As this weekend proved that spring has certainly sprung – the new season can only mean one thing to theatre fans – the build up to the Olivier Awards. Theatreland's most glamorous evening takes place on Sunday 12 April in an exclusive star-studded event at the Royal Opera House, celebrating the finest plays, musicals, opera, dance and entertainment that the West End has seen over the past twelve months.
No award ceremony would be complete without a short-list of nominations. With so many productions to choose from, the task of whittling down a short list is left to a discerning panel made up of industry experts as well as ordinary members of the public.
The 2015 Olivier Award nominations were today announced by actors James McAvoy and Leslie Manville at an exclusive event at the Rosewood Hotel that was streamed live around the globe.
Amongst the nominations was a special award in association with ITV's This Morning that has included audience votes to secure a short-list of four long running productions, from which the public will choose their favourite.
It has been an exciting year for celebrities on stage – with Gemma Arterton (Made in Dagenham), Beverley Knight (Memphis), Gillian Anderson (Streetcar Named Desire) and James McAvoy (The Ruling Class) all nominated in a variety of different categories.
Dame Angela Lansbury was nominated for her first Olivier Award at the age of 89 for her performance in the revival of 'Blithe Spirit' – a production which marked her first performance in the West End for almost forty years. Former Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger was also nominated for her first award for her star turn in the revival of 'Cats' at the London Palladium.
Theatre fans have little over a month to wait until the award winners are announced – in the mean time, take a look at the full list of nominations to see if your favourite show, performer or creative managed to scoop a nomination:
Production Awards
MASTERCARD BEST NEW MUSICAL
Beautiful – The Carole King Musical at Aldwych Theatre
Here Lies Love at National Theatre, Dorfman
Memphis The Musical at Shaftesbury Theatre
Sunny Afternoon at Hampstead Theatre & Harold Pinter Theatre
VIRGIN ATLANTIC BEST NEW PLAY
King Charles III at Almeida Theatre & Wyndham’s Theatre
The Nether at Duke of York’s Theatre
Taken At Midnight at Theatre Royal Haymarket
Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies at Aldwych Theatre
BEST REVIVAL
A View From The Bridge at Young Vic & Wyndham’s Theatre
A Streetcar Named Desire at Young Vic
The Crucible at Old Vic
My Night With Reg at Donmar Warehouse & Apollo Theatre
Skylight at Wyndham’s Theatre
MAGIC RADIO BEST MUSICAL REVIVAL
Cats at London Palladium
City Of Angels at Donmar Warehouse
The Gershwins’ Porgy And Bess at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Miss Saigon at Prince Edward Theatre
THIS MORNING AUDIENCE AWARD
Billy Elliot The Musical at Victoria Palace Theatre
Jersey Boys at Piccadilly Theatre
Matilda The Musical at Cambridge Theatre
Wicked at Apollo Victoria Theatre
BEST NEW COMEDY
Handbagged at Vaudeville Theatre
The Play That Goes Wrong at Duchess Theatre
Shakespeare In Love at Noël Coward Theatre
BEST ENTERTAINMENT AND FAMILY
Dance ‘Til Dawn at Aldwych Theatre
Hetty Feather at Vaudeville Theatre
La Soirée at La Soirée Spiegeltent
Performance Awards
BEST ACTOR
Richard Armitage for The Crucible at Old Vic
James McAvoy for The Ruling Class at Trafalgar Studio 1
Tim Pigott-Smith for King Charles III at Almeida Theatre & Wyndham’s Theatre
Mark Strong for A View From The Bridge at Young Vic & Wyndham’s Theatre
BEST ACTRESS
Gillian Anderson for A Streetcar Named Desire at Young Vic
Kristin Scott Thomas for Electra at Old Vic
Imelda Staunton for Good People at Hampstead Theatre & Noël Coward Theatre
Penelope Wilton for Taken At Midnight at Theatre Royal Haymarket
BEST ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Jon Jon Briones for Miss Saigon at Prince Edward Theatre
John Dagleish for Sunny Afternoon at Hampstead Theatre & Harold Pinter Theatre
Killian Donnelly for Memphis The Musical at Shaftesbury Theatre~
Brandon Victor Dixon for The Scottsboro Boys at Garrick Theatre
BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Gemma Arterton for Made In Dagenham at Adelphi Theatre
Katie Brayben for Beautiful – The Carole King Musical at Aldwych Theatre
Tamsin Greig for Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown The Musical at Playhouse Theatre
Beverley Knight for Memphis The Musical at Shaftesbury Theatre
BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
David Calder for The Nether at Duke of York’s Theatre
Richard Goulding for King Charles III at Almeida Theatre & Wyndham’s Theatre
John Light for Taken At Midnight at Theatre Royal Haymarket
Nathaniel Parker for Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies at Aldwych Theatre
BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Phoebe Fox for A View From The Bridge at Young Vic & Wyndham’s Theatre
The Girls playing Iris for The Nether at Duke of York’s Theatre
Angela Lansbury for Blithe Spirit at Gielgud Theatre
Lydia Wilson for King Charles III at Almeida Theatre & Wyndham’s Theatre
BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Rolan Bell for Memphis The Musical at Shaftesbury Theatre
George Maguire for Sunny Afternoon at Hampstead Theatre and Harold Pinter Theatre
Ian McIntosh for Beautiful – The Carole King Musical at Aldwych Theatre
Jason Pennycooke for Memphis The Musical at Shaftesbury Theatre
BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Samantha Bond for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels The Musical at Savoy Theatre
Haydn Gwynne for Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown The Musical at Playhouse Theatre
Nicole Scherzinger for Cats at London Palladium
Lorna Want for Beautiful – The Carole King Musical at Aldwych Theatre
Creative Team Awards
BEST DIRECTOR
Rupert Goold for King Charles III at Almeida Theatre & Wyndham’s Theatre
Jeremy Herrin for Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies at Aldwych Theatre
Josie Rourke for City Of Angels at Donmar Warehouse
Ivo Van Hove for A View From The Bridge at the Young Vic & Wyndham’s Theatre
BEST THEATRE CHOREOGRAPHER
Jerry Mitchell for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels The Musical at Savoy Theatre
Annie-B Parsons for Here Lies Love at National Theatre, Dorfman
Josh Prince for Beautiful – The Carole King Musical at Aldwych Theatre
Sergio Trujillo for Memphis The Musical at Shaftesbury Theatre
WHITE LIGHT AWARD FOR BEST LIGHTING DESIGN
Jon Clark for King Charles III at Almeida Theatre & Wyndham’s Theatre
Paule Constable and David Plater for Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies at Aldwych Theatre
Howard Harrison for City Of Angels at Donmar Warehouse
Jan Versweyveld for A View From The Bridge at the Young Vic & Wyndham’s Theatre
BEST SOUND DESIGN
Tom Gibbons for A View From The Bridge at the Young Vic & Wyndham’s Theatre
Matt McKenzie for Sunny Afternoon at Hampstead Theatre and Harold Pinter Theatre
Gareth Owen for Memphis The Musical at Shaftesbury Theatre
Brian Ronan for Beautiful – The Carole King Musical at Aldwych Theatre
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Rob Jones for City Of Angels at Donmar Warehouse
Christopher Oram for Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies at Aldwych Theatre
Paul Tazewell for Memphis The Musical at Shaftesbury Theatre
Alejo Vietti for Beautiful – The Carole King Musical at Aldwych Theatre
XL VIDEO AWARD FOR BEST SET DESIGN
Bunny Christie for Made In Dagenham at Adelphi Theatre
Es Devlin for The Nether at Duke of York’s Theatre
Jan Versweyveld for A View From The Bridge at Young Vic & Wyndham’s Theatre
BEST NEW DANCE PRODUCTION
32 Rue Vandenbranden by Peeping Tom at Barbican
Mats Ek’s Juliet And Romeo by Royal Swedish Ballet at Sadler’s Wells
Tabac Rouge by Compagnie Du Hanneton/James Thiérrée at Sadler’s Wells
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN DANCE
Christopher Wheeldon for The Winter’s Tale at Royal Opera House
Crystal Pite for her choreography in the productions of The Associates – A Picture Of You
Falling, The Tempest Replica and Polaris at Sadler’s Wells
Rocio Molina for Bosque Ardora at Barbican
The Elders Project as part of the Elixir Festival at Sadler’s Wells
AUTOGRAPH SOUND AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC
The Orchestra for Beautiful – The Carole King Musical at Aldwych Theatre
David Byrne and Fatboy Slim for Here Lies Love at National Theatre, Dorfman
David Bryan, Joe DiPietro, Tim Sutton and the Memphis Band for Memphis The Musical at Shaftesbury Theatre
Ray Davies for Sunny Afternoon at Hampstead Theatre & Harold Pinter Theatre