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Olivier Winners 1985

Designer of the Year

Winner: William Dudley for The Mysteries at the National Theatre Cottesloe and The Critic at the National Theatre Olivier

Nominees:

  • Alison Chitty for Martine and She Stoops To Conquer at the National Theatre Lyttelton
  • Bob Crowley for Henry V, Love’s Labours Lost and The Winter’s Tale, RSC at the Barbican
  • William Dudley for The Mysteries at the National Theatre Cottesloe and The Critic at the National Theatre Olivier
  • Philip Prowse for The Duchess Of Malfi at the National Theatre Lyttelton and Phedra, RSC at the Barbican

Director of the Year

Winner: Bill Bryden for The Mysteries at the National Theatre Cottesloe

Nominees:

  • Bill Alexander for Richard III, RSC at the Barbican
  • Bill Bryden for The Mysteries at the National Theatre Cottesloe
  • Garry Hines for The Playboy Of The Western World at the Donmar Warehouse
  • Barry Kyle for Golden Girls, RSC at The Pit and Love’s Labours Lost, RSC at the Barbican

Actor of the Year

Winner: Antony Sher for Richard III, RSC at the Barbican and Torch Song Trilogy at the Albery

Nominees:

  • Alun Armstrong for The Crucible and The Winter’s Tale, at Christ Church, Spitalfields
  • Kenneth Branagh for Henry V, RSC at the Barbican
  • Anthony Hopkins for Pravda at the National Theatre Olivier
  • Antony Sher for Richard III, RSC at the Barbican and Torch Song Trilogy at the Albery

Actress of the Year

Winner: Yvonne Bryceland for The Road To Mecca at the National Theatre Lyttelton

Nominees:

  • Yvonne Bryceland for The Road To Mecca at the National Theatre Lyttelton
  • Wendy Morgan for Martine, at the National Theatre Lyttelton
  • Harriet Walter for The Castle, RSC at The Pit
  • Joanne Whalley for Saved at the Royal Court

Comedy Performance of the Year

Winner: Michael Gambon for A Chorus Of Disapproval at the National Theatre Olivier

Nominees:

  • Michael Gambon for A Chorus of Disapproval at the National Theatre Olivier
  • Roger Rees for Love’s Labours Lost, RSC at the Barbican
  • Griff Rhys Jones for Trumpets And Raspberries at the Phoenix
  • Maggie Smith for The Way Of The World at the Theatre Royal Haymarket

Outstanding Performance of the Year in a Supporting Role

Winner: Imelda Staunton for A Chorus Of Disapproval at the National Theatre Olivier and The Corn Is Green at the Old Vic

Nominees:

  • Maria Aitken for Waste, RSC at The Pit
  • Patricia Routledge for Richard III, RSC at the Barbican
  • Imelda Staunton for A Chorus Of Disapproval at the National Theatre Oivier and The Corn Is Green at the Old Vic
  • Zoe Wanamaker for Mother Courage, RSC at the Barbican

Outstanding Performance of the Year by an Actor in a Musical

Winner: Robert Lindsay for Me And My Girl, at the Adelphi

Nominees:

  • Alun Armstrong for Les Miserables, RSC at the Barbican
  • Robert Lindsay for Me And My Girl at the Adelphi
  • Mark McGann for Lennon at the Astoria
  • Colm Wilkinson for Les Miserables, RSC at the Barbican

Outstanding Performance of the Year by an Actress in a Musical

Winner: Patti Lupone for The Cradle Will Rock at the Old Vic and Les Miserables, RSC at the Barbican

Nominees:

  • Betsy Brantley for Guys And Dolls at the Prince of Wales
  • Patti Lupone for The Cradle Will Rock at the Old Vic and Les Miserables, RSC at the Barbican
  • Carol Sloman for Lennon at the Astoria
  • Elisabeth Welch for Kern Goes To Hollywood at the Donmar Warehouse

Most Promising Newcomer of the Year in Theatre

Winner: Cheek By Jowl for Andromache, Pericles and Vanity Fair at the Donmar Warehouse

Nominees:

  • Frances Barber for Camille at the Comedy
  • Cheek By Jowl for Andromache, Pericles and Vanity Fair at the Donmar Warehouse
  • Druid Theatre Company for The Playboy Of The Western World at the Donmar Warehouse
  • Clive Mantle for Of Mice And Men at the Mermaid

Outstanding Individual Performance of the Year in a New Opera Production

Winner: Kathleen Battle for The Royal Opera’s Ariadne Auf Naxos at the Royal Opera House

Nominees:

  • Kathleen Battle for The Royal Opera’s Ariadne Auf Naxos at the Royal Opera House
  • Helen Field for The English National Opera’s Faust at the London Coliseum
  • Kenneth Riegel for The Royal Opera’s The Birthday Of The Infanta at the Royal Opera House
  • Marcus Stockhausen for The Royal Opera’s Donnerstag Aus Licht at the Royal Opera House

Outstanding New Opera Production of the Year

Winner: Xerxes, English National Opera at the London Coliseum

Nominees:

  • Akhnaten, English National Opera at the London Coliseum
  • Donnerstag Aus Licht, The Royal Opera at the London Coliseum
  • Faust, English National Opera, at the London Coliseum
  • Xerxes, English National Opera, at the London Coliseum

Outstanding New Dance Production of the Year

Winner: Pictures, Merce Cunningham at Sadler’s Wells

Nominees:

  • Pictures, Merce Cunningham at Sadler’s Wells
  • Romeo And Juliet, London Festival Ballet at the London Coliseum
  • The Sons Of Horus, The Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House
  • The Wand Of Youth, Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet at Sadler’s Wells

Outstanding Individual Performance of the Year in a New Dance Production

Winner: Yoko Morishita for the Matsuyama Ballet Company’s Giselle at the London Coliseum

Nominees:

  • Stephen Jeffries for The Royal Ballet’s The Sons Of Horus at the Royal Opera House
  • Yoko Morishita for the Matsuyama Ballet Company’s Giselle at the London Coliseum
  • Roland Price for Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet’s Sleeping Beauty at the Royal Opera House
  • Bryony Brind for the Royal Ballet’s Young Apollo at the Royal Opera House

Comedy of the Year

Winner: A Chorus Of Disapproval by Alan Ayckbourn at the National Theatre Olivier

Nominees:

  • Bouncers by John Godber at the Donmar Warehouse
  • A Chorus Of Disapproval by Alan Ayckbourn at the National Theatre Olivier
  • Love’s Labours Lost by William Shakespeare, RSC at the Barbican
  • Pravda by Howard Brenton and David Hare at the National Theatre Olivier

Musical of the Year

Winner: Me And My Girl, book and lyrics by L. Arthur Rose and Douglas Furber, music by Noel Gay

Nominees:

  • Les Miserables by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg, lyrics by Herbert Tretzmer, music by Claude-Michael Schanberg
  • Me And My Girl, book and lyrics by L. Arthur Rose and Douglas Furber, music by Noel Gay

Play of the Year

Winner: Red Noses by Peter Barnes, RSC at the Barbican

Nominees:

  • Doomsday by Tony Harrison at the National Theatre Cottesloe
  • Red Noses by Peter Barnes, RSC at the Barbican
  • The Road To Mecca by Athol Fugard at the National Theatre Lyttelton
  • Torch Song Trilogy by Harvey Fierstein at the Albery

The Observer Award for Outstanding Achievement

Winner: Anthony Hopkins for Pravda at the National Theatre Olivier

Nominees:

  • The Almeida Theatre
  • Anthony Hopkins for Pravda at the National Theatre Olivier
  • Royal Court Theatre’s Edward Bond Season
  • RSC Tour of The Winter’s Tale and The Crucible

The Society’s Special Award

Sir John Gielgud