddler on the Roof at Playhouse Theatre
  • Charlie Stemp for Mary Poppins at Prince Edward Theatre
  • Sam Tutty for Dear Evan Hansen at Noël Coward Theatre
  • Jac Yarrow for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the London Palladium

Best actress in a musical

  • Audrey Brisson for Amélie the Musical at The Other Palace
  • Judy Kuhn for Fiddler on the Roof at Playhouse Theatre
  • Miriam-Teak Lee for & Juliet at Shaftesbury Theatre
  • Zizi Strallen for Mary Poppins at Prince Edward Theatre

Best actor in a supporting role in a musical

  • David Bedella for & Juliet at Shaftesbury Theatre
  • Stewart Clarke for Fiddler on the Roof at Playhouse Theatre
  • Jack Loxton for Dear Evan Hansen at Noël Coward Theatre
  • Rupert Young for Dear Evan Hansen at Noël Coward Theatre

Best actress in a supporting role in a musical

  • Lucy Anderson for Dear Evan Hansen at Noël Coward Theatre
  • Petula Clark for Mary Poppins at Prince Edward Theatre
  • Cassidy Janson for & Juliet at Shaftesbury Theatre
  • Lauren Ward for Dear Evan Hansen at Noël Coward Theatre

Best original score or new orchestrations

  • & Juliet – new orchestrations by Bill Sherman and Dominic Fallacaro at Shaftesbury Theatre
  • Amélie the Musical – musical supervisor and arrangements by Barnaby Race at the Other Palace
  • Dear Evan Hansen – music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, orchestration by Alex Lacamoire at Noël Coward Theatre
  • Fiddler on the Roof – new orchestrations by Jason Carr at Playhouse Theatre
  • Waitress – music and lyrics by Sara Bareilles at Adelphi Theatre

Best theatre choreographer

  • Fabian Aloise for Evita at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
  • Matthew Bourne and Stephen Mear for Mary Poppins at Prince Edward Theatre
  • Jerome Robbins and Matt Cole for Fiddler on the Roof at Playhouse Theatre
  • Jennifer Weber for & Juliet at Shaftesbury Theatre

Best set design

  • Bob Crowley for Mary Poppins at Prince Edward Theatre
  • Soutra Gilmour for & Juliet at Shaftesbury Theatre
  • Rae Smith for Rosmersholm at Duke of York’s Theatre
  • Rae Smith for Uncle Vanya at Harold Pinter Theatre

Best costume design

  • Hugh Durrant for Goldilocks and the Three Bears at the London Palladium
  • Jonathan Lipman for Fiddler on the Roof at Playhouse Theatre
  • Joanna Scotcher for Emilia at Vaudeville Theatre
  • Paloma Young for & Juliet at Shaftesbury Theatre

Best lighting design

  • Neil Austin for Rosmersholm at Duke of York’s Theatre
  • Paule Constable for The Ocean at the End of the Lane at National Theatre—Dorfman
  • Howard Hudson for & Juliet at Shaftesbury Theatre
  • Bruno Poet for Uncle Vanya at Harold Pinter Theatre

Best sound design

  • Gregory Clarke for Rosmersholm at Duke of York’s Theatre
  • Emma Laxton for Emilia at Vaudeville Theatre
  • Ben and Max Ringham for Anna at National Theatre—Dorfman
  • Ben and Max Ringham for Cyrano De Bergerac at Playhouse Theatre