REPORT: BWW At The Olivier Awards Lunch

Let's get something straight. When the Oliviers say 'lunch', what they actually mean is crateloads of free (if top-quality) champagne, followed by some nifty little canapes that only start circulating once everyone's had enough to loosen them up. There's nothing wrong with a little bit of lunchtime fun, though there was a moment where it seemed like someone might fall into the lovely pool situated in the middle of the room the Haymarket Hotel so kindly provided for this schmoozefest.

Many of the nominees were there, including an incredibly slim Keira Knightley, who moved through the room followed by a trail of photographers, hangers-on and journalists before making a quick exit, a surprisingly short Maureen Lipman, a cheery James Earl Jones and even Melanie Chisholm, nominated for her stint in Blood Brothers. Also present was Brian May with wife Anita Dobson (May's We Will Rock You is up for Most Popular Show) as well as a friendly and funny Oliver Chris, not nominated, but there to support long-term partner Rachael Stirling, who is nominated for her spiky portrayal of Rebecca in The Priory.

Nica Burns, president of the Society Of London Theatre, believes this is a particularly strong year for theatre and many categories have been expanded to reflect this. She explained: "New plays take a long time to develop, and we have the incredible luck of having several very brilliant plays land at the same time - Jerusalem was commissioned in 2002! There are so many great new writers and subsidised theatres, but also the commercial world's done pretty well - nominations are pretty equal between the commercial and subsidised sector."

Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert's Tony Sheldon, who is in the final week of a four-year run as Bernadette, beginning with the original workshops in Australia, said he is looking forward to a well-earned holiday after March 6th. "It's actually a relief to be going, because I'm exhausted," he said. "The overwhelming support from the audience here... is totally unexpected and very very touching. Everybody knows me in Australia - here I'm new blood."

Sheldon, who is nominated for Best Actor In A Musical, will be on the plane the day after the curtain falls on his final performance, which seems somewhat of a bittersweet end. "I will miss London more than anything," he said. "I have adored living in London - it's the history, the size and it's just the most beautiful city. And also the people I've met - I've made some lovely friends over here, it's been a very welcoming time for me."

Of his nomination, he explained: "I've been nominated for many awards over the years and some you win, some you don't. It's all to do with the shows, the competition. There's some great competition this year - so what will be will be. I'm just thrilled that I made the cut to be where I am."

Aneurin Barnard, nominated in the same category as Sheldon for his portrayal of Melchior in Spring Awakening, is excited that the show has continued to live beyond closure. "My time is up with it but still people are talking about it. Award ceremonies like this - it feels like ages ago that we did it, but now it's getting recognised. It's great." Of the cast, he noted: "I think everyone was very strong individuals with different personalities. There's a lot of wise heads amongst the cast - a lot of workaholics! They worked hard to give something of quality."

Moving through the room, it was hard not to have your head turned by the very differently dressed, if equally beautiful, Ruth Wilson and Lorraine Burroughs. The former, dressed semi-casually in baggy harem-esque pants and black top, was refreshingly friendly and candid, speaking about her tendency to go for psychologically interesting pieces, such as her nominated role of Stella in A Streetcar Named Desire. You can read more of what she, along with some of the other attendees, had to say in my next Theatre Talk blog.

"The show has done so well," she enthused. "To carry on getting these accolades and special mentions is really quite great. The way Rob Ashford directed it is a very distinctive and individual take. The audience weren't allowed to hide from the brutality of the play - the rape was on stage, the sex was on stage, the shooting was on stage. He made it much more brutal and visceral for an audience and in that space at the Donmar, it's so intense for an audience and for the actors, because you're so close. In that respect, I think the beauty of the play and the essential themes of the play were really addressed and enabled the audience to feel them acutely because they were so close."

Meanwhile, a glammed-up Burroughs, nominated for her role as hotel maid Camae in the twisty Martin Luther King drama The Mountaintop, spoke about the challenges of taking the story of a well-known figure and changing it up rather dramatically. "The only way I could play it was to play it truthfully - it isn't fantastical, it's just what she is," she said. "She's still the same person she was when she was alive, so it's not like she's suddenly gone 'woo, I'm an angel'. She's just Camae."

Burroughs found audiences divided by The Mountaintop: "People were shocked by it, but loved it. There were some black Americans who came to see it and said 'you brought that to America, y'all be getting picketed!' Katori, the writer, says that in her house there's a picture of Jesus and a picture of Martin Luther King next to it on the wall. We have Martin Luther King smoking fags and trying it on with a maid. It all stems from truth - he did have lots of affairs, he did smoke Pall Malls, he did do all these things, but they don't necessarily want to hear that. We haven't been brought up with him in the same way the Americans have."

As the nominees began to drift away and normal service was resumed at the Haymarket, there was just enough time for a chat with Oliviers host Anthony Head, who is currently starring in Six Degrees Of Separation at the Old Vic and who was on fabulously chirpy form. "I'm very, very honoured that they've asked me," he laughed. "It doesn't feel like there's a list of people they've gone through to get to me! I'm a different sort of avenue of choice... I'm not a stand-up comedian, I'm not Jonathan Ross, I'm not Graham Norton - I wouldn't mind being Graham Norton or Jonathan Ross! Hopefully I will bring something slightly different to it - I'll let you know what it is when I've worked it out.

"I've been at enough award ceremonies in my time to know that you don't want somebody who's trying desperately to be funny with a not-very-funny script and you don't want somebody who's having a pop at everybody. You just want somebody who's going to keep it going and make it enjoyable... fingers crossed."