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Olivier Winners 1980

Designer of the Year

Winner: John Napier and Dermot Hayes for Nicholas Nickleby, RSC at the Aldwych

Nominees:

  • John Bury for Amadeus at the National Theatre
  • John Gunter for Juno And The Paycock, RSC at the Aldwych
  • Jocelyn Herbert for The Life Of Galileo at the National
  • John Napier and Dermot Hayes for Nicholas Nickleby, RSC at the Aldwych

Director of the Year

Winner: Trevor Nunn and John Caird for Nicholas Nickleby, RSC at the Aldwych

Nominees:

  • John Barton for The Greeks, RSC at the Aldwych
  • Peter Hall for Amadeus at the National Theatre
  • Trevor Nunn and John Caird for Nicholas Nickleby, RSC at the Aldwych
  • John Dexter for The Life Of Galileo at the National Theatre

Actor of the Year in a Revival

Winner: Jonathan Pryce for Hamlet at the Royal Court

Nominees:

  • Michael Gambon for The Life Of Galileo at the National Theatre
  • Alec McCowen for The Browning Version and Harlequinade at the National Theatre
  • Bob Peck for Othello, RSC at the Aldwych
  • Jonathan Pryce for Hamlet at the Royal Court

Actress of the Year in a Revival

Winner: Judi Dench for Juno And The Paycock, RSC at the Aldwych

Nominees:

  • Maria Aitken for Private Lives at the Duchess
  • Judi Dench for Juno And The Paycock, RSC at the Aldwych
  • Geraldine McEwan for The Browning Version and Harlequinade at the National Theatre
  • Susan Tracy for Anna Christie, RSC at the Warehouse

Actor of the Year in a New Play

Winner: Roger Rees for Nicholas Nickleby, RSC at the Aldwych

Nominees:

  • Tom Courtenay for The Dresser at the Queen’s
  • Roger Rees for Nicholas Nickleby, RSC at the Aldwych
  • David Schofield for The Elephant Man at the National Theatre
  • Paul Scofield for Amadeus at the National Theatre

Actress of the Year in a New Play

Winner: Frances De La Tour for Duet For One at the Duke of York’s

Nominees:

  • Shelagh Holliday for A Lesson From Aloes at the National Theatre
  • Glenda Jackson for Rose at the Duke of York’s
  • Joan Plowright for Enjoy at the Vaudeville
  • Frances De La Tour for Duet For One at the Duke of York’s

Comedy Performance of the Year

Winner: Beryl Reid for Born In The Gardens at the Globe

Nominees:

  • Edward Duke for Jeeves Takes Charge at the Fortune
  • Ben Kingsley for The Merry Wives Of Windsor RSC at the Aldwych
  • Beryl Reid for Born In The Gardens at the Globe
  • Julie Walters for Educating Rita at the Piccadilly

Outstanding Achievement in Opera

Winner: Cosi Fan Tutte, English National Opera at the London Coliseum

Nominees:

  • Cosi Fan Tutte, English National Opera at the London Coliseum
  • Julius Caesar, English National Opera, at the London Coliseum
  • The Turn Of The Screw, English National Opera at the London Coliseum
  • The Turn Of The Screw, Kent Opera at Sadler’s Wells

Actor of the Year in a Supporting Role

Winner: David Threlfall for Nicholas Nickleby, RSC at the Aldwych

Nominees:

  • Simon Callow for Amadeus at the National Theatre
  • Edward Petherbridge for Nicholas Nickleby, RSC at the Aldwych
  • John Rogan for Juno And The Paycock, RSC at the Aldwych
  • David Threlfall for Nicholas Nickleby, RSC at the Aldwych

Actress of the Year in a Supporting Role

Winner: Suzanne Bertish for Nicholas Nickleby, RSC at the Aldwych

Nominees:

  • Suzanne Bertish for Nicholas Nickleby, RSC at the Aldwych
  • Lynn Dearth for The Greeks, RSC at the Aldwych
  • Prunella Scales for Make And Break at the Theatre Royal Haymarket
  • Susan Tracy for Three Sisters, RSC at the Warehouse

Actor of the Year in a Musical

Winner: Denis Quilley for Sweeney Todd at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane

Nominees:

  • Tom Conti for They’re Playing Our Song at the Shaftesbury
  • John Diedrich for Oklahoma! at the Palace
  • Denis Lawson for Pal Joey at the Albery
  • Denis Quilley for Sweeney Todd at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane

Actress of the Year in a Musical

Winner: Gemma Craven for They’re Playing Our Song at the Shaftesbury

Nominees:

  • Gemma Craven for They’re Playing Our Song at the Shaftesbury
  • Sheila Hancock for Sweeney Todd at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane
  • Julia McKenzie for On The Twentieth Century at Her Majesty’s
  • Sian Phillips for Pal Joey at the Albery

Most Promising Newcomer of the Year in Theatre

Winner: Edward Duke for the creation, adaptation and performance in Jeeves Takes Charge at the Fortune

Nominees:

  • Edward Duke for the creation, adaptation and performance in Jeeves Takes Charge at the Fortune
  • Alfred Molina for Oklahoma! at the Palace
  • Gavin Richards for the adaptation, direction and performance in Accidental Death Of An Anarchist at the Wyndham’s
  • Robert Walker for Pal Joey at the Albery

Outstanding First Achievement of the Year in Opera or Ballet

Winner: Rosalind Plowright for English National Opera’s The Turn of the Screw, at the London Coliseum

Nominees:

  • Felicity Lott for English National Opera’s Cosi Fan Tutte at the London Coliseum
  • Michael Pink for London Festival Ballet’s 1914 at the Royal Festival Hall
  • Rosalind Plowright for English National Opera’s The Turn Of The Screw at the London Coliseum
  • Roland Price for Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet’s Danses Concertantes at Sadler’s Wells

Outstanding Achievement of the Year in Ballet

Winner: Gloria, The Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House

Nominees:

  • Gaite Parisienne, Ballet Of The 20th Century Of Maurice Bejart at the London Coliseum
  • Gloria, The Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House
  • Rhapsody, The Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House
  • Sphinx, London Festival Ballet at the London Coliseum

Comedy of the Year

Winner: Educating Rita by Willy Russell at the Piccadilly

Nominees:

  • Born In The Gardens by Peter Nichols at the Globe
  • Educating Rita by Willy Russell at the Piccadilly
  • Make And Break by Michael Frayn at the Theatre Royal Haymarket
  • Sisterly Feelings by Alan Ayckbourn at the London Coliseum

Musical of the Year

Winner: Sweeney Todd, book by Hugh Wheeler adapted from C G Bond, music by Stephen Sondheim at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane

Nominees:

  • Sweeney Todd, book by Hugh Wheeler adapted from C G Bond, music by Stephen Sondheim, at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane
  • They’re Playing Our Song, book by Neil Simon, music by Martin Hamlisch at the Shaftesbury
  • Tom Foolery by Tom Lehrer at the Criterion
  • On The 20th Century by Betty Comden, Adolph Green, music by Cy Coleman at Her Majesty’s

Play of the Year

Winner: The Life And Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens, adapted by David Edgar, RSC at the Aldwych

Nominees:

  • A Lesson From Aloes by Athol Fugard at the National Theatre
  • Duet For One by Tom Kempinski at the Duke of York’s
  • The Life And Adventures Of Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens, adapted by David Edgar, RSC at the Aldwych
  • The Dresser by Ronald Harewood at the Queen’s

The Society’s Special Award

Sir Ralph Richardson