Experienced performer Samantha Spiro and London newcomer Aneurin Barnard have won the 2010 Laurence Olivier Awards for Best Actress and Actor in a Musical or Entertainment.
Spiro won the award for Best Actress in a Musical or Entertainment for her performance in the Open Air theatre’s revival of Jerry Herman musical Hello, Dolly!, in which she played the title role of meddling matchmaker Dolly Levi as, according to Official London Theatre’s First Night Feature, “a fast-talking pocket dynamo, whirling in and out of lives and situations like a tornado creating the best, most well-intentioned kind of havoc imaginable”.
Spiro, who previously won the Best Actress in a Musical Award in 2001 for her performance in the Donmar Warehouse’s production of Merrily We Roll Along, was nominated alongside Melanie C (Blood Brothers), Patina Miller (Sister Act), Hannah Waddingham (A Little Night Music) and Charlotte Wakefield (Spring Awakening).
Wakefield’s Spring Awakening co-star, 22-year-old Aneurin Barnard, won his Best Actor in a Musical or Entertainment Laurence Olivier Award for his London stage debut in the role of talented, idealistic youngster Melchior.
The Welsh actor beat more experienced nominees Rowan Atkinson (Oliver!), Alexander Hanson (A Little Night Music), Tony Sheldon (Priscilla Queen Of The Desert The Musical) and Bob Golding (Morecambe) to win the award, which was presented by American star of Oklahoma!, Carousel and The Music Man, Shirley Jones.
Though Golding missed out on his individual award, Morecambe did collect the award for Best Entertainment, triumphing over fellow nominees Arturo Brachetti: Change and Derren Brown: Enigma. Tim Whitnall’s one-man show following the life of much-loved British comedian Eric Morecambe played at the Duchess theatre over Christmas. The award was presented by The Little Dog Laughed stars Tamsin Greig, who is a former Laurence Olivier Award winner, and Rupert Friend.
MA
