I just thought I would try and decipher what will be eligible at next years Olivier Awards, I have done best play/musical/musical revival/play revival.
No doubt I have got some wrong and missed some, that is where you can help me out?
Just to point out very politely at this early stage, I would like to sort out the categories below for now, then perhaps if all goes well we can move on to acting and creative, then who should be nominated the n who should win the holy grail.
Best Musical The Bodyguard Viva Forever Loserville Let It Be Soul Sister Once Book of Mormon American Idiot Soho Cinders
Best Musical Revival Ragtime Sweeney Todd Scrooge - The Musical Cabaret A Chorus Line Taboo Kiss Me, Kate The Mystery Of Edwin Drood Top Hat Merrily We Roll Along Spamalot Carousel
Best Play Travelling Light The Kings Speech Detroit (National South Downs/ The Browning Version Abigail's Party Moon On A Rainbow Shawl (National) Posh Gatz The Last of the Haussmans Chariots of Fire Jumpy Our Boys Quartermine's Terms The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (National) Damned By Despair (National) This House (National) Damned By Despair (National) The People (National) Antigone (National)
Best Play Revival Absent Friends Juno and the Paycock Hay Fever The Recruitment Officer She Stoops To Conquer The Duchess of Malfi What The Butler Saw Long Days Journey Into Night The Sunshine Boys Torch Song Trilogy A Doll's House Three Sisters A Midnight Summers Dream (Open Air) Hedda Gabba Charley's Aunt A Chorus of Dissapproval Much Ado About Nothing (Noel Coward) Richard III (Apollo) Twelve Night (Apollo) Uncle Vanya (Vaudeville) Uncle Vanya (Noel Coward) Timeon of Athens (National) The Magistrate (National) Comedy Of Errors (National)
Best Musical The Bodyguard Viva Forever Loserville Let It Be Soul Sister
(Once and Book of Mormon are after the deadline, I don't think American Idiot or Soho Cinders are/will be on the west end, technically)
Best Musical Revival Ragtime Sweeney Todd Scrooge - The Musical Cabaret Kiss Me, Kate The Mystery Of Edwin Drood Spamalot Carousel Seussical
(Top Hat's never been onstage before, A Chorus Line will miss the deadline and Taboo and Merrily aren't technically west end, are they? Also added Seussical)
Best Play Travelling Light The Kings Speech Detroit (National South Downs/ The Browning Version Moon On A Rainbow Shawl (National) Posh Gatz The Last of the Haussmans Chariots of Fire Jumpy Our Boys The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (National) Damned By Despair (National) This House (National) The People (National) Antigone (National)
(Abigail's Party and Quartermaine's terms are revivals)
Best Play Revival Absent Friends Juno and the Paycock Hay Fever The Recruitment Officer She Stoops To Conquer The Duchess of Malfi What The Butler Saw Long Day's Journey Into Night The Sunshine Boys A Doll's House Three Sisters A Midsummer Night's Dream (Open Air) Hedda Gabbler A Chorus of Dissapproval Much Ado About Nothing (Noel Coward) Richard III (Apollo) Twelfth Night (Apollo) Uncle Vanya (Vaudeville) Uncle Vanya (Noel Coward) Timeon of Athens (National) The Magistrate (National) Comedy Of Errors (National) Abigail's Party Quartermaine's Terms
(The Menier plays don't count again, as they aren't west end)
It's a pretty comprehensive list! Just a few things occur to me at first glance:
I think the cut-off date for Olivier eligibility is around March 5, which means Once and Book Of Mormon will not be eligible until the following year.
American Idiot is a tour production, not West end - so won't be eligible.
Soho Cinders played a Fringe venue, not West End, so - unless it transfers - won't be eligible. (Sadly - coz it's the best new musical I've seen in London for years!)
Taboo & Merrily are also in Fringe venues, so not eligible for Oliviers.
Top Hat is a new show, not a revival.
The other things that occurred to me were that quality eligible new musicals are very thin off the ground and in the revival category, the opposite is the case and there are a number of major contenders.
Thanks for the help, I just stuck up there what I could think of, or what I had seen, knowing some would be wrong, which adds more the discussion, I forgot to list anything the Donmar except The Recruitment Officer and Royal Court are these two eligible?
To know what is eligible, we need to understand what is meant by the term West End? Broadway has a crystal clear definition.
Drood was revived? When? I would think best revival would be a toss between Sweeney and Kiss Me Kate. Best musical I hope they give it to either Viva Forever or Bodyguard. Might as well give it to something that will be running at that time.
I think Sweeney will easily nab the Olivier fro Revival, along with Michael and Imelda for best actor/actress. It had unanimous Praise from critics, and many reviews of Kiss Me Kate compared it to Sweeney, saying it was still a great show but didnt exceed the bar Sweeney had set.
I agree Sweeney is probably the favourite for Best Revival. But I have to confess that, though it was very very good (and the piece itself is a genuine masterpiece), this production did not exactly blow me away. Imelda and Michael were excellent but some of the others in the cast were a bit "ordinary" to say the least. And the overall production did not compare to other productions of Sweeney that I've seen (it did not come close to having the same powerful impact that John Doyle's production had IMO - that one really did blow me away when I saw it in London and in New York).
I've not seen Kiss Me Kate yet, so can't comment on that - but really looking forward to eventually seeing it!
Also need to remember that the award for Best Revival is about the PRODUCTION, not the piece itself. For example, one could never rate a show like Spamalot as a better musical than Sweeney Todd. But it has genuine credentials to be considered for a Best Revival award - this production was BETTER than the original!
I didn't know that a show had to play 30 shows to be eligible fot the Oliviers, so this would also rule out very thankfully 'Soul Sister'.
Bob echo's my sentiments that Best musical is very thin this year and the opposite is true with revivals, I also agree with Soho Cinders which was a great musical and also big shame American Idiot won't be eligible, as the show is totally brilliant, so American Idiot and Soho Cinders would do wonders to a otherwise bland benal category.
So here is how I now see next years awards:
Best Musical The Bodyguard Viva Forever Loserville Let It Be Soul Sister Not enough performances Once After the cut off date Book of Mormon After the cut off date. American Idiot Hammersmith not classified as a West End veue, shame as the be best musical out there maybe? Soho Cinders Soho theatre, is not a West End venue. Top Hat Elevated from bst revival.
Best Musical Revival Ragtime Sweeney Todd Scrooge - The Musical Cabaret A Chorus Line Starts after the cut off date. Taboo Venue not eligible for the Oliviers Kiss Me, Kate The Mystery Of Edwin Drood Top Hat Elevated to Best Musical Merrily We Roll Along Venue not eligible for the Oliviers Spamalot Carousel
Best Play Travelling Light The Kings Speech Detroit (National) South Downs/ The Browning Version Abigail's Party Moved to revival Moon On A Rainbow Shawl (National) Posh Gatz The Last of the Haussmans Chariots of Fire Jumpy Our Boys Quartermine's Terms Moved to Revival The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (National) Damned By Despair (National) This House (National) Damned By Despair (National) The People (National) Antigone (National)
Best Play Revival Absent Friends Juno and the Paycock Hay Fever The Recruitment Officer She Stoops To Conquer The Duchess of Malfi What The Butler Saw Long Days Journey Into Night The Sunshine Boys Torch Song Trilogy A Doll's House Three Sisters A Midnight Summers Dream (Open Air) Hedda Gabba Charley's Aunt A Chorus of Dissapproval Much Ado About Nothing (Noel Coward) Richard III (Apollo) Twelve Night (Apollo) Uncle Vanya (Vaudeville) Uncle Vanya (Noel Coward) Timeon of Athens (National) The Magistrate (National) Comedy Of Errors (National) Quartermine Terms Abigails Party
I really hope Hattie Morahan gets recognised for her performance in A Doll's House at the Young Vic this summer. Her performance was one of the best I've seen on stage in years. She must be up for best actress
A production does not have to play for 30 performances to qualify for Olivier Award nomination. There is no minimum requirement.
To be nominated a production has to play in a SOLT (Society Of London Theatre) member theatre. Although in the West End productions at the Arts Theatre do not qualify as it is not a SOLT theatre.
Our Boys is a revival. Jumpy was nominated last year. Constellations will transfer the duke of yorks after Jumpy, will it be eligible? It was at the royal court in january.
What a thoroughly depressing year for Best Musical....
But then I recall all the wonderful musicals that were staged last year at the Union, Southwark Playhouse and Landor. Most were US shows getting their London premiere but in tiny venues. While none eligible for Oliviers - I think 2012 was the year the fringe trumped the West End.
If only American Idiot were eligible. Loved that. I guess I would give it to Looserville. While it had its flaws, there was so much heart.
I really dont think Michael Ball deserves Best Actor, his Sweeney was ok but he was still too Michael Ball ish. But it was a weak year for actors in musicals so he will probably get it. Imelda was stunning and no one comes close as Best ACTRESS in a musical
I actually thought Ball's Sweeney was a total transformation and far more deserving than his performance in Hairspray.
I think Sheridan Smith should still be considered a contender, not least because she seems to be on a roll with winning Oliviers.
Loserville winning best musical wouldn't be the WORST thing in the world, it just represents a new type of musical, perhaps for the younger generation of theatregoers, and it was still clever and innovative in its own way.
Chorus Line is also great but has little merit as a revival seeing as it's a carbon copy production so Sweeney should still win Best Revival (the open air theatre lost it this year, sadly).
i didnt mind bodyguatd, nothing special but its not a bad show. i especially love how poorly the role of Frank is written its the male equivalent of a female being told to just stand there and look pretty except he just haa to look serious and solid
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Posted: 10/12/12 at 05:13pm