OLIVIERS 2012: West End Stars Make Their Predictions - Part One!

 

"Best Revival: Much Ado About Nothing. I admit to being partial, I was Production Associate on this show. But I genuinely loved its inventiveness, design, score and cast. Big, bold, popular Shakespeare. A delight.

 

"Best Actor: James Corden. I think David Tennant should have been nominated here, but James Corden's performance in One Man, Two Guvnors was endlessly inventive.

 

"Best Actress: Kristin Scott Thomas. Absolutely heartbreaking, brittle and beautiful in Betrayal.

 

"Best New Musical: Matilda. It is wonderful to have so many great musicals in one year. I adored Betty Blue Eyes and found London Road ground-breaking and astonishing, but for sheer heart this has to go to Matilda which will, I think, be a show which is produced as often as Oliver! in years to come. I wouldn't be surprised, however, if the residents of a street in Ipswich triumph on the night.

 

"Best Actor in a Musical: Bertie Carvel. A brilliant man and a brilliant performance. He never goes for the easy choice, his Trunchbull is entirely believable, quite chilling, but wonderfully funny. 

 

"Best Actress in a Musical: The Matildas. They are forces of nature.

 

"Best Musical Revival: Crazy for You. I thought this got even stronger in town and was sad it didn't attract the audience it so thoroughly deserved. For me Crazy for You is one of the great musical comedies.

 

"Best Director: Matthew Warchus. This is a really hard category, but I think Matilda should win. Warchus's work felt, to me, at times like it recalled Michael Bennett in its absolute fusion of all the elements of a musical. For the same reason I feel like it should be Peter Darling's year. 

 

"Best Set Design: The Ladykillers. I love theatrical trickery and this set had that in abundance. Again, all of the nominees are very well deserved. I also thought Rob Jones' design for Much Ado was gorgeous as was his move from sepia to colour in The Wizard of Oz."