John Lithgow and Lesley Manville take home acting gongs at starry Olivier Awards

Imelda Staunton and Romola Garai were among the winners of the night

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All eyes were on Fiddler on the Roof at this year’s Olivier Awards, the musical having equalled a record set in 2018 by Hamilton for the most nominated show in its history.

Jordan Fein’s acclaimed revival of the 1964 musical at Regent’s Park Open Air theatre won three of its 13 nominations, losing out in the acting categories.

Hosted by Beverly Knight and Billy Porter at the Royal Albert Hall in London on Sunday (6 April), the ceremony was particularly starry this year with several A-listers, such as Paapa Essiedu, Imelda Staunton and Adrien Brody, receiving nominations for their contributions to the West End.

Other high-profile names, including Tom Hiddleston, Ewan McGregor, and The Crown’s Elizabeth Debicki, presented awards, with Cate Blanchett, Mark Strong, Martin Freeman and Naomi Campbell also in attendance.

Fresh from his Oscar win for The Brutalist, Brody – nominated for Best Actor for his role in the Donmar Theatre’s The Fear of 13 – missed out on the gong, which went to John Lithgow instead for his towering turn as Roald Dahl in Giant.

Garlanded with five-star reviews last year, Mark Rosenblatt’s simmering debut play explores the truculent author’s antisemitism. Giant also won Best New Play and Best Actor in a Supporting Role.

Accepting the award, Lithgow, 79, told the audience he might “faint”.

Referring to US President Donald Trump’s administration, the New York-born actor said: “It’s not always easy to welcome an American into your midst, and at this particular moment, it’s probably a little more complicated than usual...”

John Lithgow won Best Actor for his performance as Roald Dahl in ‘Giant’ (Getty Images )

Best Actress, meanwhile, went to Lesley Manville for her performance in Robert Icke’s thrilling production of Oedipus at The Old Vic. His reimagining of the Greek tragedy as a political thriller won the prize for Best Revival.

First-time nominee Romola Garai triumphed in the Best Actress in a Supporting Role category, in which she was nominated twice for her roles in both Giant and The Years. She won for the latter – an adaptation of French author Annie Ernaux’s 2008 masterpiece, for which Eline Arbo won the directing prize.

Imelda Staunton took home the award for Best Actress in a Musical thanks to her performance as a meddling matchmaker in Hello, Dolly!, which premiered on Broadway in 1964.

Adrien Brody was nominated for his role in ‘The Fear of 13’ (Getty Images )

See below for the full list of winners…

Best director

Eline Arbo for The Years at Almeida theatre and Harold Pinter theatre – WINNER

Jordan Fein for Fiddler on the Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air theatre

Nicholas Hytner for Giant at Jerwood theatre Downstairs at Royal Court theatre

Robert Icke for Oedipus at Wyndham’s theatre

Best actress

Heather Agyepong for Shifters at Duke of York’s theatre

Lesley Manville for Oedipus at Wyndham’s theatre – WINNER

Rosie Sheehy for Machinal at the Old Vic

Meera Syal for A Tupperware of Ashes at National Theatre – Dorfman

Indira Varma for Oedipus at the Old Vic

Mark Strong and Lesley Manville in Robert Icke’s ‘Oedipus’ (Manuel Harlan )

Best actor

Adrien Brody for The Fear of 13 at Donmar Warehouse

Billy Crudup for Harry Clarke at Ambassadors theatre

Paapa Essiedu for Death of England: Delroy at @sohoplace

John Lithgow for Giant at Jerwood theatre Downstairs at Royal Court theatre – WINNER

Mark Strong for Oedipus at Wyndham’s theatre

Best actor in a supporting role

Jorge Bosch for Kyoto at @sohoplace

Tom Edden for Waiting for Godot at Theatre Royal Haymarket

Elliot Levey for Giant at Jerwood theatre Downstairs at Royal Court theatre – WINNER

Ben Whishaw for Bluets at Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at Royal Court theatre

Best actress in a supporting role

Sharon D Clarke for The Importance of Being Earnest at National Theatre – Lyttelton

Romola Garai for Giant at Jerwood theatre Downstairs at Royal Court theatre

Romola Garai for The Years at Almeida theatre and Harold Pinter theatre – WINNER

Gina McKee for The Years at Almeida Theatre and Harold Pinter theatre

Romola Garai won best actress in a supporting role for her performance in ‘The Years’ (PA Wire)

Best new play

The Fear of 13 by Lindsey Ferrentino at Donmar Warehouse

Giant by Mark Rosenblatt at Jerwood theatre Downstairs at Royal Court theatre – WINNER

Kyoto by Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson at @sohoplace

Shifters by Benedict Lombe at Duke of York’s theatre

The Years adapted by Eline Arbo, in an English version by Stephanie Bain at Almeida theatre and Harold Pinter theatre

Best new musical

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, music and lyrics by Darren Clark, book and lyrics by Jethro Compton at Ambassadors theatre – WINNER

MJ the Musical, book by Lynn Nottage at Prince Edward theatre

Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812, music, lyrics and book by Dave Malloy at Donmar Warehouse

Why Am I So Single?, music, lyrics and book by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss at Garrick theatre

Maimuna Memon won for ‘Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812’ (Johan Persson )

Best actor in a musical

John Dagleish for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button at Ambassadors theatre – WINNER

Adam Dannheisser for Fiddler on the Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air theatre

Myles Frost for MJ the Musical at Prince Edward theatre

Simon Lipkin for Oliver! at Gielgud theatre

Jamie Muscato for Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 at Donmar Warehouse

Best actress in a musical

Chumisa Dornford-May for Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 at Donmar Warehouse

Lauren Drew for Titanique at Criterion theatre

Clare Foster for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button at Ambassadors theatre

Lara Pulver for Fiddler on the Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air theatre

Imelda Staunton for Hello, Dolly! at the London Palladium – WINNER

Imelda Staunton poses with her Olivier award for best actress in a musical (Getty Images )

Best set design

Jon Bausor for set design, Toby Olié and Daisy Beattie for puppetry design and Satoshi Kuriyama for projection design for Spirited Away at London Coliseum

Frankie Bradshaw for set design for Ballet Shoes at National Theatre – Olivier

Es Devlin for set design for Coriolanus at National Theatre – Olivier

Tom Scutt for set design for Fiddler on the Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air theatre – WINNER

Best lighting design

Paule Constable and Ben Jacobs for Oliver! at Gielgud theatre – WINNER

Howard Hudson for Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 at Donmar Warehouse

Howard Hudson for Starlight Express at Troubadour Wembley Park theatre

Aideen Malone for Fiddler on the Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air theatre

Beverly Knight and Billy Porter hosted the star-studded ceremony (Invision )

Best new opera production

Duke Bluebeard’s Castle by English National Opera at London Coliseum

Festen by the Royal Opera at Royal Opera House – WINNER

L’Olimpiade by Irish National Opera and the Royal Opera at Royal Opera House

The Tales of Hoffmann by the Royal Opera at Royal Opera House

Outstanding achievement in opera

Aigul Akhmetshina for her performance in Carmen at Royal Opera House

Allan Clayton for his performance in Festen at Royal Opera House – WINNER

Jung Young-doo for his direction of Lear at Barbican theatre

Best family show

Brainiac Live at Marylebone theatre – WINNER

Maddie Moate’s Very Curious Christmas at Apollo theatre

The Nutcracker at Polka theatre

Rough Magic at Shakespeare’s Globe – Sam Wanamaker Playhouse

Best new production in affiliate theatre

Animal Farm at Theatre Royal Stratford East by George Orwell, adapted by Tatty Hennessy

Boys on the Verge of Tears by Sam Grabiner at Soho theatre – WINNER

English by Sanaz Toossi at Kiln theatre

Now, I See by Lanre Malaolu at Theatre Royal Stratford East

What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank by Nathan Englander at Marylebone theatre

Best new dance production

Assembly Hall by Kidd Pivot, Crystal Pite and Jonathon Young at Sadler’s Wells – WINNER

Frontiers: Choreographers of Canada – Pite/Kudelka/Portner by the National Ballet of Canada at Sadler’s Wells

Theatre of Dreams by Hofesh Shechter Company at Sadler’s Wells

An Untitled Love by A.I.M by Kyle Abraham at Sadler’s Wells

Outstanding achievement in dance

Sarah Chun for her performance in Three Short Ballets at Royal Opera House – Linbury theatre

Tom Visser for his lighting design of Angels’ Atlas as part of Frontiers: Choreographers of Canada –

Pite/Kudelka/Portner at Sadler’s Wells

Eva Yerbabuena for her performance in Yerbagüena at Sadler’s Wells – WINNER

Elizabeth Debicki was one of several A-list presenters, as well as Ewan McGregor and Tom Hiddleston (Invision)

Best theatre choreographer

Matthew Bourne for Oliver! at Gielgud theatre

Julia Cheng for Fiddler on the Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air theatre

Hofesh Shechter for Oedipus at the Old Vic

Christopher Wheeldon for MJ the Musical at Prince Edward theatre – WINNER

Best costume design

Hugh Durrant for Robin Hood at the London Palladium

Sachiko Nakahara for Spirited Away at London Coliseum

Tom Scutt for Fiddler on the Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air theatre

Gabriella Slade for Starlight Express at Troubadour Wembley Park theatre – WINNER

Best sound design

Nick Lidster for Fiddler on the Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air theatre – WINNER

Christopher Shutt for Oedipus at the Old Vic

Thijs van Vuure for The Years at Almeida theatre and Harold Pinter theatre

Koichi Yamamoto for Spirited Away at London Coliseum

‘Fiddler on the Roof’ won Best Musical Revival (Getty Images )

Outstanding musical contribution

Mark Aspinall for musical supervision and additional orchestrations for Fiddler on the Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air theatre

Darren Clark for music supervision, orchestrations and arrangements and Mark Aspinall for musical direction, music supervision, orchestrations and arrangements for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button at Ambassadors theatre – WINNER

Dave Malloy for orchestrations and Nicholas Skilbeck for musical supervision for Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 at Donmar Warehouse

Asaf Zohar for compositions and Gavin Sutherland for dance arrangements and orchestration for Ballet Shoes at National Theatre – Olivier

Best actress in a supporting role in a musical

Liv Andrusier for Fiddler on the Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air theatre

Amy Di Bartolomeo for The Devil Wears Prada at Dominion theatre

Beverley Klein for Fiddler on the Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air theatre

Maimuna Memon for Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 at Donmar Warehouse – WINNER

Best musical revival

Fiddler on the Roof, music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, book by Joseph Stein at Regent’s Park Open Air theatre – WINNER

Hello, Dolly!, music and lyrics by Jerry Herman, book by Michael Stewart at the London Palladium

Oliver!, book, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart, new material and revisions by Cameron Mackintosh at Gielgud theatre

Starlight Express, music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Richard Stilgoe at Troubadour Wembley Park theatre

Mark Rosenblatt, winner of the Best New Play award for ‘Giant’, posing alongside Elizabeth Debicki and Ewan McGregor (Getty Images )

Best actor in a supporting role in a musical

Andy Nyman for Hello, Dolly! at the London Palladium

Raphael Papo for Fiddler on the Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air theatre

Layton Williams for Titanique at Criterion theatre – WINNER

Tom Xander for Mean Girls at Savoy theatre

Best new entertainment or comedy play

Ballet Shoes adapted by Kendall Feaver at National Theatre – Olivier

Inside No 9 Stage/Fright by Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith at Wyndham’s theatre

Spirited Away adapted by John Caird and co-adapted by Maoko Imai at London Coliseum

Titanique by Tye Blue, Marla Mindelle and Constantine Rousouli at Criterion theatre

Best revival

The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde at National Theatre – Lyttelton

Machinal by Sophie Treadwell at the Old Vic

Oedipus by Robert Icke at Wyndham’s theatre – WINNER

Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett at Theatre Royal Haymarket

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