A trio of London designers, Howard Harrison, David Hersey, and Mark Henderson well known in the US lead the competition for this year’s Olivier Awards, the London equivalent of the Tonys. Nominated in the lighting category are Howard Harrison for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and the Donmar Warehouse revival of Tales From Hollywood; Mark Henderson for A Midsummer Night’s Dream and the Royal National Theatre revival of The Playboy of the Western World; David Hersey for My Fair Lady and South Pacific (both of which originated at the National); Tim Mitchell for Henry IV, Parts I and II at Royal Shakespeare Company; and Peter Mumford for Hamlet at Royal Shakespeare and Private Lives. In other design categories, two US designers, Robin Wagner and Martin Pakledinaz, were cited for the scenery and costumes, respectively, of Kiss Me Kate, a reproduction of the staging seen in New York over the last two years. In the scenery category, Wagner’s competition includes Lez Brotherston, for the Donmar Warehouse revival of The Little Foxes and a West End production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Julian Crouch and Graeme Gilmour for Shockheaded Peter, which was seen in New York briefly last year; Tim Hatley for Humble Boy at the Royal National Theatre and Private Lives in the West End; and Anthony Ward for the smash hit revival of My Fair Lady. Up against Pakledinaz in the costume category is Jenny Beavan for Private Lives, Kevin Pollard for Shockheaded Peter, and Ward, again for My Fair Lady. Both Private Lives and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof are considered likely prospects for Broadway this spring, with My Fair Lady a possibility for the season after that.
The awards will be announced February 15. A complete list of nominees follows:
Best Actress
Lindsay Duncan - Mouth To Mouth (Royal Court)
Lindsay Duncan - Private Lives (Albery Theatre)
Victoria Hamilton - A Day in the Death of Joe Egg (New Ambassadors/Comedy)
Zoë Wanamaker - Boston Marriage (Donmar)
Best Actor
Roger Allam - Privates on Parade (Donmar)
Sean Foley and Hamish McColl - The Play What I Wrote (Wyndhams)
Alan Rickman - Private Lives (Albery)
Simon Russell Beale - Humble Boy (National Theatre)
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Bríd Brennan - The Little Foxes (Donmar)
Emma Fielding - Private Lives (Albery)
Lyndsey Marshal - Boston Marriage (Donmar)
Marcia Warren - Humble Boy (National Theatre)
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Desmond Barrit - Henry IV Parts I and II (Barbican)
Ned Beatty - Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Lyric)
Adam Godley - Mouth to Mouth (Royal Court)
Toby Jones - The Play What I Wrote (Wyndham's)
Malcolm Sinclair - Privates on Parade (Donmar)
The BBC Award for Best New Play
Boy Gets Girl by Rebecca Gilman
Gagarin Way by Gregory Burke
Humble Boy by Charlotte Jones
Jitney by August Wilson
Mouth to Mouth by Kevin Elyot
Best New Comedy
Boston Marriage by David Mamet
Caught in the Net by Ray Cooney
Feelgood by Alistair Beaton
The Play What I Wrote by Hamish Mccoll, Sean Foley, Eddie Braben
Best Entertainment
The Pub Landlord - My Gaff, My Rules by Al Murray (Playhouse)
Barbara Cook Sings Mostly Sondheim (Lyric)
Shockheaded Peter by Julian Bleach, Anthony Cairns, Julian Crouch, Graeme Gilmour, Tamzin Griffin, Jo Pocock, Phelim Mcdermott, Michael Morris, and The Tiger Lillies (Piccadilly)
The League Of Gentlemen by Jeremy Dyson, Mark Gatiss, Steve Pemberton And Reece Shearsmith (Theatre Royal)
The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler (New Ambassadors/Arts)
The Hilton Award for Outstanding Musical Production
Kiss Me, Kate, music and lyrics by Cole Porter, Book by Sam & Bella Spewack Victoria Palace)
My Fair Lady, book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner, Music by Frederick Loewe (National Theatre)
South Pacific, music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein Ii, Book By Oscar Hammerstein Ii And Joshua Logan (National Theatre)
Best Actress in a Musical or Entertainment
Barbara Cook - Barbara Cook Sings Mostly Sondheim (Lyric)
Ruthie Henshall - Peggy Sue Got Married (Shaftesbury)
Martine Mccutcheon - My Fair Lady (National Theatre)
Marin Mazzie - Kiss Me, Kate (Victoria Palace)
Best Actor in a Musical or Entertainment
Brent Barrett - Kiss Me, Kate (Victoria Palace)
Paul Keating - Closer to Heaven (Arts)
Jonathan Pryce - My Fair Lady (National Theatre)
Philip Quast - South Pacific (National Theatre)
Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical / Entertainment
Nancy Anderson - Kiss Me, Kate (Victoria Palace)
Michael Berresse - Kiss Me, Kate (Victoria Palace)
Martyn Jacques - Shockheaded Peter (Piccadilly)
Nicholas Le Prevost - My Fair Lady (National Theatre)
Best Director
Michael Blakemore - Kiss Me, Kate
Michael Boyd - Henry VI Parts I, II And III And Richard III
Howard Davies - Private Lives
Phelim Mcdermott And Julian Crouch - Shockheaded Peter
Ian Rickson - Mouth to Mouth
Best Choreography
Matthew Bourne - My Fair Lady
Irving Davies - The Play What I Wrote
Scarlett Mackmin - Privates on Parade
Kathleen Marshall - Kiss Me, Kate
Best Set Designer
Lez Brotherston - The Little Foxes (Donmar) - A Midsummer Night's Dream (Albery)
Julian Crouch and Graeme Gilmour - Shockheaded Peter (Piccadilly)
Tim Hatley - Humble Boy (National Theatre) - Private Lives (Albery)
Robin Wagner - Kiss Me, Kate (Victoria Palace)
Anthony Ward - My Fair Lady (National Theatre)
Best Costume Designer
Jenny Beavan - Private Lives (Albery)
Martin Pakledinaz - Kiss Me, Kate (Victoria Palace)
Kevin Pollard - Shockheaded Peter (Piccadilly)
Anthony Ward - My Fair Lady (National Theatre)
Best Lighting Designer
Howard Harrison - Cat On A Hot Tin Roof (Lyric) - Tales From Hollywood (Donmar)
Mark Henderson - A Midsummer Night's Dream (Albery) - The Playboy Of The Western World (National Theatre)
David Hersey - My Fair Lady - South Pacific (National Theatre)
Tim Mitchell - Henry IV Parts I And II (Barbican)
Peter Mumford - Hamlet (Barbican) - Private Lives (Albery)
Most Promising Playwright
Grae Cleugh - Fucking Games
Abi Morgan - Tender
Simon Stephens – Herons
Most Promising Performer
Jack Davenport - The Servant (Lyric Hammersmith)
Benjamin Davies - Fucking Games (Royal Court)
Ralf Little - Presence (Royal Court)
Leah Muller - Six Characters Looking for n Author (Young Vic)