
John Lithgow and Lesley Manville take home acting gongs at starry Olivier Awards
Jordan Fein's acclaimed revival of the 1964 musical at Regent's Park Open Air theatre won three of its 13 nominations, losing out in the acting categories.
Hosted by Beverly Knight and Billy Porter at the Royal Albert Hall in London on Sunday (6 April), the ceremony was particularly starry this year with several A-listers, including Paapa Essiedu, Imelda Staunton and Adrien Brody, receiving nominations for their contributions to the West End.
Other high-profile names, including Tom Hiddleston, Ewan McGregor, and The Crown 's Elizabeth Debicki, presented awards, with Cate Blanchett, Mark Strong, Martin Freeman and Naomi Campbell also in attendance.
Fresh from his Oscar win for The Brutalist, Brody – nominated for Best Actor for his role in the Donmar Theatre's The Fear of 13 – missed out on the gong, which went to John Lithgow instead for his towering turn as Roald Dahl in Giant.
Garlanded with five-star reviews last year, Mark Rosenblatt's simmering debut play explores the truculent author's antisemitism. Giant also won Best New Play and Best Actor in a Supporting Role.
Accepting the award, Lithgow, 79, told the audience he might 'faint'.
Referring to US President Donald Trump's administration, the New York-born actor said: 'It's not always easy to welcome an American into your midst, and at this particular moment, it's probably a little more complicated than usual.'
Best Actress, meanwhile, went to Lesley Manville for her performance in Robert Icke 's thrilling production of Oedipus at The Old Vic. His reimagining of the Greek tragedy as a political thriller won the prize for Best Revival.
First-time nominee Romola Garai triumphed in the Best Actress in a Supporting Role category, in which she was nominated twice for her roles in both Giant and The Years. She won for the latter – an adaptation of French author Annie Ernaux's 2008 masterpiece, for which Eline Arbo won the directing prize.
Imelda Staunton took home the award for Best Actress in a Musical thanks to her performance as a meddling matchmaker in Hello, Dolly!, which premiered on Broadway in 1964.
See below for the full list of winners…
Best director
Eline Arbo for The Years at Almeida theatre and Harold Pinter theatre – WINNER
Jordan Fein for Fiddler on the Roof at Regent's Park Open Air theatre
Nicholas Hytner for Giant at Jerwood theatre Downstairs at Royal Court theatre
Robert Icke for Oedipus at Wyndham's theatre
Best actress
Heather Agyepong for Shifters at Duke of York's theatre
Lesley Manville for Oedipus at Wyndham's theatre – WINNER
Rosie Sheehy for Machinal at the Old Vic
Meera Syal for A Tupperware of Ashes at National Theatre – Dorfman
Indira Varma for Oedipus at the Old Vic
Best actor
Adrien Brody for The Fear of 13 at Donmar Warehouse
Billy Crudup for Harry Clarke at Ambassadors theatre
Paapa Essiedu for Death of England: Delroy at @sohoplace
John Lithgow for Giant at Jerwood theatre Downstairs at Royal Court theatre – WINNER
Mark Strong for Oedipus at Wyndham's theatre
Best actor in a supporting role
Jorge Bosch for Kyoto at @sohoplace
Tom Edden for Waiting for Godot at Theatre Royal Haymarket
Elliot Levey for Giant at Jerwood theatre Downstairs at Royal Court theatre – WINNER
Ben Whishaw for Bluets at Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at Royal Court theatre
Best actress in a supporting role
Sharon D Clarke for The Importance of Being Earnest at National Theatre – Lyttelton
Romola Garai for Giant at Jerwood theatre Downstairs at Royal Court theatre
Romola Garai for The Years at Almeida theatre and Harold Pinter theatre – WINNER
Gina McKee for The Years at Almeida Theatre and Harold Pinter theatre
Best new play
The Fear of 13 by Lindsey Ferrentino at Donmar Warehouse
Giant by Mark Rosenblatt at Jerwood theatre Downstairs at Royal Court theatre – WINNER
Kyoto by Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson at @sohoplace
Shifters by Benedict Lombe at Duke of York's theatre
The Years adapted by Eline Arbo, in an English version by Stephanie Bain at Almeida theatre and Harold Pinter theatre
Best new musical
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, music and lyrics by Darren Clark, book and lyrics by Jethro Compton at Ambassadors theatre – WINNER
MJ the Musical, book by Lynn Nottage at Prince Edward theatre
Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812, music, lyrics and book by Dave Malloy at Donmar Warehouse
Why Am I So Single?, music, lyrics and book by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss at Garrick theatre
Best actor in a musical
John Dagleish for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button at Ambassadors theatre – WINNER
Adam Dannheisser for Fiddler on the Roof at Regent's Park Open Air theatre
Myles Frost for MJ the Musical at Prince Edward theatre
Simon Lipkin for Oliver! at Gielgud theatre
Jamie Muscato for Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 at Donmar Warehouse
Best actress in a musical
Chumisa Dornford-May for Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 at Donmar Warehouse
Lauren Drew for Titanique at Criterion theatre
Clare Foster for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button at Ambassadors theatre
Lara Pulver for Fiddler on the Roof at Regent's Park Open Air theatre
Imelda Staunton for Hello, Dolly! at the London Palladium – WINNER
Best set design
Jon Bausor for set design, Toby Olié and Daisy Beattie for puppetry design and Satoshi Kuriyama for projection design for Spirited Away at London Coliseum
Frankie Bradshaw for set design for Ballet Shoes at National Theatre – Olivier
Es Devlin for set design for Coriolanus at National Theatre – Olivier
Tom Scutt for set design for Fiddler on the Roof at Regent's Park Open Air theatre – WINNER
Best lighting design
Paule Constable and Ben Jacobs for Oliver! at Gielgud theatre – WINNER
Howard Hudson for Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 at Donmar Warehouse
Howard Hudson for Starlight Express at Troubadour Wembley Park theatre
Aideen Malone for Fiddler on the Roof at Regent's Park Open Air theatre
Best new opera production
Duke Bluebeard's Castle by English National Opera at London Coliseum
Festen by the Royal Opera at Royal Opera House – WINNER
L'Olimpiade by Irish National Opera and the Royal Opera at Royal Opera House
The Tales of Hoffmann by the Royal Opera at Royal Opera House
Outstanding achievement in opera
Aigul Akhmetshina for her performance in Carmen at Royal Opera House
Allan Clayton for his performance in Festen at Royal Opera House – WINNER
Jung Young-doo for his direction of Lear at Barbican theatre
Best family show
Brainiac Live at Marylebone theatre – WINNER
Maddie Moate's Very Curious Christmas at Apollo theatre
The Nutcracker at Polka theatre
Rough Magic at Shakespeare's Globe – Sam Wanamaker Playhouse
Best new production in affiliate theatre
Animal Farm at Theatre Royal Stratford East by George Orwell, adapted by Tatty Hennessy
Boys on the Verge of Tears by Sam Grabiner at Soho theatre – WINNER
English by Sanaz Toossi at Kiln theatre
Now, I See by Lanre Malaolu at Theatre Royal Stratford East
What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank by Nathan Englander at Marylebone theatre
Best new dance production
Assembly Hall by Kidd Pivot, Crystal Pite and Jonathon Young at Sadler's Wells – WINNER
Frontiers: Choreographers of Canada – Pite/Kudelka/Portner by the National Ballet of Canada at Sadler's Wells
Theatre of Dreams by Hofesh Shechter Company at Sadler's Wells
An Untitled Love by A.I.M by Kyle Abraham at Sadler's Wells
Outstanding achievement in dance
Sarah Chun for her performance in Three Short Ballets at Royal Opera House – Linbury theatre
Tom Visser for his lighting design of Angels' Atlas as part of F rontiers: Choreographers of Canada –
Pite/Kudelka/Portner at Sadler's Wells
Eva Yerbabuena for her performance in Yerbagüena at Sadler's Wells – WINNER
Best theatre choreographer
Matthew Bourne for Oliver! at Gielgud theatre
Julia Cheng for Fiddler on the Roof at Regent's Park Open Air theatre
Hofesh Shechter for Oedipus at the Old Vic
Christopher Wheeldon for MJ the Musical at Prince Edward theatre – WINNER
Best costume design
Hugh Durrant for Robin Hood at the London Palladium
Sachiko Nakahara for Spirited Away at London Coliseum
Tom Scutt for Fiddler on the Roof at Regent's Park Open Air theatre
Gabriella Slade for Starlight Express at Troubadour Wembley Park theatre – WINNER
Best sound design
Nick Lidster for Fiddler on the Roof at Regent's Park Open Air theatre – WINNER
Christopher Shutt for Oedipus at the Old Vic
Thijs van Vuure for The Years at Almeida theatre and Harold Pinter theatre
Koichi Yamamoto for Spirited Away at London Coliseum
Outstanding musical contribution
Mark Aspinall for musical supervision and additional orchestrations for Fiddler on the Roof at Regent's Park Open Air theatre
Darren Clark for music supervision, orchestrations and arrangements and Mark Aspinall for musical direction, music supervision, orchestrations and arrangements for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button at Ambassadors theatre – WINNER
Dave Malloy for orchestrations and Nicholas Skilbeck for musical supervision for Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 at Donmar Warehouse
Asaf Zohar for compositions and Gavin Sutherland for dance arrangements and orchestration for Ballet Shoes at National Theatre – Olivier
Best actress in a supporting role in a musical
Liv Andrusier for Fiddler on the Roof at Regent's Park Open Air theatre
Amy Di Bartolomeo for The Devil Wears Prada at Dominion theatre
Beverley Klein for Fiddler on the Roof at Regent's Park Open Air theatre
Maimuna Memon for Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 at Donmar Warehouse – WINNER
Best musical revival
Fiddler on the Roof, music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, book by Joseph Stein at Regent's Park Open Air theatre – WINNER
Hello, Dolly!, music and lyrics by Jerry Herman, book by Michael Stewart at the London Palladium
Oliver!, book, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart, new material and revisions by Cameron Mackintosh at Gielgud theatre
Starlight Express, music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Richard Stilgoe at Troubadour Wembley Park theatre
Best actor in a supporting role in a musical
Andy Nyman for Hello, Dolly! at the London Palladium
Raphael Papo for Fiddler on the Roof at Regent's Park Open Air theatre
Layton Williams for Titanique at Criterion theatre – WINNER
Tom Xander for Mean Girls at Savoy theatre
Best new entertainment or comedy play
Ballet Shoes adapted by Kendall Feaver at National Theatre – Olivier
Inside No 9 Stage/Fright by Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith at Wyndham's theatre
Spirited Away adapted by John Caird and co-adapted by Maoko Imai at London Coliseum
Titanique by Tye Blue, Marla Mindelle and Constantine Rousouli at Criterion theatre
Best revival
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde at National Theatre – Lyttelton
Machinal by Sophie Treadwell at the Old Vic
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