TodayTix Ticket Search
Some really close ones this year, but given that we all know the Oliviers are now decided mostly by the producers themselves, so are not really a test of critical or public opinion, but how influential some are at keeping their shows in the limelight, I’m taking a look at what I think should and what probably will win, in the theatre categories.
Best New Musical
SHOULD: The Unlikely Pilgrimage Of Harold Fry
WILL: Paddington The Musical
Best Musical Revival
SHOULD: Evita
WILL: Into The Woods
Best New Play
SHOULD: Punch
WILL: Inter Alia
Best Revival
SHOULD AND WILL: Much Ado About Nothing
Best New Entertainment or Comedy Play
SHOULD: The Comedy About Spies
WILL: Every Brilliant Thing
Best Actress
SHOULD: Rosie Sheehy for Guess How Much I Love You?
WILL: Rosamund Pike for Inter Alia
Best Actor
SHOULD: David Shields for Punch
WILL: Tom Hiddleston for Much Ado About Nothing
Best Actor in a Musical
SHOULD: Jamie Parker for Into The Woods
WILL: James Hameed & Arti Shah for Paddington The Musical
Best Actress in a Musical
SHOULD AND WILL Rachel Zegler for Evita
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
SHOULD: Lucy Karczewski for Stereophonic
WILL: Julie Hesmondhalgh for Punch
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
SHOULD: Zachary Hart for Stereophonic
WILL: Paapa Essiedu for All My Sons
Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical
SHOULD: Jo Foster for Into The Woods
WILL: Tom Edden for Paddington The Musical
Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical
SHOULD: Kate Fleetwood for Into The Woods
WILL: Victoria Hamilton-Barritt for Paddington The Musical
Sir Peter Hall Award for Best Director
SHOULD: Jordan Fein for Into The Woods
WILL: Luke Sheppard for Paddington The Musical
Gillian Lynne Award for Best Theatre Choreographer
SHOULD: Fabian Aloise for Evita
WILL: Ellen Kane for Paddington The Musical
Best Costume Design
SHOULD: Linda Cho for The Great Gatsby – A New Musical
WILL: Gabriella Slade (Costume Design) & Tahra Zafar (Paddington Design) for Paddington The Musical
Best Set Design
SHOULD: Paul Tate dePoo III (Scenic & Projection Design) for The Great Gatsby – A New Musical
WILL: Tom Pye (Set Design) & Ash J Woodward (Video Design) for Paddington The Musical
Best Lighting Design
SHOULD: Jon Clark for Evita
WILL: Aideen Malone (Lighting Design) & Roland Horvath (Video Design) for Into The Woods
Best Sound Design
SHOULD: Adam Fisher for Into The Woods
WILL: Gareth Owen for Paddington The Musical
Outstanding Musical Contribution
SHOULD: Will Butler (Original Songs & Orchestrations) & Justin Craig (Orchestrations) for Stereophonic
WILL: Matt Brind (Orchestrations & Arrangements) for Paddington The Musical
Best New Production in Affiliate Theatre
SHOULD: The Shitheads by Jack Nicholls
WILL: The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams
So, not a bad guess. 15 totally right out of 21. 3 that I really hoped would win (but thought would be beaten) also won.
Only 3 totally wrong guesses.
So, first, we need to remember that there is a fair amount of commercial and vested interests in who wins.
That accounts for trade-offs like "Evita" - closed and thus not going to make money for anyone in London now - not winning, over "Into The Woods" which now has multiple awards on its strapline for the West End run later this year. Certainly not saying ITW isn't a worthy winner - it is an amazingly good show - but "Evita" was an event on its own.
So, Zegler was the only possible winner of Musical Female lead, no other without every theatreland person screaming "fix," but a trade-off is in other categories.
Moving on to the 3 I hoped for: thank goodness the wildly over-praised "Inter Alia" didn't get it. "Punch" deserved both that it won. If for the first time in 45 years of theatregoing I needed the "chill out" offered, it says it all. Dame Julie needs to be on the cards. And "Evita" of course had way better choreography than the Beary tale.
Of those I got wrong: Jack Holden was off when I saw "Kenrex," so he must have made it work far better than his alternate. Wasn't even close on that one, but then the data wasn't really there, I guess. Also, when voting, a bit of a "let's keep it looking even" card for commercial interests.
Totally out on "Entertainment / Comedy Play." Really pleased for "Oh, Mary!" Can see why it edged "Spies" but it is close-run. Again, a running hit may have edged things with an eye on the commercial, despite an upcoming revival.
Also complete miss on "Best Revival." Very surprised "Much Ado" got nothing... "All My Sons" was pretty good, but didn't tingle in the same way.
Anyhow, well done to all who won.
Commercially savvy because I brought 'Into The Wood' tickets for September (DMT Members pre-sale). And Paddington will run for a billion years - and ,imo, rightly so.
@nic Yep, have to agree. Bought an ITW ticket the same way. Paddington, I do expect the bear to last as long as Cats too. At least I personally don't have to go again, but that's me.