The Olivier Awards with MasterCard ceremony can be a tense time for nominees. Will they win? If they win, will they falter and fall on the way to the stage? Will their memory fail them as they begin to thank the most important people? Will their shaking hands make the statuette slip? Might they be struck by a wardrobe malfunction – and by that I mean an actual piece of furniture falling on them; it could happen – or lose the ability to speak?
So before the full blown glamour, expectation and sweaty palms of the ceremony hit, the Oliviers treats the nominees to a far more casual daytime affair, a laid back lunch where they can mingle, chat to fellow nominees and not give two hoots about who will win on the night.
This year took this most theatrical of canapé-filled occasions to Rosewood London’s Scarfes Bar; an elegant establishment with the whiff of a gentleman’s club but the air of inclusion.
While the nominees bumped into old friends and made new ones, we snuck about with our camera, attempting to capture just a little of the excitement and the ambiance.
Of course, all eyes are now on the Royal Opera House, where, on 3 April, these same nominees will reassemble – with a few more added for good measure – for an evening of incredible performances and prize-giving.
As the Olivier Awards’ official news partner, we’ll be first with everything you need to know, both in the run-up to the evening and on the night itself. You can follow us on Facebook and Twitter, or sign up to our newsletter to get the news direct to your inbox.