The lauded Lin-Manuel Miranda musical Hamilton led the way at the Olivier Awards 2018 with Mastercard ceremony, collecting seven awards from its record-breaking thirteen nominations.
Hosted by Catherine Tate, the evening saw honours largely shared evenly amongst a number of highly acclaimed London theatres of the past year. The National Theatre celebrated five Olivier Award wins across their productions, while the Royal Court enjoyed four, including three for the Broadway-bound epic Jez Butterworth play, The Ferryman.
It was Hamilton who dominated the musical categories on the night, in turn matching Matilda The Musical‘s record for most Olivier wins by a musical. Having opened the ceremony with a spectacular performance of titular track Alexander Hamilton, the production went on to claim the coveted Mastercard Best New Musical award, with composer-lyricist Lin-Manuel Miranda and orchestrator Alex Lacamoire also being recognised for their Outstanding Achievement in Music.
Giles Terera, who plays Hamilton’s nemesis Aaron Burr, won Best Actor in a Musical, while Michael Jibson was awarded Best Supporting Actor in a Musical for his role as King George III. The show’s other wins came for Best Lighting Design (Howell Binkley), Best Sound Design (Nevin Steinberg), and Best Theatre Choreographer (Andy Blankenbuehler).
Elsewhere in the musical acting categories, The Old Vic’s Girl From The North Country, which beautifully weaved the work of Bob Dylan into a story by Conor McPherson, saw Shirley Henderson and Sheila Atim win Best Actress in a Musical and Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical respectively.
The National Theatre’s stunning recent revivals paid dividends at the ceremony, as their productions of Follies and Angels In America (currently playing in New York) claimed the Magic Radio Best Musical Revival and Best Revival awards respectively.
Follies also won Best Costume Design (Vicki Mortimer), and Denise Gough won Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her Angels In America performance. Elsewhere, Bryan Cranston marked his West End debut at the National Theatre with the Olivier Award for Best Actor.
Soon to also be playing on Broadway, Jez Butterworth’s The Ferryman, which began life at the Royal Court before transferring to the Gielgud Theatre, collected three Olivier Awards: American Airlines Best New Play, Best Director for Sam Mendes, and Best Actress for Laura Donnelly, whose personal experiences provided the inspiration for the Troubles-set play.
Additionally, the Royal Court’s production of Killology, which played in the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs, won the award for Outstanding Achievement in Affiliate Theatre.
Brilliant writer James Graham claimed Best New Comedy for Labour Of Love, while a star from another of his plays, Bertie Carvel for Ink, won Best Actor in a Supporting Role.
Elsewhere, London Palladium pantomime hit Dick Whittington won Best Entertainment and Family.
Celebrating the best of dance from the past year, the Olivier Award for Best New Dance Production went to Flight Pattern by Crystal Pite for The Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House, while Francesca Velicu won Outstanding Achievement in Dance for her performance in English National Ballet’s production of Pina Bausch’s Le Sacre Du Printemps at Sadler’s Wells.
In the opera categories, the Royal Opera House won Best New Opera for Semiramide, and Joyce DiDonato and Daniela Barcellona won Outstanding Achievement in Opera for their performances in the production.
David Lan was this year’s recipient of the Special Award, in recognition of his outstanding contribution in leading the Young Vic since 2000, his work within the local community around the theatre, and his commitment to internationalism and diversity.
Performances on the night included a moment to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the premiere London production of West Side Story – musical theatre legend Chita Rivera performed iconic track Somewhere with previous Olivier Award winners Andy Karl and Adam J. Bernard – while there was also a unique moment to honour of the 50th anniversary of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s iconic musical Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, with past stars including Jason Donovan, Linzi Hateley, Lee Mead, Preeya Kalidas, Joe McElderry and Danielle Hope performing.
We also enjoyed and performances from a number of nominated musicals from the past year, including Hamilton, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Girl From The North Country, Young Frankenstein, Follies and 42nd Street.
Presenters this year included Alexandra Burke, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Anne-Marie Duff, Beverley Knight, Chita Rivera, Cuba Gooding Jnr, Juliet Stevenson, Meera Syal, Mel Giedroyc, Michael Sheen, Ophelia Lovibond, Patti LuPone, Pearl Mackie and Sergei Polunin.
FULL LIST OF WINNERS
AMERICAN AIRLINES BEST NEW PLAY
The Ferryman at Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court Theatre and Gielgud Theatre
BEST NEW COMEDY
Labour Of Love at Noël Coward Theatre
BEST NEW DANCE PRODUCTION
Flight Pattern by Crystal Pite for The Royal Ballet at Royal Opera House
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN DANCE
Francesca Velicu for her performance in English National Ballet’s production of Pina Bausch’s Le Sacre Du Printemps at Sadler’s Wells
BEST ENTERTAINMENT AND FAMILY
Dick Whittington at London Palladium
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Vicki Mortimer for Follies at National Theatre – Olivier
DELTA LIVE AWARD FOR BEST SOUND DESIGN
Nevin Steinberg for Hamilton at Victoria Palace Theatre
BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Bertie Carvel for Ink at Almeida Theatre and Duke of York’s Theatre
BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Denise Gough for Angels In America at National Theatre – Lyttelton
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN AFFILIATE THEATRE
Killology at Jerwood Theatre Upstairs at the Royal Court Theatre, a co-production with Sherman Theatre Cardiff
BLUE-I THEATRE TECHNOLOGY AWARD FOR BEST SET DESIGN
Bob Crowley and 59 Productions for An American In Paris at Dominion Theatre
WHITE LIGHT AWARD FOR BEST LIGHTING DESIGN
Howell Binkley for Hamilton at Victoria Palace Theatre
BEST ACTOR
Bryan Cranston for Network at National Theatre – Lyttelton
BEST ACTRESS
Laura Donnelly for The Ferryman at Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court Theatre and Gielgud Theatre
BEST DIRECTOR
Sam Mendes for The Ferryman at Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court Theatre and Gielgud Theatre
BEST NEW OPERA PRODUCTION
Semiramide at Royal Opera House
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN OPERA
Joyce DiDonato and Daniela Barcellona for their performances in Semiramide at Royal Opera House
BEST REVIVAL
Angels In America at National Theatre – Lyttelton
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC
Hamilton – Composer-Lyricist: Lin-Manuel Miranda; Orchestrator: Alex Lacamoire at Victoria Palace Theatre
BEST THEATRE CHOREOGRAPHER
Andy Blankenbuehler for Hamilton at Victoria Palace Theatre
MAGIC RADIO BEST MUSICAL REVIVAL
Follies at National Theatre – Olivier
BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Michael Jibson for Hamilton at Victoria Palace Theatre
BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Sheila Atim for Girl From The North Country at The Old Vic and the Noël Coward Theatre
BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Shirley Henderson for Girl From The North Country at The Old Vic and the Noël Coward Theatre
BEST ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Giles Terera for Hamilton at Victoria Palace Theatre
MASTERCARD BEST NEW MUSICAL
Hamilton at Victoria Palace Theatre
SPECIAL AWARD
David Lan