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