Oliviers: Olivier Winners 2008

First published: 23 Apr 2008

Best Actress
Winner: Kristin Scott Thomas for THE SEAGULL at the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court

Nominees: Anne-Marie Duff for SAINT JOAN at the National Theatre Olivier
Kelly Reilly for OTHELLO at the Donmar Warehouse
Fiona Shaw for HAPPY DAYS at the National Theatre Lyttelton
Penelope Wilton for JOHN GABRIEL BORKMAN at the Donmar Warehouse

Best Actor
Winner: Chiwetel Ejiofor for OTHELLO at the Donmar Warehouse

Nominees:
Ian McKellen for KING LEAR at the New London
Mark Rylance for BOEING BOEING at the Comedy
John Simm for ELLING at the Trafalgar Studios 1
Patrick Stewart for MACBETH at the Gielgud

Best Performance in a Supporting Role
Winner: Rory Kinnear for THE MAN OF MODE at the National Theatre Oliver

Nominees:
Michelle Fairley for OTHELLO at the Donmar Warehouse
Pam Ferris for THE ENTERTAINER at The Old Vic
Conleth Hill for PHILISTINES at the National Theatre Lyttelton

Best Newcomer in a Play
Winner: Tom Hiddleston for CYMBELINE at the Barbican

Nominees:
David Dawson for THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF NICHOLAS NICKLEBY at the Gielgud
Tom Hiddleston for OTHELLO at the Donmar Warehouse
Stephen Wight for DEALER’S CHOICE at the Trafalgar Studios 1
 
Best New Play
Winner: A DISAPPEARING NUMBER by Simon McBurney and Complicite at the Barbican

Nominees:
THE REPORTER by Nicholas Wright at the National Theatre Cottesloe
VERNON GOD LITTLE by DBC Pierre, adapted by Tanya Ronder at the Young Vic
WAR HORSE based on the novel by Michael Morpurgo, adapted by Nick Stafford at the National Theatre Olivier

Best New Comedy
Winner: RAFTA RAFTA by Ayub Khan-Din based on All In Good Time by Bill Naughton at the National Theatre Lyttelton

Nominees:
Absurdia: THE CRIMSON HOTEL by Michael Frayn at the Donmar Warehouse
ELLING in a new version by Simon Bent based on a novel by Ingvar Ambjørnsen, stage adaptation by Axel Hellstenius in collaboration with Peter Næss translated by Nicholas Norris at the Trafalgar Studio 1
WHIPPING IT UP by Steve Thompson at the New Ambassadors

Best Revival
Winner: SAINT JOAN by Bernard Shaw at the National Theatre Olivier

Nominees:
BOEING BOEING by Marc Camoletti, translated by Beverley Cross at the Comedy
DEALER’s CHOICE by Patrick Marber at Trafalgar Studios 1
MACBETH by William Shakespeare at the Gielgud
THE SEAGULL by Anton Chekhov, a version by Christopher Hampton at the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court.

Best New Musical
Winner: HAIRSPRAY, book by Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan, music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman, based upon the New Line Cinema film written and directed by John Waters

Nominees:
THE DROWSY CHAPERONE, music and lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison, book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar at the Novello
THE LORD OF THE RINGS, book and lyrics by Shaun McKenna and Matthew Warchus, music by A.R. Rahman, Värttinä with Christopher Nightingale at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
PARADE, book by Alfred Uhry, music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown, co-conceived by Harold Prince at the Donmar Warehouse

Best Musical Revival
Winner: THE MAGIC FLUTE – IMPEMPE YOMLINGO, adapted from Mozart by Mark Dornford-May, words and music by Mandisi Dyantyis, Mbali Kgosidintsi, Pauline Malefane and Nolufefe Mtshabe at the Young Vic

Nominees:
FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, book by Joseph Stein, music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick at the Savoy
LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS based on the film by Roger Corman, screenplay by Charles Griffiths, book and lyrics by Howard Ashman, music by Alan Menken at the Duke of York’s and Ambassadors

Best Actress in a Musical
Winner: Leanne Jones for HAIRSPRAY at the Shaftesbury

Nominees:
Lara Pulver for PARADE at the Donmar Warehouse
Sheridan Smith for LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS at the Duke of York’s and Ambassadors
Summer Strallen for THE DROWSY CHAPERONE at the Novello

Best Actor in a Musical
Winner: Michael Ball for HAIRSPRAY at the Shaftesbury

Nominees:
Bertie Carvel for PARADE at the Donmar Warehouse
Henry Goodman for FIDDLER ON THE ROOF at the Savoy
Bob Martin for THE DROWSY CHAPERONE at the Novello

Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical
Winner: Tracie Bennett for HAIRSPRAY at the Shaftesbury

Nominees:
Elinor Collett for HAIRSPRAY at the Shaftesbury
Shaun Escoffery for PARADE at the Donmar Warehouse
Alistair McGowan for LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS at the Duke of York’s and Ambassadors

Best Director
Winner: Rupert Goold for MACBETH at the Gielgud

Nominees:
Rob Ashford for PARADE at the Donmar Warehouse
Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris for WAR HORSE at the National Theatre Olivier
Jack O’Brien for HAIRSPRAY at the Shaftesbury

Best Theatre Choreographer
Winner: Toby Sedgwick for WAR HORSE at the Olivier

Nominees:
Rob Ashford for PARADE at the Donmar Warehouse
Jerry Mitchell for HAIRSPRAY at the Shaftesbury
Casey Nicholaw for THE DROWSY CHAPERONE at the Novello

Best Lighting Design
Winner: MACBETH designed by Howard Harrison at the Gielgud

Nominees:
HAIRSPRAY designed by Kenneth Posner at the Shaftesbury
THE LORD OF THE RINGS designed by Paul Pyant at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
WAR HORSE designed by Paule Constable at the Olivier

Best Set Design
Winner: WAR HORSE designed by Rae Smith and Handspring Puppet Company at the National Theatre Olivier

Nominees:
HAIRSPRAY designed by David Rockwell at the Shaftesbury
THE LORD OF THE RINGS designed by Rob Howell at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
Macbeth designed by Anthony Ward and Lorna Heavey at the Gielgud

Best Costume Design
Winner: THE MAN OF MODE designed by Vicki Mortimer at the National Theatre Olivier

Nominees:
THE DROWSY CHAPERONE designed by Gregg Barnes for at the Novello
HAIRSPRAY designed by William Ivey Long at the Shaftesbury
THE LORD OF THE RINGS designed by Rob Howell at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane

Best Sound Design
Winner: SAINT JOAN designed by Paul Arditti with music by Jocelyn Pook at the National Theatre Olivier

Nominees:
HAIRSPRAY designed by Steve C. Kennedy at the Shaftesbury
THE LORD OF THE RINGS designed by Simon Baker for Autograph at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
PARADE designed by Terry Jardine and Nick Lidster for Autograph at the Donmar Warehouse
WAR HORSE designed by Christopher Shutt with music by Adrian Sutton and John Tams at the National Theatre Oliver
 
Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre
Winner: GONE TOO FAR! at the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs at the Royal Court

Nominees:
THE BROTHERS SIZE at the Maria, Young Vic
CINDERELLA at Theatre Royal, Stratford East
The cast of THAT FACE at the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs at the Royal Court

Best New Opera Production
Winner: The Royal Opera’s PELLEAS ET MELISANDE at the Royal Opera House

Nominees:
English National Opera’s AGRIPPINA at the London Coliseum
The Royal Opera’s LA FILLE DU REGIMENT at the Royal Opera House
English National Opera’s TURN OF THE SCREW at the Coliseum

Outstanding Achievement in Opera
Winner: Natalie Dessay for her performance in LA FILLE DU REGIMENT at the Royal Opera House

Nominees:
Gerald Finley for his performance in PELLEAS ET MELISANDE at the Royal Opera House
Angelika Kirchschlager for her performance in PELLEAS ET MELISANDE at the Royal Opera House
David McVicar for directing English National Opera’s TURN OF THE SCREW and AGRIPPINA at the London Coliseum

Best New Dance Production
Winner: The Royal Ballet’s JEWELS at the Royal Opera House

Nominees:
Fabulous Beast Dance’s THE BULL at the Barbican
Mark Morris Dance Group’s MOZART DANCES at the Barbican
Northern Ballet Theatre’s THE THREE MUSKATEERS at Sadler’s Wells

Outstanding Achievement in Dance
Winner: The Royal Ballet Company for their performances in JEWELS

Nominees:
Savion Glover for his performance in LIVE FOR LONDON at Sadler’s Wells
Jonathan Goddard for his performances with the Richard Alston Dance Company at Sadler’s Wells
Wendy Whelan for her performance in the Christopher Wheeldon Company’s FOOL’S PARADISE

Special Award
Andrew Lloyd Webber