Nominations By Show 2012

DESH by Akram Khan Company

Akram Khan Company - DESH at Sadler's Wells

Taking inspiration from his homeland, Akram Khan choreographed and performed this full-length solo show in which he used his body and voice to portray several characters familiar in daily Bangladeshi culture.

Nominated for:

  • Best New Dance Production  WINNER
Anna Christie for Oliviers

Anna Christie at Donmar Warehouse

Jude Law and Ruth Wilson stepped into the lead roles in Rob Ashford’s critically acclaimed production of Eugene O’Neill’s epic play about love and forgiveness at the Donmar Warehouse.

Nominated for:

  • Best Actress  WINNER
  • Best Actor 
  • Best Revival  WINNER
  • Best Lighting Design 
Anna Nicole

Anna Nicole at Royal Opera House

This controversial opera told the story of the late Playboy model whose marriage to an octogenarian billionaire husband caught the attention of the media, charting her life from becoming a dubious sex symbol to her untimely death.

Nominated for:

  • Outstanding Achievement In Opera 
Gardenia at Sadler's Wells

Ballets C De La B Alain Platel, Les/Frank Van Laecke - Gardenia at Sadler's Wells

A collaboration between transvestite actress Vanessa Van Durme, directors Alain Platel and Frank Van Laecke and composer Steven Prengels, Gardenia, based on real experiences of the cast, indulged in the human instinct for voyeurism.

Nominated for:

  • Best New Dance Production 
Kristin Scott Thomas stars in Betrayal, playing at the Comedy theatre (photo: Johan Persson)

Betrayal at Harold Pinter Theatre

Best Actress nominee Kristin Scott Thomas led the cast of Ian Rickson’s revival of Harold Pinter’s 1978 masterpiece about a love triangle played out in reverse over the course of nine years.

Nominated for:

  • Best Actress 
Betty Blue Eyes for Oliviers

Betty Blue Eyes at Novello Theatre

Based on Alan Bennett and Malcolm Mowbray’s film A Private Function, this new eccentric musical featured music by Stiles and Drewe, a host of bizarre and wonderful characters and a scene-stealing electronic pig.

Nominated for:

  • Best Actress In A Musical 
  • Best Actor In A Musical 
  • Best New Musical 
Castor And Pollux - photo by Alastair Muir

Castor And Pollux at London Coliseum

The first of French Baroque composer Rameau’s works ever to be staged by the ENO is a tale of brotherly love that sweeps from ancient Sparta down to the gates of Hell and up to the starry vault of Heaven.

Nominated for:

  • Outstanding Achievement In Opera  WINNER
  • Best New Opera Production  WINNER
Elisabeth Moss and Keira Knightley star in The Children's Hour (photo: Johan Persson)

The Children's Hour at Harold Pinter Theatre

Hollywood stars Keira Knightley and Elisabeth Moss took to the London stage in Ian Rickson’s acclaimed production of Lillian Hellman’s drama about a 1930s girls’ boarding school which becomes entangled in a story of deceit, shame and courage.

Nominated for:

  • Best Performance In A Supporting Role 
Clemency - photo by Stephen Cummiskey

Clemency at Linbury Studio (Royal Opera House)

Scottish composer James MacMillan’s latest opera gave a modern twist to the Biblical story of Abraham and Sarah, taking less than an hour to spark emotional and philosophical debate.

Nominated for:

  • Best New Opera Production 
Collaborators - Olivier Awards - Best New Play

Collaborators at National Theatre Cottesloe

Simon Russell Beale and Alex Jennings teamed up for Nicholas Hytner’s Stalin Russia-set production of screenwriter John Hodge’s debut play. Set in 1938, Collaborators depicts a lethal game of cat and mouse between writer Mikhail Bulgakov and the secret police.

Nominated for:

  • MasterCard Best New Play  WINNER
  • Best Performance In A Supporting Role 
Crazy For You for Oliviers

Crazy For You at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre

Regent Park Open Air theatre’s revival of Ken Ludwig’s musical brought to life some of Gershwin’s most loved numbers with a colourful, energetic production that starred Sean Palmer and Clare Foster as unlikely lovers.

Nominated for:

  • Best Musical Revival  WINNER
  • Best Costume Design  WINNER
  • Best Theatre Choreographer 
Derren Brown Svengali - Olivier Awards - Best Entertainment And Family

Derren Brown: Svengali  at Shaftesbury Theatre

The nation’s favourite magician and 2006 Olivier Award winner was back in the West End last year with a brand new mind-bending show full of psychological illusions, audience participation and unexplainable tricks.

Nominated for:

  • Best Entertainment And Family  WINNER
Flare Path - Olivier Awards - Best Revival

Flare Path at Haymarket, Theatre Royal

Trevor Nunn’s production of Terence Rattigan’s World War II drama celebrated the centenary of the birth of the acclaimed playwright. Sienna Miller led an acclaimed cast on the Haymarket stage to create a powerful and passionate drama.

Nominated for:

  • Best Performance In A Supporting Role  WINNER
  • Best Revival 
Frankenstein for Oliviers

Frankenstein at National Theatre Olivier

Best Actor nominees Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller shared the roles of Frankenstein and his monster in Danny Boyle’s high profile production of the famous tale of creation and abandonment.

Nominated for:

  • Best Actor  WINNER
  • Best Lighting Design  WINNER
  • Best Sound Design 
Ghost The Musical - Olivier Awards

Ghost The Musical at Piccadilly Theatre

Eurythmics star Dave Stewart teamed up with Bruce Joel Rubin, Glen Ballard and director Matthew Warchus to adapt the famous film into a heartbreaking stage production using magical tricks and dynamic video projections.

Nominated for:

  • Best Performance In A Supporting Role In A Musical 
  • Best New Musical 
  • Best Lighting Design 
  • Best Set Design 
  • Best Sound Design 
Grief

Grief at National Theatre Cottesloe

Mike Leigh’s 1950s-set familial drama made its world premiere at the National Theatre to critical acclaim. Lesley Manville starred as Dorothy, a woman unable to move on from the grief of losing her husband in World War II.

Nominated for:

  • Best Actress 
Douglas Hodge - Olivier Awards - Best Actor

Inadmissible Evidence at Donmar Warehouse

Jamie Lloyd directed Douglas Hodge in John Osborne’s witty, poignant and surreal comedy about a frenetic lawyer struggling to avoid the harsh truths of his life and keep a hold on reality.

Nominated for:

  • Best Actor 
Johnny Flynn - Olivier Awards - Supporting

Jerusalem at Apollo Theatre

Jez Butterworth’s hit show returned to the West End with Mark Rylance back in his Olivier Award-winning role as local waster Johnny Byron. Butterworth’s acclaimed drama is a powerful vision of life in our green and pleasant land.

Nominated for:

  • Best Performance In A Supporting Role 
Jumpy - Olivier Awards - Best New Play

Jumpy at Royal Court Jerwood Theatre Downstairs

April De Angelis’s frank family drama starred Tamsin Greig as a middle aged wife and mother who finds herself having panic attacks on the tube and worrying about life after the big 50.

Nominated for:

  • MasterCard Best New Play 
Ladykillers - Olivier Awards - Best New Play

The Ladykillers at Gielgud Theatre

Best Director nominee Sean Foley’s staging of the madcap Ealing comedy about a group of oddball criminals saw a star-studded cast unite for an imaginative and eccentric production at the Gielgud theatre.

Nominated for:

  • Best Actress 
  • MasterCard Best New Play 
  • Best Director 
  • Best Set Design 
  • Best Sound Design 
Sophie-Louise Dann - Olivier Awards - Supporting Musical

Lend Me A Tenor The Musical at Gielgud Theatre

Matthew Kelly starred in Ian Talbot’s musical set in Ohio in 1934, where the failure of the world’s greatest tenor Tito Merelli to arrive at the Grand Opera Company leads to a riotous, unpredicted explosion of mistaken identities.

Nominated for:

  • Best Performance In A Supporting Role In A Musical 
London Road - Olivier Awards

London Road at National Theatre Cottesloe

The National Theatre’s controversial musical about the Ipswich murders was met with critical acclaim when it opened last April. Starring Best Actress in a Musical nominee Kate Fleetwood, the musical was based on verbatim interviews recorded by Alecky Blythe.

Nominated for:

  • Best Actress In A Musical 
  • Best New Musical 
  • Best Director 
  • Best Theatre Choreographer 
The Madness Of George III (Photo: Robert Day)

The Madness Of George III at Apollo Theatre

David Haig stepped into the royal shoes of George III at the Apollo theatre to tell Alan Bennett’s story of the British monarch who, despite a catalogue of accomplishments, is famed for his bouts of unbridled lunacy.

Nominated for:

  • Best Actor 
Matilda The Musical - Lighting Design - photo by Manuel Harlan

Matilda The Musical at Cambridge Theatre

Boasting a huge 10 nominations, the Royal Shakespeare Company’s musical adaptation of Roald Dahl’s much-loved tale features imaginative staging, spectacular choreography and a hilarious score by Tim Minchin.

Nominated for:

  • Best Actor In A Musical  WINNER
  • Best Actress In A Musical  WINNER
  • Best Performance In A Supporting Role In A Musical 
  • Best New Musical  WINNER
  • Best Director  WINNER
  • Best Theatre Choreographer  WINNER
  • Best Lighting Design 
  • Best Set Design  WINNER
  • Best Costume Design 
  • Best Sound Design  WINNER
The Metamorphosis by ROH2 - photo by Tristram Kenton

The Metamorphosis at Linbury Studio (Royal Opera House)

Royal Ballet principal dancer Edward Watson caught the imagination as the slime-covered Gregor Samsa, contorting his body to take on an insect-like appearance in Arthur Pita’s acclaimed new version of Kafka’s short story.

Nominated for:

  • Best New Dance Production 
  • Outstanding Achievement In Dance  WINNER
Midnight Tango - Olivier Awards - Best Entertainment And Family

Midnight Tango at Aldwych Theatre

Strictly Come Dancing stars Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace brought all the drama, sensuality and elegance of the Argentine tango to the West End in this dance extravaganza set in the intoxicating city of Buenos Aires.

Nominated for:

  • Best Entertainment And Family 
A Midsummer Night's Dream - photo by Alastair Muir

A Midsummer Night's Dream at London Coliseum

Christopher Alden’s setting of Britten’s Shakespearean opera in a school was seen by some as controversial, others as bold. Either way, the revitalised version of the story of love and magic caught the eye.

Nominated for:

  • Best New Opera Production 
Malachi Kirby in Mogadishu at the Lyric Hammersmith (Photo: Jonathan Keenan)

Mogadishu at Lyric Hammersmith

Vivienne Franzmann’s hard-hitting play about a white teacher accused of racial assault presents the playground as the most brutal and revealing of stages, offering a look at the potentially life-changing consequences of lies.

Nominated for:

  • Outstanding Achievement In An Affiliate Theatre 
Much Ado About Nothing - Olivier Awards - Best Revival

Much Ado About Nothing at Wyndham's Theatre

Doctor Who stars David Tennant and Catherine Tate reunited on stage for William Shakespeare’s mischievous comedy. Directed by Josie Rourke, the production was acclaimed for its 1980s setting and comical leading pair.

Nominated for:

  • Best Revival 
Noises Off - Olivier Awards - Best Revival

Noises Off at Old Vic

This revival of Michael Frayn’s classic comedy became the first Old Vic production to transfer into the West End. Following the backstage politics and onstage disasters of a touring farce, the comedy had audience members laughing in the aisles.

Nominated for:

  • Best Actress 
  • Best Revival 
One Man Two Guvnors - Olivier Awards - Best New Play

One Man, Two Guvnors at National Theatre Lyttelton

First seen at the National Theatre before bringing its hilarity to the West End, Richard Bean’s Brighton-set comedy of gangsters and a very hungry minder wowed audiences and critics alike.

Nominated for:

  • Best Actor 
  • MasterCard Best New Play 
  • Best Performance In A Supporting Role 
  • Best Set Design 
  • Best Director 
The Passenger - photo by Catherine Ashmore

The Passenger at London Coliseum

Based on the semi-autobiographical novel by Auschwitz-survivor Zofia Posmysz, who spent three years in the notorious concentration camp, The Passenger is an operatic exploration of the Holocaust and its devastating effect.

Nominated for:

  • Best New Opera Production 
Potted Potter - Olivier Awards - Best Entertainment And Family

Potted Potter at Garrick Theatre

Daniel Clarkson and Jefferson Turner’s original condensed offering returned to the West End for a summer season of silly costume changes, ridiculous props and a generous helping of Hogwarts magic.

Nominated for:

  • Best Entertainment And Family 
Roadkill

Roadkill at Stratford East, Theatre Royal

Conceived and directed by Cora Bissett, Roadkill combined direct, chilling performances with video and animation, taking audiences on a journey by minibus to tell the powerful story of the terrifying complexities of sex trafficking today.

Nominated for:

  • Outstanding Achievement In An Affiliate Theatre  WINNER
Salt, Root And Roe - photo by Bronwen Sharp

Salt, Root And Roe at Trafalgar Studios 2

Set against the mythical backdrop of North Pembrokeshire, Tim Price’s new play starred Imogen Stubbs and followed the story of twins Iola and Anest. Directed by Hamish Pirie, the production explored the complex issue of assisted suicide.

Nominated for:

  • Outstanding Achievement In An Affiliate Theatre 
Shrek The Musical - Olivier Awards

Shrek The Musical at Drury Lane, Theatre Royal

Based on the popular animated film, the life of the swamp-dwelling ogre who becomes an unlikely hero was brought to the stage in a colourful, feisty and comic production for families.

Nominated for:

  • Best Actor In A Musical 
  • Best New Musical 
  • Best Costume Design 
  • Best Performance In A Supporting Role In A Musical  WINNER
Singin' In The Rain - Olivier Award - Choreographer

Singin' In The Rain at Palace Theatre

Chichester Festival Theatre’s hit show transferred into the West End with Adam Cooper and Scarlett Strallen winning hearts and soaking audience members. 24,000 litres of water help create two show-stopping downpours at every performance.

Nominated for:

  • Best Actress In A Musical 
  • Best Performance In A Supporting Role In A Musical 
  • Best Musical Revival 
  • Best Theatre Choreographer 
Some Like It Hip Hop

Some Like it Hip Hop at Peacock Theatre

Some Like It Hip Hop combined elements of Billy Wilder’s much-loved film and Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night to create a comic tale of love, mistaken identity and gender stereotypes in ZooNation’s trademark style of hip hop, comedy and physical theatre.

Nominated for:

  • Best New Dance Production 
  • Outstanding Achievement In Dance 
Alex Ferns (Billis) and Samantha Womack (Nellie) in South Pacific (Photo: Simon Annand)

South Pacific at Barbican Theatre

Bartlett Sher’s Lincoln Center Theater production played a limited season at the Barbican theatre starring Paulo Szot and Samantha Womack. Featuring songs by Rodgers and Hammerstein, the musical tells of two couples threatened by the realities of war.

Nominated for:

  • Best Actor In A Musical 
  • Best Costume Design 
  • Best Musical Revival 
The Tales Of Hoffmann - photo by Chris Chrisotodulou

The Tales Of Hoffmann at London Coliseum

Directed by Richard Jones, Offenbach’s operatic swansong took a trip into the memory of the titular poet and featured hit numbers including the clockwork-driven Doll’s Song and the seductively swooning Barcarolle.

Nominated for:

  • Outstanding Achievement In Opera 
The Tiger Who Came To Tea - Olivier Awards - Best Entertainment And Family

The Tiger Who Came To Tea at Vaudeville Theatre

David Wood’s adaptation of Judith Kerr’s much-loved picture book takes The Tiger Who Came To Tea from the page to the stage, delighting audiences with magic, music, mayhem and a very hungry tiger.

Nominated for:

  • Best Entertainment And Family 
Il Trittico Oliviers

Il Trittico at Royal Opera House

Richard Jones’s staging of Puccini’s operatic cycle was the first at the Royal Opera House since 1965. Consisting of three short stories, the production covered everything from jealousy, murder and suicide to romance, exuberance and sheer transcendent joy.

Nominated for:

  • Outstanding Achievement In Opera 
The Village Bike at the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs at the Royal Court (Photo: Keith Pattison)

The Village Bike at Royal Court Jerwood Theatre Upstairs

This provocative and darkly comic look at fantasy and romance from Royal Court Young Writers programme graduate Penelope Skinner offers a witty insight into the lives of a newly married couple in the midst of a heat wave.

Nominated for:

  • Outstanding Achievement In An Affiliate Theatre 
The Wizard Of Oz for Oliviers

The Wizard Of Oz at London Palladium

Following a televised search for a Dorothy, Danielle Hope began her journey to the Emerald City in the London Palladium’s production featuring the film’s original songs and new material from Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Nominated for:

  • Best Musical Revival