2024 Laurence Olivier Awards Explained

2024 Laurence Olivier Awards
Date:	14 April 2024
Location:	Royal Albert Hall
Host:	Hannah Waddingham
Most Wins:	Sunset Boulevard (7)
Most Nominations:	Sunset Boulevard (11)
Network:	ITV (television) Magic (radio)
Previous:	2023
Next:	2025

The 2024 Laurence Olivier Awards were held on 14 April 2024 at the Royal Albert Hall. Hannah Waddingham returned to host.

Event calendar

• 30 June 2023: Ceremony date set for 14 April 2024 and venue confirmed as Royal Albert Hall.^[1]
• 23 January 2024: Hannah Waddingham announced to return as host.^[2]
• 21 February 2024: Industry Recognition Award recipients announced.^[3]
• 27 February 2024: Eligibility cut-off.^[4]
• 12 March 2024: Nominations announcement by Beverley Knight.^[5]
• 14 April 2024: Award ceremony held.

Presenters

Presenters were announced on 4 April to include:^[6]

• Anna Maxwell Martin and Michael Sheen – presented Best Revival
• Carlos Acosta – presented Best New Dance Production
• Henry Lewis and Jonathan Sayer – presented Best Family Show
• Lucian Msamati and Anjana Vasan – presented Best Actor in a Supporting Role and Best Actress in a Supporting Role
• Rosalind Plowright – presented Outstanding Achievement in Opera and Best New Opera Production
• Anthony Van Laast – presented Outstanding Achievement in Dance
• Ryan Calais Cameron – presented Outstanding Achievement in Affiliate Theatre
• Billy Crudup and Denise Gough – presented Best Actor and Best Actress
• Patricia Clarkson and Brian Cox – presented Best New Play
• Lenny Henry – presented Best Director
• Cara Delevingne and Luke Treadaway – presented Best Musical Revival and Outstanding Musical Contribution
• Freema Agyeman and Dominic West – presented Best New Entertainment or Comedy Play
• Indhu Rubasingham – presented Best Lighting Design and Best Sound Design
• Edward Enninful – presented Best Set Design and Best Costume Design
• Michael Ball – presented Best Choreographer
• Ruth Jones and Beverley Knight – presented Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical and Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical
• Adrian Lester and Georgina Onuorah – presented Best Actor in a Musical and Best Actress in a Musical
• Richard E. Grant and Michelle Visage – presented Best New Musical

Performances

• Hannah Waddingham and Joe Stilgoe – "Anything Goes" (opening number)
• Marisha Wallace and cast of Guys and Dolls – "Take Back Your Mink"
• Jonny Amies, Ed Larkin and the cast of The Little Big Things – "The World Is Waiting for You" / "The Little Big Things"
• Tom Francis and the cast of Sunset Boulevard – "Sunset Boulevard"
• The cast of Hadestown – "Wait for Me"
• Michael R. Jackson – "Memory Song" from A Strange Loop
• Caissie Levy, Eleanor Worthington Cox and Jack Wolfe from Next to Normal – "I Miss the Mountains" / "Superboy and the Invisible Girl" / "I'm Alive"
• The cast of Operation Mincemeat – "Born to Lead"
• Joseph Fiennes from Dear England and actors from the National Theatre Company celebrating 60 years of the National Theatre – "You'll Never Walk Alone"

Nominees

The nominations were announced in 26 categories on 12 March 2024.

Best New Play	Best New Musical
Dear England by James Graham – National Theatre Olivier and Prince Edward Theatre The Hills of California by Jez Butterworth – Harold Pinter Theatre The Motive and the Cue by Jack Thorne – National Theatre Lyttleton and Noël Coward Theatre Till the Stars Come Down by Beth Steel – National Theatre Dorfman	Operation Mincemeat – Fortune Theatre The Little Big Things – @sohoplace Next to Normal – Donmar Warehouse A Strange Loop – Barbican Theatre
Best Revival	Best Musical Revival
Vanya – Duke of York's Theatre The Effect – National Theatre Lyttelton Macbeth – Donmar Warehouse Shirley Valentine – Duke of York's Theatre	Sunset Boulevard – Savoy Theatre Groundhog Day – The Old Vic Guys and Dolls – Bridge Theatre Hadestown – Lyric Theatre
Best Entertainment or Comedy Play	Best Family Show
by Kate Trefry (based on original text by Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer, Jack Thorne and Trefry) – Phoenix Theatre Accidental Death of an Anarchist by Dario Fo and Franca Rame, adapted by Tom Basden – Lyric Hammersmith and Theatre Royal Haymarket Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends by Stephen Sondheim – Gielgud Theatre Vardy v Rooney: The Wagatha Christie Trial adapted by Liv Hennessy – Ambassadors Theatre	Dinosaur World Live – Regent's Park Open Air Theatre Bluey's Big Play – Royal Festival Hall at Southbank Centre The House with Chicken Legs – Queen Elizabeth Hall at Southbank Centre The Smeds and The Smoos – Lyric Theatre
Best Actor	Best Actress
Mark Gatiss as John Gielgud in The Motive and the Cue – National Theatre Lyttleton and Noël Coward Theatre Joseph Fiennes as Gareth Southgate in Dear England – National Theatre Olivier and Prince Edward Theatre James Norton as Jude St. Francis in A Little Life – Harold Pinter Theatre and Savoy Theatre Andrew Scott as Performer in Vanya – Duke of York's Theatre David Tennant as Macbeth in Macbeth – Donmar Warehouse	Sarah Snook as Performer in The Picture of Dorian Gray – Theatre Royal Haymarket Laura Donnelly as Veronica and Joan in The Hills of California – Harold Pinter Theatre Sophie Okonedo as Medea in Medea – @sohoplace Sarah Jessica Parker as Karen Nash, Muriel Tate and Norma Hubley in Plaza Suite – Savoy Theatre Sheridan Smith as Shirley in Shirley Valentine – Duke of York's Theatre
Best Actor in a Musical	Best Actress in a Musical
Tom Francis as Joe Gillis in Sunset Boulevard – Savoy Theatre David Cumming as Charles Cholmondeley and Others in Operation Mincemeat – Fortune Theatre Daniel Mays as Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls – Bridge Theatre Charlie Stemp as Bobby Child in Crazy for You – Gillian Lynne Theatre	Nicole Scherzinger as Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard – Savoy Theatre Natasha Hodgson as Ewan Montagu and Others in Operation Mincemeat – Fortune Theatre Caissie Levy as Diana Goodman in Next to Normal – Donmar Warehouse Marisha Wallace as Miss Adelaide in Guys and Dolls – Bridge Theatre
Best Actor in a Supporting Role	Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Will Close as Harry Kane in Dear England – National Theatre Olivier and Prince Edward Theatre Paul Hilton as Peter Stockmann in An Enemy of the People – Duke of York's Theatre Giles Terera as Montrellous in Clyde's – Donmar Warehouse Luke Thompson as Willem Ragnarsson in A Little Life – Harold Pinter Theatre and Savoy Theatre Zubin Varla as Harold Stein in A Little Life – Harold Pinter Theatre and Savoy Theatre	Haydn Gwynne as Stanley Baldwin in When Winston Went to War with the Wireless – Donmar Warehouse Lorraine Ashbourne as Aunty Carol in Till the Stars Come Down – National Theatre Dorfman Priyanga Burford as Aslaksen in An Enemy of the People – Duke of York's Theatre Gina McKee as Pippa Grange in Dear England – National Theatre Olivier and Prince Edward Theatre Tanya Reynolds as Mei in A Mirror – Almeida Theatre and Trafalgar Theatre
Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical	Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical
Jak Malone as Hester Leggett, Bernard Spilsbury and Others in Operation Mincemeat – Fortune Theatre Cedric Neal as Nicely Nicely Johnson in Guys and Dolls – Bridge Theatre David Thaxton as Max von Mayerling in Sunset Boulevard – Savoy Theatre Jack Wolfe as Gabriel "Gabe" Goodman in Next to Normal – Donmar Warehouse	Amy Trigg as Agnes in The Little Big Things – @sohoplace Grace Hodgett-Young as Betty Schaefer in Sunset Boulevard – Savoy Theatre Zoë Roberts as Johnny Bevan, Ian Fleming and Others in Operation Mincemeat – Fortune Theatre Eleanor Worthington Cox as Natalie Goodman in Next to Normal – Donmar Warehouse
Best Director	Best Theatre Choreographer
Jamie Lloyd for Sunset Boulevard – Savoy Theatre Stephen Daldry and Justin Martin for – Phoenix Theatre Rupert Goold for Dear England – National Theatre Olivier and Prince Edward Theatre Sam Mendes for The Motive and the Cue – National Theatre Lyttelton and Noël Coward Theatre	James Cousins and Arlene Phillips for Guys and Dolls – Bridge Theatre Fabian Aloise for Sunset Boulevard – Savoy Theatre Ellen Kane and Hannes Langolf for Dear England – National Theatre Olivier and Prince Edward Theatre Mark Smith for The Little Big Things – @sohoplace Susan Stroman for Crazy for You – Gillian Lynne Theatre
Best Set Design	Best Costume Design
59 Productions for video designing and Miriam Buether for scenic designing – Phoenix Theatre Nathan Amzi and Joe Ransom for video designing and Soutra Gilmour for scenic designing Sunset Boulevard – Savoy Theatre Bunny Christie for scenic designing Guys and Dolls – Bridge Theatre Es Devlin for scenic designing and Ash J. Woodward for video designing Dear England – National Theatre Olivier and Prince Edward Theatre	Marg Horwell for The Picture of Dorian Gray – Theatre Royal Haymarket Deborah Andrews and Bunny Christie for Guys and Dolls – Bridge Theatre Ryan Dawson Laight for La Cage aux Folles – Regent's Park Open Air Theatre Hugh Durrant for Peter Pan – London Palladium
Best Lighting Design	Best Sound Design
Jack Knowles for Sunset Boulevard – Savoy Theatre Jon Clark for Dear England – National Theatre Olivier and Prince Edward Theatre Jon Clark for – Phoenix Theatre Paule Constable for Guys and Dolls – Bridge Theatre	Adam Fisher for Sunset Boulevard – Savoy Theatre Paul Arditti for – Phoenix Theatre Dan Balfour and Tom Gibbons for Dear England – National Theatre Olivier and Prince Edward Theatre Gareth Fry for Macbeth – Donmar Warehouse
Outstanding Musical Contribution
Alan Williams for music directing and music supervising Sunset Boulevard – Savoy Theatre Tom Brady for arranging and music supervising and Charlie Rosen for orchestrating Guys and Dolls – Bridge Theatre Matt Brind for arranging, music supervising and orchestrating Just for One Day – Old Vic Joe Bunker for music directing and Steve Sidwell for orchestrating Operation Mincemeat – Fortune Theatre
Best New Dance Production	Outstanding Achievement in Dance
La Ruta by Gabriela Carrizo, Nederlands Dans Theater – Sadler's Wells Broken Chord by Gregory Maqoma and Thuthuka Sibisi – Sadler's Wells The Rite of Spring by Seeta Patel – Sadler's Wells Time Spell by Michelle Dorrance, Jillian Meyers and Tiler Peck – Sadler's Wells	Isabela Coracy for performing in Nina: By Whatever Means, Cassa Pacho's Ballet Black: Pioneers – Barbican Theatre Jonzi D for artistic directing Breakin' Convention 2023: International Festival of Hip Hop Dance Theatre – Sadler's Wells Rhiannon Faith for her community-focused conception of Lay Down Your Burdens – The Pit at Barbican
Best New Opera Production	Outstanding Achievement in Opera
Innocence, Royal Opera – Royal Opera House Blue, English National Opera – London Coliseum Picture a Day Like This, Royal Opera – Royal Opera House – Linbury Theatre The Rhinegold, English National Opera – London Coliseum	Antonio Pappano for music directing the Royal Opera House Marina Abramović for conceiving and designing 7 Deaths of Maria Callas – London Coliseum Belarus Free Theatre Company for King Stakh's Wild Hunt – Barbican Theatre
Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre
Sleepova – Bush Theatre Blue Mist – Jerwood Upstairs, Royal Court A Playlist for the Revolution – Bush Theatre The Swell – Orange Tree Theatre The Time Machine: A Comedy – Park Theatre
Industry Recognition Award
Sylvia Addison Vereen Irving Robert Israel Richard Walton Susan Whiddington

Productions with multiple wins and nominations

Multiple wins

The following 5 productions received multiple awards:

• 7: Sunset Boulevard
• 2: Dear England, Operation Mincemeat, , The Picture of Dorian Gray

Multiple nominations

The following 17 productions received multiple nominations:

• 11: Sunset Boulevard
• 9: Dear England, Guys and Dolls
• 6: Operation Mincemeat
• 5:
• 4: Next to Normal
• 3: A Little Life, Macbeth, The Little Big Things, The Motive and the Cue
• 2: An Enemy of the People, Crazy for You, Shirley Valentine, The Hills of California, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Till the Stars Come Down, Vanya

See also

• 77th Tony Awards

External links

• Olivier Awards official website

Notes and References

1. Web site: Date Set for 2024 Olivier Awards at Royal Albert Hall . Andrew . Gans . 30 June 2023 . 16 January 2024 . en-GB.
2. Web site: Hannah Waddingham Will Return as Host of 2024 Olivier Awards . 2024-01-27 . Darryn . King . . en-US.
3. Web site: This Year’s Olivier Awards Industry Recognition Award Recipients . 21 February 2024 . 14 April 2024 . Society of London Theatre.
4. Web site: Olivier Awards Announces 2024 Date and Venue. Bea . Maynard . 30 June 2023 . London Theatre.
5. Web site: Olivier Awards 2024 . . 12 March 2014 . 9 April 2024.
6. Web site: 2024-04-04 . Olivier Awards 2024 performers and presenters announced, ITV to broadcast the awards West End Theatre . 2024-04-13 . www.westendtheatre.com . en-GB.