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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
Guardian Stage

Olivier awards 2023: full list of winners

Paul Mescal and Anjana Vasan both won awards for A Streetcar Named Desire.
Paul Mescal and Anjana Vasan both won awards for A Streetcar Named Desire. Photograph: Marc Brenner

Noël Coward award for best entertainment or comedy play

Jack and the Beanstalk at the London Palladium
My Neighbour Totoro at Barbican theatre – WINNER!
My Son’s a Queer (But What Can You Do?) at Garrick theatre and Ambassadors theatre
One Woman Show at Ambassadors theatre

Best family show

Blippi the Musical at Apollo theatre
Hey Duggee: The Live Theatre Show at Royal Festival Hall – WINNER!
Midsummer Mechanicals at Sam Wanamaker Playhouse
The Smartest Giant in Town at St Martin’s theatre

Gillian Lynne award for best theatre choreographer

Matt Cole for Newsies at Troubadour Wembley Park theatre – WINNER!
Lynne Page for Standing at the Sky’s Edge at National Theatre
Kate Prince for Sylvia at the Old Vic
Basil Twist for puppetry direction for My Neighbour Totoro at Barbican theatre

Best costume design

Frankie Bradshaw for Blues for An Alabama Sky at National Theatre
Hugh Durrant for Jack and the Beanstalk at the London Palladium
Jean Paul Gaultier for Jean Paul Gaultier Fashion Freak Show at Roundhouse
Kimie Nakano for My Neighbour Totoro at Barbican theatre – WINNER!

My Neighbour Totoro with costumes designed by Kimie Nakano.
My Neighbour Totoro with costumes designed by Kimie Nakano. Photograph: Manuel Harlan/RSC/Nippon TV

Best revival

The Crucible at National Theatre
Good at Harold Pinter theatre
Jerusalem at Apollo theatre
A Streetcar Named Desire at Almeida theatre – WINNER!

Best musical revival

My Fair Lady at London Coliseum
Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! at Young Vic – WINNER!
Sister Act at Eventim Apollo
South Pacific at Sadler’s Wells

Best sound design

Bobby Aitken for Standing at the Sky’s Edge at National Theatre
Tony Gayle for My Neighbour Totoro at Barbican theatre – WINNER!
Drew Levy for Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! at Young Vic
Ben and Max Ringham for Prima Facie at Harold Pinter theatre

Best original score or new orchestrations

David Yazbek, Jamshied Sharifi and Andrea Grody for The Band’s Visit at Donmar Warehouse
Joe Hisaishi and Will Stuart for My Neighbour Totoro at Barbican theatre
Daniel Kluger and Nathan Koci for Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! at the Young Vic
Richard Hawley and Tom Deering for Standing at the Sky’s Edge at National Theatre – WINNER!

Best actor in a supporting role

Mark Akintimehin, Emmanuel Akwafo, Nnabiko Ejimofor, Darragh Hand, Aruna Jalloh and Kaine Lawrence for For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy at the Royal Court theatre
Will Keen for Patriots at Almeida theatre – WINNER!
Elliot Levey for Good at Harold Pinter theatre
David Moorst for To Kill a Mockingbird at Gielgud theatre
Sule Rimi for Blues for An Alabama Sky at National Theatre

Beverley Knight as Emmeline Pankhurst in Sylvia.
Beverley Knight as Emmeline Pankhurst in Sylvia. Photograph: Manuel Harlan

Best actress in a supporting role

Rose Ayling-Ellis for As You Like It at @sohoplace
Pamela Nomvete for To Kill a Mockingbird at Gielgud theatre
Caroline Quentin for Jack Absolute Flies Again at National Theatre
Sharon Small for Good at Harold Pinter theatre
Anjana Vasan for A Streetcar Named Desire at Almeida theatre – WINNER!

Best set design

Miriam Buether for To Kill a Mockingbird at Gielgud theatre
Tom Pye for My Neighbour Totoro at Barbican theatre – WINNER!
Ben Stones for Standing at the Sky’s Edge at National Theatre
Mark Walters for Jack and the Beanstalk at the London Palladium

Best lighting design

Natasha Chivers for Prima Facie at Harold Pinter theatre
Lee Curran for A Streetcar Named Desire at Almeida theatre
Jessica Hung Han Yun for My Neighbour Totoro at Barbican theatre – WINNER!
Tim Lutkin for The Crucible at National Theatre

Best actress in a supporting role in a musical

Beverley Knight for Sylvia at the Old Vic – WINNER!
Maimuna Memon for Standing at the Sky’s Edge at the National Theatre
Liza Sadovy for Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! at Young Vic
Marisha Wallace for Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! at Young Vic

Best actor in a supporting role in a musical

Sharif Afifi for The Band’s Visit at Donmar Warehouse
Peter Polycarpou for The Band’s Visit at Donmar Warehouse
Clive Rowe for Sister Act at Eventim Apollo
Zubin Varla for Tammy Faye at Almeida theatre – WINNER!

Alcina at the Royal Opera House, directed by Richard Jones.
Alcina at the Royal Opera House, directed by Richard Jones. Photograph: Tristram Kenton/The Guardian

Best new opera production

Alcina by Royal Opera at Royal Opera House – WINNER!
Least Like the Other by Irish National Opera and Royal Opera at the Royal Opera House
Peter Grimes by Royal Opera at Royal Opera House
Sibyl at Barbican theatre

Outstanding achievement in opera

Sinéad Campbell-Wallace for her performance in Tosca by English National Opera at London Coliseum
William Kentridge for his conception and direction of Sibyl at Barbican theatre – WINNER!
Antony McDonald for his design of Alcina at Royal Opera House

Best actor in a musical

Alon Moni Aboutboul for The Band’s Visit at Donmar Warehouse
Arthur Darvill for Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! at Young Vic – WINNER!
Julian Ovenden for South Pacific at Sadler’s Wells
Andrew Rannells for Tammy Faye at Almeida theatre

Best actress in a musical

Katie Brayben for Tammy Faye at Almeida theatre – WINNER!
Anoushka Lucas for Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! at Young Vic
Miri Mesika for The Band’s Visit at Donmar Warehouse
Faith Omole for Standing at the Sky’s Edge at National Theatre

Best new dance production

Light of Passage by Crystal Pite at Royal Opera House
Pasionaria by La Veronal at Sadler’s Wells
Traplord by Ivan Michael Blackstock at 180 Studios (The Strand) – WINNER!
Triptych (The Missing Door, The Lost Room and The Hidden Floor) by Peeping Tom at Barbican theatre

Traplord by Ivan Michael Blackstock.
Traplord by Ivan Michael Blackstock. Photograph: Tristram Kenton/The Guardian

Outstanding achievement in dance

Manuel Liñán for his choreography of ¡Viva! at Sadler’s Wells
Dickson Mbi for his choreography of Enowate at Sadler’s Wells – WINNER!
Raquel Meseguer Zafe for her dramaturgy of Ruination by Lost Dog at Royal Opera House – Linbury theatre
Catrina Nisbett for her performance in Family Honour by Spoken Movement at Sadler’s Wells

Outstanding achievement in affiliate theatre

Age Is a Feeling at Soho theatre
Blackout Songs at Hampstead theatre
The P Word at Bush theatre – WINNER!
Paradise Now! at Bush theatre
Two Palestinians Go Dogging at the Royal Court theatre

Sir Peter Hall award for best director

Rebecca Frecknall for A Streetcar Named Desire at Almeida theatre
Robert Hastie for Standing at the Sky’s Edge at National Theatre
Justin Martin for Prima Facie at Harold Pinter theatre
Phelim McDermott for My Neighbour Totoro at Barbican theatre – WINNER!
Bartlett Sher for To Kill a Mockingbird at Gielgud theatre

Best actress

Jodie Comer for Prima Facie at Harold Pinter theatre – WINNER!
Patsy Ferran for A Streetcar Named Desire at Almeida theatre
Mei Mac for My Neighbour Totoro at Barbican theatre
Janet McTeer for Phaedra at National Theatre
Nicola Walker for The Corn Is Green at National Theatre

Best actor

Tom Hollander for Patriots at Almeida theatre
Paul Mescal for A Streetcar Named Desire at Almeida theatre – WINNER!
Rafe Spall for To Kill a Mockingbird at Gielgud theatre
David Tennant for Good at Harold Pinter theatre
Giles Terera for Blues for An Alabama Sky at National Theatre

Standing at the Sky’s Edge, directed by Robert Hastie.
Standing at the Sky’s Edge, directed by Robert Hastie. Photograph: Tristram Kenton/The Guardian

Best new play

For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy at Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court theatre
Patriots at Almeida theatre
Prima Facie at Harold Pinter theatre – WINNER!
To Kill a Mockingbird at Gielgud theatre

Best new musical

The Band’s Visit at Donmar Warehouse
Standing at the Sky’s Edge at National Theatre – WINNER!
Sylvia at the Old Vic
Tammy Faye at Almeida theatre

Special award

Dame Arlene Phillips

Lifetime achievement award

Sir Derek Jacobi

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