On April 10 the United Kingdom held their annual Oliver Awards, presenting their annual awards for stage productions.  An intimate production of “Cabaret” and the stage adaptation of “Life of Pi” were the night’s biggest winners with “Cabaret” leading the way with seven wins.  Among the five awards for “Life of Pi” was a Olivier first when all seven of the actors used to portray the puppet tiger were presented with the Best Supporting Actor award.  Actor and puppeteer Fred Davis called it, “a landmark moment for puppetry.”

The Olivier Awards and Britain’s and the West End’s version of Broadway’s Tony Awards.

Held at the iconic Royal Albert Hall it was the first time the Olivier Award have been held in three years after an outbreak of the Covi-19 virus put a hold on live events.

The events in Ukraine were also on the minds of those present at the gala event.  Ukrainian mezzo-soprano Kseniia Nikolaieva gave a performance of the Ukrainian National Anthem.

The AIDS crisis play “The Normal Heart” features medic Linda Laubenstein who uses a wheelchair.  Actor Liz Carr won Best Supporting Actress for her role portraying the medic.  Carr noted that it was the first time in 35 years that the role was played by a person who actually uses a wheelchair.

In another first, the Olivier Awards had a “red carpet” constructed of sustainable green carpet that had been made from reusable grass”.

The gala event also included a tribute to award winning Broadway composer Stephen Sondheim.

The Olivier Awards were created in 1976 and are named after actor Laurence Olivier.

2022 Olivier Award Winners:
Best New Play: “Life of Pi”
Best New Musical: “Back to the Future – The Musical”
Best New Comedy: “Pride and Prejudice” (*) (*) (sort of)
Best Family Show: “Wolf Witch Giant Fairy”
Best Revival: “Constellations”
Best Musical Revival: “Cabaret”
Best Lead Actress in a Play: Sheila Atim for her role in “Constellations”
Best Lead Actor in a Play: Hiran Abeysekera for his role in “Life of Pi”
Best Lead Actress in a Musical: Jessie Buckley for her role in “Cabaret”
Best Leading Actor in a Musical: Eddie Redmayne for his role in “Cabaret”
Best Supporting Actor in a Play: Fred Davis, Daisy Franks, Romina Hytten, Tom Larkin, Habib Nasib Nader, Tom Stacy, and Scarlet Wilderink as the puppet tiger in “Life of Pi”
Best Supporting Actress in a Play: Liz Carr for her role in “The Normal Heart”
Best Supporting Actress in a Musical: Liza Sadovy for her role in “Cabaret”
Best Supporting Actor in a Musical: Elliot Levey for his role in “Cabaret”
Best Director: Rebecca Frecknail for “Cabaret”
Best Original Score or New Orchestration: “Get Up Stand Up!” from “The Bob Marley Musical”
Best Theater Choreography: Kathleen Marshall for “Anything Goes”
Best New Opera Production; the Royal Opera for “Jenufa”
Outstanding Achievement in Opera: Peter Whelan and the Irish Baroque Orchestra for “Bajazet”.
Best New Dance Production: “Revisor”
Outstanding Achievement in Dance: Arielle Smith for “Jolly Folly”
Best Set Design: “Life of Pi”
Best Lighting Design: “Life of Pi
Best Sound Design: “Cabaret”
Best Costume Design: “Moulin Rough! The Musical”
Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theater: “Old Bridge” at the Bush Theatre.