Nominees for the 35th Laurence Olivier Awards, the most prestigious accolade in London theatre, will be announced early next month.
Both theatre fans and industry professionals will have their eyes peeled on 7 February to see who makes it into the all-important shortlist.
This year there will be more to the announcement than simply the nominees. Theatreland’s top prize is to be relaunched with extensive coverage on TV, radio and online. The ceremony, as was previously announced, is to move to the historic Theatre Royal Drury Lane and will feature specially created performances with music from the BBC Concert Orchestra.
More details about the changes, including a major new sponsor, will be revealed at the 7 February press conference, along with who will be represented in the 24 categories. It has been confirmed, however, that the Audience Award for Most Popular Show, which last year was voted for by the users of Official London Theatre, will return this year supported, once again, by BBC Radio 2. The Audience Award is the only Laurence Olivier Award controlled solely by the theatregoing public, the other award winners being decided by panels.
The Laurence Olivier Awards, which will be presented on 13 March in a ceremony attended by international stars of stage and screen, have been the highlight of the British theatre awards season since they were founded in 1976, when they were known as the Society of West End Theatre Awards. Lord Olivier, widely regarded as the greatest actor of the modern era, agreed to have his name associated with the awards in 1984.
In the lead up to the Laurence Olivier Awards, Official London Theatre will be first with all the news about this year’s exciting changes.
MA