The Society of London Theatres announced the winners of this year’s Olivier Awards on Sunday at a glittering ceremony held at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel. Having been involved with many of the nominated productions through 2007, White Light would like to congratulate the winners and all of the other nominees.
The award for Best Lighting Design was presented to Howard Harrison, for his lighting of the Chichester Festival Theatre’s production of Macbeth. Nominated on a number of previous occasions, this is Harrison’s first Olivier; the show itself, which also won the Best Director category for Rupert Goold, is currently playing at BAM in New York, and will soon transfer to Broadway. White Light was delighted to have supplied the lighting rig to the London production, as well as to The Lord of the Rings, also nominated in this category.
In the other technical categories, awards were presented to Paul Arditti and Jocelyn Pook for their sound design for Saint Joan at the National Theatre, to Rae Smith and the Handspring Puppet Company for War Horse, also at the National, and to Vicki Mortimer for the costume design for The Man of Mode, again at the National. War Horse also collected the Best Theatre Choreographer award for Toby Sedgewick.
Saint Joan was also presented with the award in the Best Revival category, with A Disappearing Number at the Barbican winning Best New Play, Rafta Rafta Best New Comedy, The Magic Flute - Impempe Yomlingo Best Musical Revival, and Hairspray Best New Musical. The Royal Ballet and Royal Opera had a successful evening, picking up the Best New Dance Production, Outstanding Achievement in Dance, Best New Opera Production and Outstanding Achievement in Opera categories.
In the performance categories, awards went to Chiewtel Ejiofor for Othello at the Donmar Warehouse, Kristin Scott Thomas for The Seagull at the Royal Court, and to Leanne Jones and Michael Ball, both in Hairspray at the Shaftesbury. A special award was presented to Andrew Lloyd Webber for his achievements in London‘s Theatreland and across the world.
Presented by the Society of London Theatres and named for actor Sir Laurence Olivier, the awards are presented annually, rewarding the finest productions to open in London’s West End and affiliate theatres during the previous twelve months.
A full list of this year’s winners, winners from previous years, and further information about the Oliviers, can be found at www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk/awards.