John Lithgow and Lesley Manville take home acting gongs at starry Olivier Awards

All eyes were on Fiddler on the Roof at this year’s Olivier Awards , the musical having equalled a record set in 2018 by Hamilton for the most nominated show in its history . Jordan Fein’s acclaimed revival of the 1964 musical at Regent’s Park Open Air theatre won three of its 13 nominations, losing out in the acting categories. Hosted by Beverly Knight and Billy Porter at the Royal Albert Hall in London on Sunday (6 April), the ceremony was particularly starry this year with several A-listers, such as Paapa Essiedu, Imelda Staunton and Adrien Brody , receiving nominations for their contributions to the West End.

Other high-profile names, including Tom Hiddleston, Ewan McGregor , and The Crown ’s Elizabeth Debicki , presented awards, with Cate Blanchett, Mark Strong, Martin Freeman and Naomi Campbell also in attendance. Fresh from his Oscar win for The Brutalist , Brody – nominated for Best Actor for his role in the Donmar Theatre’s The Fear of 13 – missed out on the gong, which went to John Lithgow instead for his towering turn as Roald Dahl in Giant . Garlanded with five-star reviews last year, Mark Rosenblatt’s simmering debut play explores the truculent author’s antisemitism .



Giant also won Best New Play and Best Actor in a Supporting Role. Accepting the award, Lithgow, 79, told the audience he might “faint”. Referring to US President Donald Trump’s administration, the New York-born actor said: “It’s not always easy to welcome an American into your midst, and at this particular moment, it’s probably a little more complicated than usual.

..” Best Actress, meanwhile, went to Lesley Manville for her performance in Robert Icke ’s thrilling production of Oedipus at The Old Vic.

His reimagining of the Greek tragedy as a political thriller won the prize for Best Revival. First-time nominee Romola Garai triumphed in the Best Actress in a Supporting Role category, in which she was nominated twice for her roles in both Giant and The Years . She won for the latter – an adaptation of French author Annie Ernaux’s 2008 masterpiece, for which Eline Arbo won the directing prize .

Imelda Staunton took home the award for Best Actress in a Musical thanks to her performance as a meddling matchmaker in Hello, Dolly! , which premiered on Broadway in 1964. See below for the full list of winners..

. Best director Eline Arbo for The Years at Almeida theatre and Harold Pinter theatre – WINNER Jordan Fein for Fiddler on the Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air theatre Nicholas Hytner for Giant at Jerwood theatre Downstairs at Royal Court theatre Robert Icke for Oedipus at Wyndham’s theatre Best actress Heather Agyepong for Shifters at Duke of York’s theatre Lesley Manville for Oedipus at Wyndham’s theatre – WINNER Rosie Sheehy for Machinal at the Old Vic Meera Syal for A Tupperware of Ashes at National Theatre – Dorfman Indira Varma for Oedipus at the Old Vic Best actor Adrien Brody for The Fear of 13 at Donmar Warehouse Billy Crudup for Harry Clarke at Ambassadors theatre Paapa Essiedu for Death of England: Delroy at @sohoplace John Lithgow for Giant at Jerwood theatre Downstairs at Royal Court theatre – WINNER Mark Strong for Oedipus at Wyndham’s theatre Best actor in a supporting role Jorge Bosch for Kyoto at @sohoplace Tom Edden for Waiting for Godot at Theatre Royal Haymarket Elliot Levey for Giant at Jerwood theatre Downstairs at Royal Court theatre – WINNER Ben Whishaw for Bluets at Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at Royal Court theatre Best actress in a supporting role Sharon D Clarke for The Importance of Being Earnest at National Theatre – Lyttelton Romola Garai for Giant at Jerwood theatre Downstairs at Royal Court theatre Romola Garai for The Years at Almeida theatre and Harold Pinter theatre – WINNER Gina McKee for The Years at Almeida Theatre and Harold Pinter theatre Best new play The Fear of 13 by Lindsey Ferrentino at Donmar Warehouse Giant by Mark Rosenblatt at Jerwood theatre Downstairs at Royal Court theatre – WINNER Kyoto by Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson at @sohoplace Shifters by Benedict Lombe at Duke of York’s theatre The Years adapted by Eline Arbo, in an English version by Stephanie Bain at Almeida theatre and Harold Pinter theatre Best new musical The Curious Case of Benjamin Button , music and lyrics by Darren Clark, book and lyrics by Jethro Compton at Ambassadors theatre – WINNER MJ the Musical , book by Lynn Nottage at Prince Edward theatre Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 , music, lyrics and book by Dave Malloy at Donmar Warehouse Why Am I So Single? , music, lyrics and book by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss at Garrick theatre Best actor in a musical John Dagleish for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button at Ambassadors theatre – WINNER Adam Dannheisser for Fiddler on the Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air theatre Myles Frost for MJ the Musical at Prince Edward theatre Simon Lipkin for Oliver! at Gielgud theatre Jamie Muscato for Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 at Donmar Warehouse Best actress in a musical Chumisa Dornford-May for Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 at Donmar Warehouse Lauren Drew for Titanique at Criterion theatre Clare Foster for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button at Ambassadors theatre Lara Pulver for Fiddler on the Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air theatre Imelda Staunton for Hello, Dolly! at the London Palladium – WINNER Best set design Jon Bausor for set design, Toby Olié and Daisy Beattie for puppetry design and Satoshi Kuriyama for projection design for Spirited Away at London Coliseum Frankie Bradshaw for set design for Ballet Shoes at National Theatre – Olivier Es Devlin for set design for Coriolanus at National Theatre – Olivier Tom Scutt for set design for Fiddler on the Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air theatre – WINNER Best lighting design Paule Constable and Ben Jacobs for Oliver! at Gielgud theatre – WINNER Howard Hudson for Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 at Donmar Warehouse Howard Hudson for Starlight Express at Troubadour Wembley Park theatre Aideen Malone for Fiddler on the Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air theatre Best new opera production Duke Bluebeard’s Castle by English National Opera at London Coliseum Festen by the Royal Opera at Royal Opera House – WINNER L’Olimpiade by Irish National Opera and the Royal Opera at Royal Opera House The Tales of Hoffmann by the Royal Opera at Royal Opera House Outstanding achievement in opera Aigul Akhmetshina for her performance in Carmen at Royal Opera House Allan Clayton for his performance in Festen at Royal Opera House – WINNER Jung Young-doo for his direction of Lear at Barbican theatre Best family show Brainiac Live at Marylebone theatre – WINNER Maddie Moate’s Very Curious Christmas at Apollo theatre The Nutcracker at Polka theatre Rough Magic at Shakespeare’s Globe – Sam Wanamaker Playhouse Best new production in affiliate theatre Animal Farm at Theatre Royal Stratford East by George Orwell, adapted by Tatty Hennessy Boys on the Verge of Tears by Sam Grabiner at Soho theatre – WINNER English by Sanaz Toossi at Kiln theatre Now, I See by Lanre Malaolu at Theatre Royal Stratford East What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank by Nathan Englander at Marylebone theatre Best new dance production Assembly Hall by Kidd Pivot, Crystal Pite and Jonathon Young at Sadler’s Wells – WINNER Frontiers: Choreographers of Canada – Pite/Kudelka/Portner by the National Ballet of Canada at Sadler’s Wells Theatre of Dreams by Hofesh Shechter Company at Sadler’s Wells An Untitled Love by A.I.

M by Kyle Abraham at Sadler’s Wells Outstanding achievement in dance Sarah Chun for her performance in Three Short Ballets at Royal Opera House – Linbury theatre Tom Visser for his lighting design of Angels’ Atlas as part of F rontiers: Choreographers of Canada – Pite/Kudelka/Portner at Sadler’s Wells Eva Yerbabuena for her performance in Yerbagüena at Sadler’s Wells – WINNER Best theatre choreographer Matthew Bourne for Oliver! at Gielgud theatre Julia Cheng for Fiddler on the Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air theatre Hofesh Shechter for Oedipus at the Old Vic Christopher Wheeldon for MJ the Musical at Prince Edward theatre – WINNER Best costume design Hugh Durrant for Robin Hood at the London Palladium Sachiko Nakahara for Spirited Away at London Coliseum Tom Scutt for Fiddler on the Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air theatre Gabriella Slade for Starlight Express at Troubadour Wembley Park theatre – WINNER Best sound design Nick Lidster for Fiddler on the Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air theatre – WINNER Christopher Shutt for Oedipus at the Old Vic Thijs van Vuure for The Years at Almeida theatre and Harold Pinter theatre Koichi Yamamoto for Spirited Away at London Coliseum Outstanding musical contribution Mark Aspinall for musical supervision and additional orchestrations for Fiddler on the Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air theatre Darren Clark for music supervision, orchestrations and arrangements and Mark Aspinall for musical direction, music supervision, orchestrations and arrangements for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button at Ambassadors theatre – WINNER Dave Malloy for orchestrations and Nicholas Skilbeck for musical supervision for Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 at Donmar Warehouse Asaf Zohar for compositions and Gavin Sutherland for dance arrangements and orchestration for Ballet Shoes at National Theatre – Olivier Best actress in a supporting role in a musical Liv Andrusier for Fiddler on the Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air theatre Amy Di Bartolomeo for The Devil Wears Prada at Dominion theatre Beverley Klein for Fiddler on the Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air theatre Maimuna Memon for Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 at Donmar Warehouse – WINNER Best musical revival Fiddler on the Roof , music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, book by Joseph Stein at Regent’s Park Open Air theatre – WINNER Hello, Dolly! , music and lyrics by Jerry Herman, book by Michael Stewart at the London Palladium Oliver! , book, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart, new material and revisions by Cameron Mackintosh at Gielgud theatre Starlight Express , music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Richard Stilgoe at Troubadour Wembley Park theatre Best actor in a supporting role in a musical Andy Nyman for Hello, Dolly! at the London Palladium Raphael Papo for Fiddler on the Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air theatre Layton Williams for Titanique at Criterion theatre – WINNER Tom Xander for Mean Girls at Savoy theatre Best new entertainment or comedy play Ballet Shoes adapted by Kendall Feaver at National Theatre – Olivier Inside No 9 Stage/Fright by Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith at Wyndham’s theatre Spirited Away adapted by John Caird and co-adapted by Maoko Imai at London Coliseum Titanique by Tye Blue, Marla Mindelle and Constantine Rousouli at Criterion theatre Best revival The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde at National Theatre – Lyttelton Machinal by Sophie Treadwell at the Old Vic Oedipus by Robert Icke at Wyndham’s theatre – WINNER Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett at Theatre Royal Haymarket.