Last Updated on 7 May 2021 by Showcall Editorial Team
The winning actors, creatives, musicals and plays have been announced for the Olivier Awards 2020 after the ceremony was postponed due to Covid-19
Musicals Dear Evan Hansen, Mary Poppins and & Juliet, new plays Emilia and Leopoldstadt and revivals Present Laughter and Death of a Salesman were among the biggest winners at this year’s Olivier Awards 2020 for London theatre.
Dear Evan Hansen at the Noël Coward Theatre won the Mastercard best new musical award while its lead, Sam Tutty, was named best actor in a musical and its composers Benj Pasek and Justin Paul and orchestrator Alex Lacamoire won best original score or new orchestrations.
The musical, & Juliet, at the Shaftesbury Theatre also won three Oliviers: Miriam-Teak Lee was named best actress in a musical, Cassidy Janson won best actress in a supporting role in a musical, and David Bedella received his third Olivier Award as best actor in a supporting role in a musical.
Emilia by Morgan Lloyd Malcolm, which transferred from The Globe to the Vaudeville Theatre, won three awards: the Noël Coward award for best entertainment or comedy play, best sound design for Emma Laxton and best costume design for Joanna Scotcher.
The revival of Death of a Salesman, which transferred from the Young Vic to the Piccadilly Theatre, picked up two awards: Sharon D Clarke was named best actress while Marianne Elliott and Miranda Cromwell jointly won the Sir Peter Hall best director award.
Tom Stoppard’s Leopoldstadt at the Wyndham’s Theatre also won two awards: American Airlines best new play and best-supporting actor for Adrian Scarborough. The revival of Noël Coward’s Present Laughter at the Old Vic also scored a double: Andrew Scott was named best actor and Indira Varma was named best-supporting actress.
Mary Poppins at the Prince Edward Theatre gained two awards: best theatre choreographer went jointly to Matthew Bourne and Stephen Mear while Bob Crowley won his third Olivier for best set design.
Other shows to win Olivier Awards 2020 awards included Fiddler on the Roof and Cyrano de Bergerac at the Playhouse Theatre, The Worst Witch at the Vaudeville Theatre, The Ocean at the End of the Lane at the National Theatre and Baby Reindeer at the Bush Theatre.
Special Olivier Awards 2020 went to lyricist Don Black, who wrote for musicals including Sunset Boulevard, Aspects of Love, Starlight Express and Tell Me on a Sunday, and to Sir Ian McKellen for his 80th-birthday UK-wide tour which helped to raise money for theatre charities.
Due to the Covid-19 shutdown, the Olivier Awards 2020 – organised by the Society of London Theatre – were postponed from 5 April until 25 October and moved online, broadcast on YouTube, ITV and Magic Radio, hosted at the London Palladium by comedian Jason Manford.
Full list of Olivier Awards 2020 winners and nominees
Best new play
WINNER: Leopoldstadt at the Wyndham’s Theatre
A Very Expensive Poison at the Old Vic
The Doctor at the Almeida Theatre
The Ocean at the End of the Lane at the National Theatre’s Dorfman Theatre
Best new musical
WINNER: Dear Evan Hansen at the Noël Coward Theatre
& Juliet at the Shaftesbury Theatre
Amélie The Musical at The Other Palace
Waitress at the Adelphi Theatre
Best actor
WINNER: Andrew Scott for Present Laughter at the Old Vic
Toby Jones for Uncle Vanya at the Harold Pinter Theatre
James McAvoy for Cyrano de Bergerac at the Playhouse Theatre
Wendell Pierce for Death of a Salesman at the Young Vic and Piccadilly Theatre
Best actress
WINNER: Sharon D Clarke for Death of a Salesman at the Piccadilly Theatre
Hayley Atwell for Rosmersholm at the Duke of York’s Theatre
Juliet Stevenson for The Doctor at the Almeida Theatre
Phoebe Waller-Bridge for Fleabag at the Wyndham’s Theatre
Best actor in a musical
WINNER: Sam Tutty for Dear Evan Hansen at the Noël Coward Theatre
Andy Nyman for Fiddler on the Roof at the Playhouse Theatre
Charlie Stemp for Mary Poppins at the Prince Edward Theatre
Jac Yarrow for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the London Palladium
Best actress in a musical
WINNER: Miriam-Teak Lee for & Juliet at the Shaftesbury Theatre
Audrey Brisson for Amélie The Musical at The Other Palace
Judy Kuhn for Fiddler on the Roof at the Playhouse Theatre
Zizi Strallen for Mary Poppins at the Prince Edward Theatre
Best actor in a supporting role
WINNER: Adrian Scarborough for Leopoldstadt at the Wyndham’s Theatre
Arinzé Kene for Death of a Salesman at the Young Vic
Colin Morgan for All My Sons at the Old Vic
Reece Shearsmith for A Very Expensive Poison at the Old Vic
Best actress in a supporting role
WINNER: Indira Varma for Present Laughter at the Old Vic
Michele Austin for Cyrano de Bergerac at the Playhouse Theatre
Sophie Thompson for Present Laughter at the Old Vic
Josie Walker for The Ocean at the End of the Lane at the National Theatre’s Dorfman Theatre
Best actor in a supporting role in a musical
WINNER: David Bedella for & Juliet at the Shaftesbury Theatre
Stewart Clarke for Fiddler on the Roof at the Playhouse Theatre
Jack Loxton for Dear Evan Hansen at the Noël Coward Theatre
Rupert Young for Dear Evan Hansen at the Noël Coward Theatre
Best actress in a supporting role in a musical
WINNER: Cassidy Janson for & Juliet at the Shaftesbury Theatre
Lucy Anderson for Dear Evan Hansen at the Noël Coward Theatre
Petula Clark for Mary Poppins at the Prince Edward Theatre
Lauren Ward for Dear Evan Hansen at the Noël Coward Theatre
Best revival
WINNER: Cyrano de Bergerac at the Playhouse Theatre
Death of a Salesman at the Young Vic and Piccadilly Theatre
Present Laughter at the Old Vic
Rosmersholm at the Duke of York’s Theatre
Best musical revival
WINNER: Fiddler on the Roof at the Playhouse Theatre
Evita at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the London Palladium
Mary Poppins at the Prince Edward Theatre
Sir Peter Hall award for best director
WINNER: Marianne Elliott and Miranda Cromwell for Death of a Salesman at the Young Vic and Piccadilly Theatre
Jamie Lloyd for Cyrano de Bergerac at the Playhouse Theatre
Trevor Nunn for Fiddler on the Roof at the Playhouse Theatre
Ian Rickson for Uncle Vanya at the Harold Pinter Theatre
Best original score or new orchestrations
WINNER: Dear Evan Hansen – music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul and orchestration by Alex Lacamoire at Noël Coward Theatre
& Juliet – new orchestrations by Bill Sherman and Dominic Fallacaro at the Shaftesbury Theatre
Amélie The Musical – musical supervisor and arrangements by Barnaby Race at The Other Palace
Fiddler on the Roof – new orchestrations by Jason Carr at the Playhouse Theatre
Waitress – music and lyrics by Sara Bareilles at the Adelphi Theatre
Best lighting design
WINNER: Paule Constable for The Ocean at the End of the Lane at National Theatre’s Dorfman Theatre
Neil Austin for Rosmersholm at the Duke of York’s Theatre
Howard Hudson for & Juliet at the Shaftesbury Theatre
Bruno Poet for Uncle Vanya at the Harold Pinter Theatre
Best sound design
WINNER: Emma Laxton for Emilia at the Vaudeville Theatre
Gregory Clarke for Rosmersholm at the Duke of York’s Theatre
Ben and Max Ringham for Anna at the National Theatre’s Dorfman Theatre
Ben and Max Ringham for Cyrano de Bergerac at the Playhouse Theatre
Best costume design
WINNER: Joanna Scotcher for Emilia at the Vaudeville Theatre
Hugh Durrant for Goldilocks and the Three Bears at the London Palladium
Jonathan Lipman for Fiddler on the Roof at the Playhouse Theatre
Paloma Young for & Juliet at the Shaftesbury Theatre
Best set design
WINNER: Bob Crowley for Mary Poppins at the Prince Edward Theatre
Soutra Gilmour for & Juliet at the Shaftesbury Theatre
Rae Smith for Rosmersholm at the Duke of York’s Theatre
Rae Smith for Uncle Vanya at the Harold Pinter Theatre
Best theatre choreographer
WINNER: Matthew Bourne and Stephen Mear for Mary Poppins at the Prince Edward Theatre
Fabian Aloise for Evita at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Jerome Robbins and Matt Cole for Fiddler on the Roof at Playhouse Theatre
Jennifer Weber for & Juliet at Shaftesbury Theatre
Noël Coward award for best entertainment or comedy play
WINNER: Emilia at the Vaudeville Theatre
Fleabag at the Wyndham’s Theatre
Magic Goes Wrong at the Vaudeville Theatre
The Upstart Crow at the Gielgud Theatre
Best family show
WINNER: The Worst Witch at the Vaudeville Theatre
Mr Gum and the Dancing Bear The Musical! at the National Theatre’s Dorfman Theatre
Oi Frog & Friends! at the Lyric Theatre
To the Moon and Back at the Barbican Theatre
Outstanding achievement in an affiliate theatre
WINNER: Baby Reindeer at the Bush Theatre
Blues in the Night at Kiln Theatre
Our Lady of Kibeho at Theatre Royal Stratford East
Seven Methods of Killing Kylie Jenner at Jerwood Theatre Upstairs at the Royal Court Theatre
Warheads at Park Theatre
Best new dance production
WINNER: Ingoma by Mthuthuzeli November for Ballet Black at the Royal Opera House’s Linbury Theatre
La Fiesta by Israel Galván at Sadler’s Wells
Mám by Michael Keegan-Dolan for Teaċ Daṁsa at Sadler’s Wells
Vessel by Damien Jalet & Kohei Nawa at Sadler’s Wells
Outstanding achievement in dance
WINNER: Sara Baras for her choreography and performance in Ballet Flamenco – Sombras at Sadler’s Wells
Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker for her performance in Mitten Wir Im Leben Sind/Bach6Cellosuiten at Sadler’s Wells
Gisèle Vienne for her choreography of Crowd, presented by Dance Umbrella at Sadler’s Wells
Best new opera production
WINNER: Billy Budd at the Royal Opera House
Berenice at the Royal Opera House’s Linbury Theatre
Hansel and Gretel at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Noye’s Fludde at Theatre Royal Stratford East
Outstanding achievement in opera
WINNER: The children’s ensemble for their performance in Noye’s Fludde at Theatre Royal Stratford East
Jette Parker Young Artists for their performances in Berenice, Death in Venice and Phaedra at the Royal Opera House
Martyn Brabbins and James Henshaw for their conducting of The Mask of Orpheus for English National Opera at the London Coliseum
Special Awards
Sir Ian McKellen
Don Black
