The Olivier Awards 2013 with MasterCard took place on Sunday 28 April and was an incredible evening of celebration, award-giving and unbelievable live performances.
The Olivier Awards 2013 with MasterCard celebrated the fantastic achievement of the best theatremakers in the world with a fabulous ceremony hosted by two-time previous award winner Sheridan Smith and Downton Abbey’s Hugh Bonneville, and attended by West End stars, powerhouse producers, screen and music idols and a host of London's most illustrious movers and shakers. The National Theatre's The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time was the big winner of the night, taking home an amazing seven awards, making it the most decorated play in Olivier Award history.
US star Matthew Morrison – Glee’s Mr Schuester – performed a fantastic West Side Story medley, Broadway sensation Idina Menzel gave a very special performance celebrating the work of Marvin Hamlisch, and recording star Petula Clark who, when not dominating pop charts has played the lead role of Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard more than any other actress in London, Ireland and the USA, performed With One Look.
The many nominees who took to the stage to entertain the illustrious audience included Will Young alongside the cast of Cabaret, The Bodyguard’s Heather Headley, Michael Ball and the casts of A Chorus Line and Top Hat. Former Busted star James Bourne gave an exclusive performance of one of the songs from his nominated show, Loserville, and a specially commissioned performance from Cats ended the ceremony in tribute to Special Award winner Gillian Lynne.
Among the stellar presenters to hand out the coveted awards were Kim Cattrall, Lee Evans, Romola Garai, Lily James, Myleene Klass, Damian Lewis, Tim Minchin, Arlene Phillips, Daniel Radcliffe, David Suchet and, in a special surprise moment, Michael Crawford.
The hugely popular Covent Garden Piazza celebration, which was first staged in 2012, returned for a second year, giving theatregoers without a ticket to the ceremony the chance to head to London and be part of the action. The BBC Radio 2 Stage was hosted by broadcast personality Claudia Winkleman and musical theatre star Michael Xavier, while live performances from shows including Billy Elliot The Musical, Matilda The Musical, The Phantom Of The Opera, Wicked, Burn The Floor, Potted Potter and Some Like It Hip Hop entertained the crowds who watched a live stream of the ceremony on big screens.
The Olivier Awards returned to mainstream television screens in 2013, with ITV broadcasting a fantastic highlights show featuring the very best moments of the evening soon after the ceremony came to a close. This is now available to watch on ITV Player.
