This year’s crop of Olivier Award nominees are a modest lot. Far from tooting their own horn about the critically acclaimed work that has earned them a slot in 2016’s Olivier Award class, at last week’s Nominees’ Celebration we discovered they were far more at home talking about the performances that had inspired them; the performances they would hand an Olivier Award to if they had the power.
We chatted to nominees including Best Actor contender Kenneth Cranham, Mrs Henderson Presents’ Tracie Bennett and Emma Williams, and Hand To God’s Jemima Rooper, all of whom spoke passionately about shows they had seen that had inspired them in the same way their performances have this year inspired thousands of theatregoers.
From iconic shows from past years that will either have you reminiscing over their greatness or kicking yourself you missed them to more than a few mentions for their fellow nominees (a certain Denise and Imelda crop up unsurprisingly), it’s a fascinating insight into what makes the jaws of people at the top of their game drop and leave them, in some cases, “uncontrollably sobbing” or life changed.
The winners of the Olivier Awards 2016 with MasterCard will be announced in a ceremony at the Royal Opera House on 3 April. You can be part of celebration at our Covent Garden Piazza event that will feature live performances from all the Magic Radio Audience Award shortlisted shows and a live stream of the ceremony. You can also watch extended highlights of the show on ITV at 22:15.
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