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Olivier Winners 1996

Best Comedy

Winner: Mojo by Jez Butterworth at the Royal Court

Nominees:

  • Communicating Doors by Alan Ayckbourn at the Gielgud and the Savoy
  • Funny Money by Ray Cooney at the Playhouse
  • Mojo by Jez Butterworth at the Royal Court

Best Actress

Winner: Judi Dench for Absolute Hell at the National Theatre Lyttelton

Nominees:

  • Judi Dench for Absolute Hell at the National Theatre Lyttelton
  • Diana Rigg for Mother Courage And Her Children at the National Theatre Olivier
  • Zoe Wanamaker for The Glass Menagerie at the Donmar Warehouse and the Comedy
  • Lia Williams for Skylight at the National Theatre Cottesloe and the Wyndham’s

Best Actor

Winner: Alex Jennings for Peer Gynt, RSC at the Young Vic

Nominees:

  • Michael Gambon for Skylight at the National Theatre Cottesloe and the Wyndham’s
  • Alex Jennings for Peer Gynt, RSC at the Young Vic
  • Daniel Massey for Taking Sides at the Criterion
  • Donal McCann for The Steward Of Christendom at the Royal Court

Best Director

Winner: Sam Mendes for Company at the Donmar Warehouse and The Glass Menagerie at the Donmar Warehouse and the Comedy

Nominees:

  • Richard Eyre for Skylight at the National Theatre Cottesloe and the Wyndham’s, and La Grande Magia at the National Theatre Lyttelton
  • Sam Mendes for Company at the Donmar Warehouse and The Glass Menagerie at the Donmar Warehouse and the Comedy
  • Adrian Noble for A Midsummer Night’s Dream, RSC at the Barbican
  • Matthew Warchus for Volpone at the National Theatre Olivier and Henry V, RSC at the Barbican

Best Set Designer

Winner: John Napier for Burning Blue at the Theatre Royal Haymarket

Nominees:

  • John Gunter for Skylight at the National Theatre Cottesloe and the Wyndham’s, Absolute Hell at the National Theatre Lyttelton  and Twelfth Night, RSC at the Barbican
  • Rob Howell for The Glass Menagerie at the Donmar Warehouse and the Comedy
  • John Napier for Burning Blue at the Theatre Royal Haymarket
  • Anthony Ward for A Midsummer Night’s Dream, RSC at the Barbican, La Grande Magia and The Way Of The World at the National Theatre Lyttelton

Best Lighting Designer

Winner: David Hersey for Burning Blue at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, The Glass Menagerie at the Donmar Warehouse and the Comedy, and Twelfth Night, RSC at the Barbican

Nominees:

  • Mark Henderson for Absolute Hell and La Grande Magia, both at the National Theatre Lyttelton, and Indian Ink at the Aldwych
  • David Hersey for Burning Blue at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, The Glass Menagerie at the Donmar Warehouse and the Comedy, and Twelfth Night, RSC at the Barbican
  • Peter Mumford for Richard II at the National Theatre Cottesloe, Mother Courage And Her Children and Volpone at the National Theatre Olivier
  • Chris Parry for A Midsummer Night’s Dream, RSC at the Barbican and The Way of the World at the National Theatre Lyttelton

Best Costume Designer

Winner: Anthony Ward for A Midsummer Night’s Dream, RSC at the Barbican, The Way Of The World and La Grande Magia at the National Theatre Lyttelton

Nominees:

  • Deirdre Clancy for Absolute Hell at the National Theatre Lyttelton and Twelfth Night, RSC at the Barbican
  • Nicky Gillibrand for A Little Night Music at the National Theatre Olivier
  • Richard Hudson for Volpone at the National Theatre Olivier
  • Anthony Ward for A Midsummer Night’s Dream, RSC at the Barbican,  The Way Of The World and La Grande Magia at the National Theatre Lyttelton

Best Theatre Choreographer

Winner: Dein Perry for Tap Dogs at Sadler’s Wells

Nominees:

  • Lars Bethke for Fame The Musical at the Cambridge
  • Wayne McGregor for A Little Night Music at the National Theatre Olivier
  • Dein Perry for Tap Dogs at Sadler’s Wells

Best New Opera Production

Winner: The Royal Opera’s Billy Budd at the Royal Opera House

Nominees:

  • The Royal Opera’s Billy Budd at the Royal Opera House
  • English National Opera’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the London Coliseum
  • The Royal Opera’s Salome at the Royal Opera House
  • The Royal Opera’s Siegfried at the Royal Opera House

Outstanding Achievement in Opera

Winner: Bernard Haitink for conducting The Royal Opera’s Siegfried and Gotterdammerung at the Royal Opera House

Nominees:

  • Bernard Haitink for conducting The Royal Opera’s Siegfried and Gotterdammerung at the Royal Opera House
  • Jonathan Miller for his direction of English National Opera’s Carmen at the London Coliseum
  • Bryn Terfel for his performance in The Royal Opera’s Salome at the Royal Opera House
  • John Tomlinson for his performances in The Royal Opera’s Billy Budd and Siegfried at the Royal Opera House

Best New Dance Production

Winner: Adventures in Motion Pictures’s Swan Lake at Sadler’s Wells

Nominees:

  • Arc Dance Company’s Saints And Shadows at Sadler’s Wells
  • 10 Dancers Ensemble’s SH-BOOM at Sadler’s Wells
  • Adventures in Motion Pictures’s Swan Lake at Sadler’s Wells
  • Les Ballets de Monte Carlo’s Who Cares? at Sadler’s Wells

Outstanding Achievement in Dance

Winner: Siobhan Davies for Siobhan Davies Dance Company’s The Art Of Touch at Sadler’s Wells

Nominees:

  • Deborah Bull for her performance in The Royal Ballet’s Steptext at the Royal Opera House
  • Siobhan Davies for Siobhan Davies Dance Company’s The Art Of Touch at Sadler’s Wells
  • Sylvie Guillem for her performance in Bejart Ballet Lausanne’s Episodes at Sadler’s Wells
  • Marion Tait for her performance in Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Pillar Of Fire at the Royal Opera House

Best Supporting Performance

Winner: Simon Russelll Beale for Volpone at the National Theatre Olivier

Nominees:

  • Claire Skinner for The Glass Menagerie at the Donmar Warehouse and the Comedy
  • Ben Chaplin for The Glass Menagerie at the Donmar Warehouse
  • Geraldine McEwan for The Way Of The World at the National Theatre Lyttelton
  • Simon Russelll Beale for Volpone at the National Theatre Olivier

Best Actor in a Musical

Winner: Adrian Lester for Company at the Donmar Warehouse

Nominees:

  • Brian Conley for Jolson The Musical at the Victoria Palace
  • Ross Lehman for Hot Mikado at the Queen’s
  • Adrian Lester for Company at the Donmar Warehouse
  • Clarke Peters for Unforgettable at the Garrick

Best Actress in a Musical

Winner: Judi Dench for A Little Night Music at the National Theatre Olivier

Nominees:

  • Judi Dench for A Little Night Music at the National Theatre Olivier
  • Elizabeth Mansfield for Marie at the Fortune
  • Caroline O’Connor for Mack & Mabel at the Piccadilly
  • Elaine Paige for Sunset Boulevard at the Adelphi

Best Supporting Performance in a Musical

Winner: Sheila Gish for Company at the Donmar Warehouse

Nominees:

  • John Bennet for Jolson The Musical at the Victoria Palace
  • Sheila Gish for Company at the Donmar Warehouse
  • Sian Phillips for A Little Night Music at the National Theatre Olivier
  • Sophie Thompson for Company at the Donmar Warehouse

The American Express Award for Best New Musical

Winner: Jolson The Musical, written by Francis Essex and Rob Bettinson, at the Victoria Palace

Nominees:

  • Fame The Musical, conceived and developed by David de Silva, book by Jose Fernandez, lyrics by Jacques Levy, music by Steve Margoshes, at the Cambridge
  • Hot Mikado, book and lyrics by David H Bell, music adapted and arranged by Rob Bowman, based on “The Mikado” by Lus Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan, at the Queen’s
  • Jolson The Musical, written by Francis Essex and Rob Bettinson, at the Victoria Palace
  • Mack & Mabel, book by Michael Stewart, music and lyrics by Jerry Herman, at the Piccadilly

BBC Award for the Play of the Year

Winner: Skylight by David Hare at the National Theatre Cottesloe and the Wyndham’s

Nominees:

  • Pentecost by David Edgar, RSC at the Young Vic
  • Skylight by David Hare, at the National Theatre Cottesloe and the Wyndham’s
  • The Steward Of Christendom by Sebastian Barry at the Royal Court
  • Taking Sides by Ronald Harewood at the Criterion

The Society’s Special Award

Harold Pinter