Download Olivier Awards with MasterCard 2013 Nominations Announced

Tuesday 26 March 2013
Olivier Awards with MasterCard
2013 Nominations Announced
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The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time, Top Hat and Sweeney Todd are
this year’s front-runners with the greatest number of nominations
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Billy Elliot The Musical, Matilda The Musical, The Phantom Of The Opera and Wicked
win the public vote to become BBC Radio 2 Audience Award nominees
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New writing is at the forefront of this year’s nominations across many categories
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MasterCard confirms its support for the Olivier Awards and London theatre until the
end of 2016
The nominations for the Olivier Awards with MasterCard – the most prestigious event in
the UK’s theatrical calendar – were announced today (Tuesday 26 March 2013), with the full
list of nominations now online at www.olivierawards.com
The National Theatre’s production of The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time
leads the list with eight nominations, followed by the toe-tapping new musical Top Hat
receiving seven, and the West End transfer of Chichester Festival Theatre’s revival of Sweeney
Todd in close competition with six. Other stand-out nominations include The Audience and
Kiss Me, Kate receiving five each, and Constellations, The Bodyguard and Twelfth Night
with four.
This year’s list of Olivier nominees is as star-studded as ever and theatregoers can enjoy many
of this year’s Olivier nominees performing currently in the West End including Helen Mirren
and Richard McCabe in The Audience, Heather Headley and Debbie Kurup in The
Bodyguard, Leigh Zimmerman in A Chorus Line, Luke Treadaway in The Curious Incident
Of The Dog In The Night-Time, Rupert Everett in The Judas Kiss, James McAvoy in
Macbeth and Kristen Scott Thomas in Old Times. Billie Piper, Helen McCrory, Imelda
Staunton, Hannah Waddingham, Michael Ball, Tom Chambers, Adam Garcia, Mark
Rylance, Rafe Spall and Will Young are just a few of the other talented actors and actresses
joining the illustrious line-up.
The highly anticipated shortlist for the BBC Radio 2 Audience Award – the only Olivier Award
voted for by the public and which received a record 65,000 votes this year – is Billy Elliot The
Musical, Matilda The Musical, The Phantom Of The Opera and Wicked.
New writing is at the forefront of this year’s nominations, leading the way across many
categories from the season of new writing at the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs at the Royal Court,
The Effect, Constellations and This House to Cinderella (at St James’s Theatre) and
Goodnight Mr Tom.
Dance nominations are split between The Royal Ballet and Sadler’s Wells, with notable opera
nominations including three out of four nominations for English National Opera for Best New
Opera Production, and The Stage Management Teams at ENO London Coliseum and the
Royal Opera House nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Opera.
As previously announced, former Olivier Award winners Gillian Lynne CBE and Michael
Frayn are to be honoured with Special Awards for their outstanding contributions to theatre.
The nominations were announced by Olivier Award winners Ruth Wilson and Elaine Paige
on Tuesday 26 March at 11.30am live on the BBC Radio 2 Ken Bruce show. The live broadcast
was part of a special event at London’s May Fair Hotel featuring a performance from last
year’s seven-time winner, Matilda The Musical.
The star-studded Olivier Awards ceremony will take place at the Royal Opera House on
Sunday 28 April, hosted by Hugh Bonneville and Sheridan Smith. The ceremony will be live
on BBC Radio 2 from 6.30pm with the award announcements as they happen and also
exclusive red carpet interviews with the stars as they arrive before the big night. A full
television highlights package will also be broadcast on ITV later in the evening.
Theatre-lovers are invited to gather at the BBC Radio 2 Stage in Covent Garden Piazza from
4pm on the day for a free Olivier Awards celebration featuring live performances from several
top West End shows – including the four shortlisted BBC Radio 2 Audience Award nominees –
as well as special guests. Awards-themed fun on offer will include make-up demos courtesy of
MAC, styling tips from Chester Barrie and cocktail making lessons with Radisson Edwardian.
Mark Rubinstein, President of the Society of London Theatre, said: “Congratulations to all of
this year’s Olivier Award nominees whose incredible talents contributed to a record-breaking
year for London Theatre. I am delighted that today we can also announce that MasterCard are
continuing their support of the Olivier Awards until the end of 2016.”
Paul Trueman, Head of Marketing, MasterCard UK & Ireland, commented: “At MasterCard
we are celebrating The Oliver Awards by giving fans a number of priceless experiences such as
joining the cast members of Les Misérables or We Will Rock You during dress rehearsals or
partaking in a photo shoot with the cast of Wicked. Our support of London theatre doesn’t stop
there and will continue throughout the year with the Priceless London programme giving fans
opportunities to enjoy London theatre in a way that will never be forgotten. To get in on the act
and look out for these experiences, visit www.pricelesslondon.co.uk.”
To keep up with the latest Olivier Awards news and engage with the Awards online visit
Facebook.com/olivierawards, Twitter and Instagram @OlivierAwards #oliviers.
Everyone can share photos and video media via the Oliviers live-streaming Wall by tagging
content #oliviers via Twitter, Instagram, YouTube or Tumblr. The Wall is hosted on the
Oliviers website and Facebook: www.olivierawards.com/thewall.
-ENDSThis press release is available to download at http://www.olivierawards.com/info/press/
Society of London Theatre/Olivier Awards Press Office:
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Alison Duguid, Press & Communications Manager, [email protected]
020 7557 6727
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Matthew Brown, Senior Press & Communications Officer, [email protected]
020 7557 6729
Notes to Editors:
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Established in 1976, the Laurence Olivier Awards celebrate the world-class status of London’s
theatre and are Britain’s most prestigious stage honours. For further information, including
2012 winners, visit: www.olivierawards.com
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The Society of London Theatre welcomes the following partners for The Olivier Awards 2013
with MasterCard (as of 26 March 2013):
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MasterCard, headline sponsor
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Radisson Edwardian and the May Fair Hotel, hotel partner
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The Haymarket Hotel, hosts of the nominees celebration
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American Airlines, airline partner
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MAC cosmetics, make-up partner
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Laurent Perrier, champagne partner
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Chester Barrie, menswear partner
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Audi, car partner
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CBS, advertising partner
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See Tickets, ticketing partner
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The Ivy Club
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With additional support from Divine Chocolate, Harpers, Hildon and Newmans
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The Society of London Theatre (SOLT) is the organisation which represents the producers,
theatre owners and managers of the 52 major commercial and grant-aided theatres in central
London. The organisation exists in order to promote theatregoing, develop audiences, and to
serve, protect and promote the interests of those engaged in theatre across London, through
activities including The Olivier Awards with MasterCard, TKTS ticket booth, the Official
London Theatre guide, Theatre Tokens and the annual promotions Kids Week and Get Into
London Theatre.
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MasterCard (NYSE: MA), www.mastercard.com, is a global payments and technology
company. It operates the world’s fastest payments processing network, connecting consumers,
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