Olivier Awards 2017 - entirely self-indulgent blog-post

Tonight: the Olivier awards. This afternoon: sitting in my sunny garden on my shiny new deckchair with a selection of books and cold cider. Right now: eating lunch, watching Supergirl, and rambling about the nominations.

Best Revival

The Glass Menagerie at Duke of York’s theatre
This House at Garrick theatre
Travesties at Apollo theatre
Yerma at Young Vic

The only one of these I have not seen this year is This House, but I'm presuming it's (cast change aside) basically the same production as before. Actually, if it is, then does it really count as a revival? Does Yerma really count as a revival when it's an updating of the original? Well, I don't really care who wins, this is a great category. Looking at Travesties or Yerma to take the prize, but not upset if The Glass Menagerie or This House does.

Best New Comedy

The Comedy About a Bank Robbery at Criterion theatre
Nice Fish at Harold Pinter theatre
Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour at National Theatre – Dorfman
The Truth at Wyndham’s theatre

I have nothing polite to say about The Truth. The Comedy About a Bank Robbery is not quite as good at the Goes Wrongs but I am very much in favour of Mischief Theatre continuing their bid for global domination. I didn't see Nice Fish. I wonder if Our Ladies might win here to give them a West End boost and to ensure they get at least one award, even though I don't know that this is the right category for them.

Best Costume Design

Gregg Barnes for Dreamgirls at Savoy theatre
Hugh Durrant for Cinderella at London Palladium
Rob Howell for Groundhog Day at the Old Vic
Katrina Lindsay for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at Palace theatre

Wow, three of these nominees were also nominated last year. They're either truly the best of the best or there's room for further diversity in costume design. (Or both.) Having only seen the latter two nominated shows, I don't have my hopes up for either. Maybe there'll be a Potter sweep and the costumes were fine, but I sort of hope that Dreamgirls and Cinderella can out-costume wizard robes.

Blue-i Theatre Technology Award for Best Set Design

Bob Crowley for Disney’s Aladdin at Prince Edward theatre
Bob Crowley for The Glass Menagerie at Duke of York’s theatre
Rob Howell for Groundhog Day at the Old Vic
Christine Jones for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at Palace theatre

Well someone's been working hard this year, Bob Crowley. I have not seen Aladdin. I thought The Glass Menagerie was theoretically beautiful but should have points docked for not being visible from the stalls. I ADORED Groundhog Day but don't know if the set design was its strongest point aesthetically (though obviously it was technically brilliant, working perfectly in conjunction with like fifteen revolves). I think Christine Jones should take this one because the Cursed Child set was just great, both the literal locations and the evoked ones.

White Light Award for Best Lighting Design

Neil Austin for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at Palace theatre
Lee Curran for Jesus Christ Superstar at Regent’s Park Open Air theatre
Natasha Katz for The Glass Menagerie at Duke of York’s theatre
Hugh Vanstone for Groundhog Day at the Old Vic

Could Cursed Child take this one? Sure. Would it be deserved? Sure. I'd also like to see The Glass Menagerie get a look in, and though I don't know that Groundhog Day deserves this award particularly I am very Team Punxsutawney and will accept any awards at all. I try to avoid the Open Air Theatre so only have 75% experience here.

Best Sound Design

Paul Arditti for Amadeus at National Theatre – Olivier
Adam Cork for Travesties at Apollo theatre
Gareth Fry for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at Palace theatre
Nick Lidster for Autograph for Jesus Christ Superstar at Regent’s Park Open Air theatre

Oh, so the awards committee DID notice Amadeus? Well that just makes some of the missing potential nominees even more glaringly insulting to be honest.

Best New Opera Production

4.48 Psychosis at Lyric Hammersmith

Akhnaten at London Coliseum
Così Fan Tutte at Royal Opera House
Lulu at London Coliseum

Outstanding Achievement in Opera

Renée Fleming for her performance in Der Rosenkavalier at Royal Opera House
Stuart Skelton for his performance in Tristan and Isolde at London Coliseum
Mark Wigglesworth for his conducting of Don Giovanni and Lulu at London Coliseum

Nah, son, I don't do opera.

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

Anthony Boyle for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at Palace theatre
Freddie Fox for Travesties at Apollo theatre
Brian J Smith for The Glass Menagerie at Duke of York’s theatre
Rafe Spall for Hedda Gabler at National Theatre – Lyttelton

I know I bang on a bit about Anthony Boyle, and he really truly does deserve this, but I have been unable to stop thinking about Brian J Smith's performance for weeks now. Freddie Fox I thought was acting a little too hard, and though I liked Rafe Spall's performance I know it was divisive. I'd be AMAZED if anyone who wasn't Anthony Boyle took it, but I'd be pretty pleased if it was Brian J Smith.

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

Melissa Allan, Caroline Deyga, Kirsty Findlay, Karen Fishwick, Kirsty MacLaren, Frances Mayli McCann, Joanne McGuinness and Dawn Sievewright for Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour at National Theatre – Dorfman
Noma Dumezweni for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at Palace theatre
Clare Foster for Travesties at Apollo theatre
Kate O’Flynn for The Glass Menagerie at Duke of York’s theatre

I make a point of keeping my blog PG-rated with regards to language use, which probably makes this my most polite persona, but I have to break my personal rule of thumb here to say DON'T FUCKING DO THIS SHIT. DON'T UNDERVALUE AWARDS DESIGNED TO RECOGNISE AN INDIVIDUAL WHO STOOD OUT FROM THEIR ENTIRE CAST WHEN THERE'S A PERFECTLY GOOD 'BEST COMPANY PERFORMANCE' AWARD THAT YOU COULD UNRETIRE AFTER GIVING IT OUT ONLY ONCE IN 2009. Sorry, Our Ladies, I love you, but this bullshit must not stand. Also, why IS Laura Wingfield considered a supporting role? (All of these women are brilliant by the by.)

Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre

Cuttin’ It at the Maria, Young Vic
The Government Inspector at Theatre Royal Stratford East
The Invisible Hand at Tricycle theatre
It Is Easy to Be Dead at Trafalgar Studios 2
Rotterdam at Trafalgar Studios 2

Considering how little time I spend in the West End, it never fails to bother me when I only ever manage to see one of the nominees in this category.

Virgin Atlantic Best New Play

Elegy at Donmar Warehouse
The Flick at National Theatre – Dorfman
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at Palace theatre
One Night in Miami … at Donmar Warehouse

I'm not even going to bother. It really doesn't matter what any of us think.

Best Actor

Ed Harris for Buried Child at Trafalgar Studios 1
Tom Hollander for Travesties at Apollo theatre
Ian McKellen for No Man’s Land at Wyndham’s theatre
Jamie Parker for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at Palace theatre

Five nominees last year. Four nominees this year. And a peculiarly white category. Remind me, when was Amadeus? Was it eligible this year? Was Lucian Msamati amazing in it? Hmmm? Oh, it was? And he was? Hmmm. Interesting. Of these nominees, I'd go for Tom Hollander personally. But we will not get the winner we deserve, as this is not the shortlist we deserve. Even if Msamati weren't to win, the actual winner should still have the opportunity to be in direct competition with him.

Best Actress

Glenda Jackson for King Lear at the Old Vic
Cherry Jones for The Glass Menagerie at Duke of York’s theatre
Billie Piper for Yerma at Young Vic
Ruth Wilson for Hedda Gabler at National Theatre – Lyttelton

Gosh, did you ever think a day would come when Ruth Wilson would be your least favourite in a category? I am very much hoping this is a two horse race between Glenda Jackson and Billie Piper, with a slight preference for the former.

Best Entertainment and Family

Cinderella at London Palladium
David Baddiel – My Family: Not the Sitcom at Vaudeville theatre
Peter Pan at National Theatre – Olivier
The Red Shoes at Sadler’s Wells

I only saw one of these and I basically hated it.

Best New Dance Production

Betroffenheit by Crystal Pite and Jonathon Young at Sadler’s Wells
Blak Whyte Gray by Boy Blue Entertainment at Barbican theatre
Giselle by Akram Khan and English National Ballet at Sadler’s Wells
My Mother, My Dog and CLOWNS! by Michael Clark at Barbican theatre

Outstanding Achievement in Dance

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater for their London season at Sadler’s Wells
Luke Ahmet for The Creation by Rambert at Sadler’s Wells
English National Ballet for expanding the variety of their repertoire with Giselle and She Said at Sadler’s Wells

Nah, son, I don't do dance.

Outstanding Achievement in Music

Dreamgirls – music by Henry Krieger at Savoy theatre
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child – composer and arranger: Imogen Heap at Palace theatre
Jesus Christ Superstar – the band and company creating the gig-like rock vibe of the original concept album of Jesus Christ Superstar at Regent’s Park Open Air theatre
School of Rock the Musical – three children’s bands who play instruments live every night at New London theatre

Oh, just give it to an Andrew Lloyd Webber property, they both sound fair enough.

Best Theatre Choreographer

Matthew Bourne for The Red Shoes at Sadler’s Wells
Peter Darling and Ellen Kane for Groundhog Day at the Old Vic
Steven Hoggett for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at Palace theatre
Drew McOnie for Jesus Christ Superstar at Regent’s Park Open Air theatre

Having seen how the awards feel about non-musical choreography in previous years, I'd keep an eye on that Steven Hoggett chap.

Best Director

Simon Stone for Yerma at Young Vic
John Tiffany for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at Palace theatre
John Tiffany for The Glass Menagerie at Duke of York’s theatre
Matthew Warchus for Groundhog Day at the Old Vic

I want John Tiffany to get it, but I want John Tiffany to get it for The Glass Menagerie. Actually I loved specifically Stone's direction of Yerma, and I just loved Groundhog Day full stop. The Potternaut though. Can anyone stop the Potternaut?

Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical

Ian Bartholomew for Half a Sixpence at Noël Coward theatre
Adam J Bernard for Dreamgirls at Savoy theatre
Ben Hunter for The Girls at Phoenix theatre
Andrew Langtree for Groundhog Day at the Old Vic

Delighted but extremely surprised to see Andrew Langtree here. Would be EVEN MORE surprised if he beat the other three, though I admit I've not seen any of them so I suppose there is something of a possibility they all completely suck.

Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical

Haydn Gwynne for The Threepenny Opera at National Theatre – Olivier
Victoria Hamilton-Barritt for Murder Ballad at Arts theatre
Rebecca Trehearn for Show Boat at New London theatre
Emma Williams for Half a Sixpence at Noël Coward theatre

I have only seen Haydn Gwynne in this category. Based on word of mouth and their other work though, I would very much like to see Rebecca Trehearn triumph here. Especially if it means we get to see if Emma Williams will come back again next year to be nominated for a third year in a row in the same category in the same theatre.

Magic Radio Best Musical Revival

Funny Girl at Savoy theatre
Jesus Christ Superstar at Regent’s Park Open Air theatre
Show Boat at New London theatre
Sunset Boulevard at London Coliseum

I only saw Sunset Boulevard. Wasn't it technically semi-staged rather than a full revival? I can see its place in the history books as a Theatrical Event, but not as a Best Musical Revival.

Best Actor in a Musical

David Fynn for School of Rock the Musical at New London theatre
Tyrone Huntley for Jesus Christ Superstar at Regent’s Park Open Air theatre
Andy Karl for Groundhog Day at the Old Vic
Charlie Stemp for Half a Sixpence at Noël Coward theatre

Obviously I want nothing more than for Andy Karl to win this one, though there is a large contingent of Charlie Stemp fans who want nothing more than for him to prove victorious. I don't think we can look at it as a two horse race though, I think Tyrone Huntley has the power to upset all the apple carts here (sorry, David Fynn).

Best Actress in a Musical

Glenn Close for Sunset Boulevard at London Coliseum
“The Girls” – Debbie Chazen, Sophie-Louise Dann, Michele Dotrice, Claire Machin, Claire Moore and Joanna Riding – for The Girls at Phoenix theatre
Amber Riley for Dreamgirls at Savoy theatre
Sheridan Smith for Funny Girl at Savoy theatre

Say it with me, team - "BEST. COMPANY. PERFORMANCE." I neither know nor care where this one goes, I'm just so angry about this continued "let's just nominate the entire cast lol" fuckery. Also, can we PLEASE stop referring to grown-ass adult women as girls? Stop infantilising half the fucking planet. It's creepy and it's patronising and it benefits no one to continue perpetuating this fucked up idea that the only good woman is a young one.

MasterCard Best New Musical

Dreamgirls at Savoy theatre
The Girls at Phoenix theatre
Groundhog Day at the Old Vic
School of Rock the Musical at New London theatre

YES, DREAMGIRLS IS A NEW MUSICAL, IT'S NEVER BEEN HERE BEFORE. Groundhog Day all the way for me though. This is the one category I'm going to let myself get angry about if my choice of nominee doesn't triumph.

So that's that. Check back later to see the winners turned red and no additional text added (unless I'm even angrier about something later than I am right now)! (Okay, so, Andy Karl and Groundhog Day won so I'm happier than I thought I would be, probably because Tim Minchin has been talking about its planned return to these shores. Bring it ON, please!)