Spamalot leads the pack in Olivier Awards race

Published Thursday 18 January 2007 at 11:20 by Nuala Calvi

Monty Python’s Spamalot leads the nominations for this year’s Olivier Awards, with mentions in seven categories including Best New Musical and Best Actor and Actress in a Musical for stars Tim Curry and Hannah Waddingham.

Sunday in the Park with George, which transferred to the West End from the Menier Chocolate Factory, follows close on its heels with six nominations, including Best Director for Sam Buntrock.

Tom Stoppard’s Rock ‘n’ Roll receives four mentions including Best New Play and Best Actor and Actress for Rufus Sewell and Sinead Cusack.

Other nominations for Best Actor are Iain Glen, David Haig, Frank Langella and Michael Sheen and Eve Best, Tamsin Greig and Kathleen Turner for Best Actress.

The awards, now in their 31st year, take place on February 18 at the Grosvenor House Hotel.

The full list of nominations is as follows:

Best Actress: Eve Best - A Moon for the Misbegotten, Sinead Cusack - Rock ‘n’ Roll, Tamsin Greig - Much Ado About Nothing, Kathleen Turner - Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Best Actor: Iain Glen - The Crucible, David Haig - Donkey’s Years, Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon, Rufus Sewell - Rock ‘n’ Roll, Michael Sheen - Frost/Nixon

Best Performance in a Supporting Role: Samantha Bond - Donkey’s Years, Deborah Findlay - The Cut, Mark Hadfield - Therese Raquin, Colm Meany - A Moon for the Misbegotten, Jim Norton - The Seafarer

Best New Play: Blackbird by David Harrower, Frost/Nixon by Peter Morgan, Rock ‘n’ Roll by Tom Stoppard, The Seafarer by Conor McPherson

Best New Comedy: The 39 Steps adapted by Patrick Barlow, Don Juan In Soho by Patrick Marber after Moliere, Love Song by John Kolvenbach

Best Revival: The Crucible by Arthur Miller at the Gielgud, Donkey’s Years by Michael Frayn at the Comedy, A Moon for the Misbegotten by Eugene O’Neill at the Old Vic, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? by Edward Albee at the Apollo

Best New Musical: Avenue Q, Caroline or Change, Monty Python’s Spamalot, Porgy and Bess

Outstanding Musical Production: Cabaret, Evita, The Sound of Music, Sunday in the Park with George

Best Actress in a Musical: Nicola Hughes - Porgy and Bess, Tonya Pinkins - Caroline or Change, Elena Rogers - Evita, Jenna Russell - Sunday in the Park with George, Hannah Waddingham - Monty Python’s Spamalot

Best Actor in a Musical: Tim Curry - Monty Python’s Spamalot, Daniel Evans - Sunday in the Park with George, Clarke Peters - Porgy and Bess, Philip Quast - Evita

Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical: Anna Francolini - Caroline or Change, Tom Goodman-Hill - Monty Python’s Spamalot, Sheila Hancock - Cabaret, Summer Strallen - The Boyfriend

Best Director: Sam Buntrock - Sunday in the Park with George, Dominic Cooke - The Crucible, Joe Mantello - Wicked

Best Theatre Choreographer: Rob Ashford - Evita, Javier De Frutos - Cabaret, Bill Dreamer - The Boyfriend, Stephen Mear - Sinatra

Best Lighting Design: Jean Kalman and Vince Herbert - The Crucible, Hugh Vanstone - Monty Python’s Spamalot, Natasha Chivers and Mike Robertson - Sunday in the Park with George, Neil Austin - Therese Raquin, Kenneth Posner - Wicked

Best Set Design: Tim Hatley - Monty Python’s Spamalot; David Farley - Sunday in the Park with George; Eugene Austin - Wicked.

Best Costume Design: Tim Hatley - Monty Python’s Spamalot, Alison Chitty - The Voysey Inheritance, Susan Hilferty - Wicked

Best Sound Design: Mic Pool - The 39 Steps, Ian Dickinson - Rock ‘n’ Roll, Gareth Fry - Waves

Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre: Pied Piper at Theatre Royal, Stratford East; Theatre Royal, Stratford East for a powerful season of provocative work reaching new audiences; Love and Money at the Maria, Young Vic; Roy Dotrice for his performance in The Best of Friends at Hampstead Theatre.

Best New Opera Production: English National Opera - Jenufa, English National Opera - The Makropulos Case, English National Opera - Orfeo, Opera North - Peter Grimes

Outstanding Achievement in Opera: John Mark Ainsley - Orfeo, Joyce DiDonato - Hercules, Amanda Roocroft - Jenufa, John Tomlinson - Gotterdammerung

Best New Dance Production: The Royal Ballet - The Sleeping Beauty, Kabuki - Fuji Musume and Kasane, The Royal Ballet - DVG, The Royal Ballet - Chroma

Outstanding Achievement in Dance: Steven McRae, Carlos Acosta, Marianela Nunez, Wayne McGregor