Director Jamie Lloyd’s stripped-down staging of “Sunset Boulevard” was honored with seven Olivier Awards during the 2024 ceremony honoring excellence in professional London theater. The new vision for the musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Don Black and Christopher Hampton was awarded seven trophies total. The April 14 Oliviers took place at London’s Royal Albert Hall.
As previously announced, the new “Sunset” is scheduled to transfer to Broadway’s St. James Theatre this fall, with stars Nicole Scherzinger (as Norma Desmond) and Tom Francis (as Joe Gillis) — both of whom won 2024 Oliviers — in tow. Lloyd also won the Olivier for his direction, with the production winning the prize as best musical revival, in addition to wins for best lighting (Jack Knowles), sound design (Adam Fisher) and musical contribution (musical supervisor Alan Williams).
The top Olivier, for best new musical, went to the comedy “Operation Mincemeat,” about the 1943 British deception operation to disguise the Allied invasion of Sicily during World War II. The musical features a book, music and lyrics by David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson and Zoë Roberts, all of whom were named winners in the category. The musical’s leading actor, Jak Malone, also won an Olivier for his performance in multiple roles.
Tony-nominated writer James Graham, known for “Ink” and Broadway’s upcoming “Tammy Faye” musical, was presented with the best new play Olivier for “Dear England,” which tells the true story of England football manager Gareth Southgate and the pressures of the sport. Actor Will Close took home a trophy for his supporting turn as soccer player Harry Kane.
The Olivier for best play revival went to “Vanya,” a new solo take on Anton Chekhov’s “Uncle Vanya” featuring an adaptation by Tony winner Simon Stephens (of “Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time”), direction by Sam Yates and a performance by Andrew Scott (who was nominated but bested by Mark Gatiss for “The Motive and the Cue”).
Haydn Gwynne, a Tony-nominated actor for her turn as Mrs. Wilkinson in “Billy Elliot: The Musical,” won a posthumous Olivier for her supporting turn in “When Winston Went to War with the Wireless.” Gwynne passed away on Oct. 20, 2023, at the age of 66.
Other Olivier wins of note include Sarah Snook as best actress in a play for “The Picture of Dorian Gray,” Amy Trigg as best actress in a supporting role in a musical for “The Little Big Things,” “Stranger Things: The First Shadow” as best entertainment or comedy play and Arlene Phillips with James Cousins for their choreography of an immersive “Guys and Dolls” revival.
The Tony- and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical “A Strange Loop,” in its London debut, went home empty-handed at the Oliviers, having been nominated in the sole category of best new musical. The London premiere of another Pulitzer winner, “Next to Normal,” similarly did not win any of the four Oliviers for which it was nominated.
To see a full list of 2024 Olivier Award winners, click here.
