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Olivier Winners 1979

Designer of the Year

Winner: William Dudley for Undiscovered Country at the National Theatre

Nominees:

  • John Bury for Strife at the National Theatre
  • William Dudley for Undiscovered Country at the National Theatre
  • John Napier for Once In A Lifetime, RSC at the Aldwych
  • Carl Toms for For Services Rendered at the National Theatre

Director of the Year

Winner: Michael Bogdanov for The Taming Of The Shrew, RSC at the Aldwych

Nominees:

  • Michael Bogdanov for The Taming Of The Shrew, RSC at the Aldwych
  • Michael Elliott for The Family Reunion at the Vaudeville
  • Trevor Nunn for Once In A Lifetime, RSC at the Aldwych
  • Michael Rudman for Death Of A Salesman at the National

Actor of the Year in a Revival

Winner: Warren Mitchell for Death Of A Salesman at the National

Nominees:

  • Michael Bryant for Strife at the National Theatre
  • Warren Mitchell for Death Of A Salesman at the National Theatre
  • Jonathan Pryce for The Taming Of The Shrew, RSC at the Aldwych
  • Patrick Stewart for The Merchant Of Venice, RSC at the Warehouse

Actress of the Year in a Revival

Winner: Zoe Wanamaker for Once In A Lifetime, RSC at the Aldwych

Nominees:

  • Billie Whitelaw for Happy Days at the Royal Court
  • Paola Dionisotti for The Taming Of The Shrew, RSC at the Aldwych
  • Glenda Jackson for Antony And Cleopatra, RSC at the Aldwych
  • Zoe Wanamaker for Once In A Lifetime, RSC at the Aldwych

Actor of the Year in a New Play

Winner: Ian McKellen for Bent at the Royal Court and the Criterion

Nominees:

  • Michael Gambon for Betrayal at the National Theatre
  • Dinsdale Landen for Bodies at the Ambassadors
  • Ian McKellen for Bent at the Royal Court and the Criterion
  • John Standing for Close Of Play at the National Theatre

Actress of the Year in a New Play

Winner: Jane Lapotaire for Piaf, RSC at the Warehouse

Nominees:

  • Constance Cummings for Wings at the National Theatre
  • Gemma Jones for And A Nightingale Sang at the Queen’s
  • Jane Lapotaire for Piaf, RSC at the Warehouse
  • Jessica Tandy for The Gin Game at the Lyric

Comedy Performance of the Year

Winner: Barry Humphries for A Night With Dame Edna at the Piccadilly

Nominees:

  • Richard Griffiths for Once In A Lifetime, RSC at the Aldwych
  • Barry Humphries for A Night With Dame Edna at the Piccadilly
  • Oscar James for Gloo Joo at the Criterion
  • Maureen Lipman for Outside Edge at the Queen’s

Outstanding Achievement in Opera

Winner: The Rake’s Progress, The Royal Opera at the Royal Opera House

Nominees:

  • Die Zauberflote, The Royal Opera at the Royal Opera House
  • Manon, English National Opera at the London Coliseum
  • The Adventures Of Mr Broucek, English National Opera at the London Coliseum
  • The Rake’s Progress, The Royal Opera at the Royal Opera House

Actor of the Year in a Supporting Role

Winner: Patrick Stewart for Antony And Cleopatra, RSC at the Aldwych

Nominees:

  • Michael Bryant for Undiscovered Country at the National Theatre
  • Stephen Greif for Death Of A Salesman at the National Theatre
  • Patrick Stewart for Antony And Cleopatra, RSC at the Aldwych
  • David Suchet for Once In A Lifetime, RSC at the Aldwych

Actress of the Year in a Supporting Role

Winner: Doreen Mantle for Death Of A Salesman, at the National

Nominees:

  • Carmen Du Sautoy for Once In A Lifetime, RSC at the Aldwych
  • Alison Fiske for For Services Rendered at the National Theatre
  • Doreen Mantle for Death Of A Salesman at the National Theatre
  • Patricia Routledge for And A Nightingale Sang at the Queen’s

Actor of the Year in a Musical

Winner: Anton Rodgers for Songbook at the Globe

Nominees:

  • Tony Britton for My Fair Lady at the Adelphi
  • Michael Crawford for Flowers For Algernon at the Queen’s
  • Ben Cross for Chicago at the Cambridge
  • Anton Rodgers for Songbook at the Globe

Actress of the Year in a Musical

Winner: Virginia McKenna for The King And I at the London Palladium

Nominees:

  • Carol Channing for Hello, Dolly! at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane
  • Antonia Ellis for Chicago at the Cambridge
  • Virginia McKenna for The King And I at the London Palladium
  • Liz Robertson for My Fair Lady at the Adelphi

Outstanding Achievement of the Year in Ballet

Winner: Peter Schaufuss for London Festival Ballet’s La Sylphide at the Royal Festival Hall

Nominees:

  • Kenneth MacMillan for Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet’s Playground, at Sadler’s Wells
  • Peter Schaufuss for London Festival Ballet’s La Sylphide, at the Royal Festival Hall
  • The Tempest, Ballet Rambert, at Sadler’s Wells

Comedy of the Year

Winner: Middle Age Spread by Roger Hall at the Lyric

Nominees:

  • Clouds by Michael Frayn at the Duke of York’s
  • Middle Age Spread by Roger Hall at the Lyric
  • Outside Edge by Richard Harris at the Queen’s

Musical of the Year

Winner: Songbook by Monty Norman and Julian Moore at the Globe

Nominees:

  • Ain’t Misbehavin’ by Murray Horwitz, Richard Maltby and Luther Henderson at Her Majesty’s
  • Bar Mitzvah Boy, book by Jack Rosenthal, lyrics by Don Black, music by Julie Styne at the Adelphi
  • Chicago, book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, music by John Kander at the Cambridge
  • Songbook by Monty Norman and Julian Moore at the Globe

Play of the Year

Winner: Betrayal by Harold Pinter at the National Theatre

Nominees:

  • Betrayal by Harold Pinter at the National Theatre
  • Night And Day by Tom Stoppard at the Phoenix
  • The Crucifer Of Blood by Arthur Conan Doyle, adapted by Paul Giovanni, at the Theatre Royal Haymarket
  • Undiscovered Country by Arthur Schnitzler, adapted by Tom Stoppard at the National Theatre

The Society’s Special Award

Lord Olivier