The Olivier Awards—London's answer to the Tony Awards, celebrating excellence opera and dance as well as theater—were handed out at the Royal Opera House last night, with the Broadway-bound Matilda sweeping a number of prizes, including Best New Musical. Notably, the four little girls who share the title role in Matilda all won the award for best Actress in a Musical in a feat similar to the three boys who shared the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for Billy Elliott.
Since quite a few of the nominees are currently in New York, a viewing party was held at the Rose Theater at the Time Warner Center, with James Earl Jones (right) presenting the award for Best Direction of a Musical to Matthew Warchus, who is in town to oversee the Broadway transfer of Ghost.
Here is a partial list of the winners:
New Play: "Collaborators"
New Musical: "Matilda The Musical"
Entertainment: "Derren Brown — Svengali"
Revival: "Anna Christie"
Musical Revival: "Crazy For You"
Actress-Play: Ruth Wilson, "Anna Christie"
Actor-Play: Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller, "Frankenstein"
Actress-Musical: Cleo Demetriou, Kerry Ingram, Sophia Kiely and Eleanor Worthington-Cox, "Matilda The Musical"
Actor-Musical: Bertie Carvel, "Matilda The Musical"
Supporting Performer-Play: Sheridan Smith, "Flare Path"
Supporting Performer-Musical: Nigel Harman, "Shrek"
Director: Matthew Warchus, "Matilda The Musical"
New Opera Production: "Castor and Pollux," English National Opera
Outstanding Achievement in Opera: English National Opera
New Dance Production: "Desh," Akram Khan Company
Outstanding Achievement in Dance: Edward Watson, "The Metamorphosis"
Audience Award for Most Popular Show: "Les Miserables"
Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theater: "Roadkill," Theatre Royal Stratford East/Barbican/Traverse Theatre
Special Awards: Monica Mason, Tim Rice
For more information about the awards, visit www.olivierawards.com. Tickets for the winning and nominated shows can be purchased at Leisure Connect and other suppliers.