The Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play is an annual award presented by the Society of London Theatre in recognition of the "world-class status of London theatre." The awards were established as the Society of West End Theatre Awards in 1976, and renamed in 1984 in honour of English actor and director Laurence Olivier.
The award was titled Play of the Year from its establishment in 1976, and was first retitled to its current name for the 2001 Olivier Awards.
Winners and nominees 1970s Year Play Writer 1976 Dear Daddy Denis Cannan For King and Country John Wilson Funny Peculiar Mike Stott Old World Aleksei Arbuzov and Ariadne Nicolaeff 1977 The Fire that Consumes Henry de Montherlant, Vivian Cox and Bernard Miles Cause Célèbre Terence Rattigan Dusa, Fish, Stas and Vi Pam Gems State of Revolution Robert Bolt 1978 Whose Life Is It Anyway? Brian Clark Half-Life Julian Mitchell Lark Rise Flora Thompson and Keith Dewhurst Plenty David Hare 1979 Betrayal Harold Pinter Night and Day Tom Stoppard The Crucifer of Blood Arthur Conan Doyle and Paul Giovanni Undiscovered Country Arthur Schnitzler and Tom Stoppard
1980s Year Play Writer 1980 The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby Charles Dickens and David Edgar A Lesson from Aloes Athol Fugard Duet for One Tom Kempinski The Dresser Ronald Harwood 1981 Children of a Lesser God Mark Medoff Passion Play Peter Nichols Translations Brian Friel Quartermaine's Terms Simon Gray 1982 Another Country Julian Mitchell Insignificance Terry Johnson 84, Charing Cross Road Helene Hanff and James Roose-Evans Our Friends in the North Peter Flannery 1983 Glengarry Glen Ross David Mamet Pack of Lies Hugh Whitemore The Slab Boys Trilogy John Byrne Tales from Hollywood Christopher Hampton 1984 Benefactors Michael Frayn "Master Harold"...and the Boys Athol Fugard Poppie Nongena Elsa Joubert, Sandra Kotze and Hilary Blecher Rat in the Skull Ron Hutchinson 1985 Red Noses Peter Barnes Doomsday Tony Harrison The Road to Mecca Athol Fugard Torch Song Trilogy Harvey Fierstein 1986 Les Liaisons Dangereuses Christopher Hampton The American Clock Arthur Miller The Normal Heart Larry Kramer Ourselves Alone Anne Devlin 1987 Serious Money Caryl Churchill Lettice and Lovage Peter Shaffer A Lie of the Mind Sam Shepard Sarcophagus Vladimir Gubaryev 1988 Our Country's Good Timberlake Wertenbaker A Walk in the Woods Lee Blessing Mrs. Klein Nicholas Wright The Secret Rapture David Hare 1989/90 Racing Demon David Hare Ghetto Joshua Sobol Man of the Moment Alan Ayckbourn Shadowlands William Nicholson
1990s Year Play Writer 1991 Dancing at Lughnasa Brian Friel Singer Peter Flannery The Trackers of Oxyrhynchus Tony Harrison White Chameleon Christopher Hampton 1992 Death and the Maiden Ariel Dorfman Angels in America Tony Kushner The Madness of George III Alan Bennett Three Birds Alighting on a Field Timberlake Wertenbaker 1993 Six Degrees of Separation John Guare Someone Who'll Watch Over Me Frank McGuinness The Gift of the Gorgon Peter Shaffer The Street of Crocodiles Bruno Schulz and Theatre de Complicite 1994 Arcadia Tom Stoppard Oleanna David Mamet Angels in America: Perestroika Tony Kushner The Last Yankee Arthur Miller 1995 Broken Glass Arthur Miller Dealer's Choice Patrick Marber 900 Oneonta David Beaird Three Tall Women Edward Albee 1996 Skylight David Hare Pentecost David Edgar The Steward of Christendom Sebastian Barry Taking Sides Ronald Harwood 1997 Stanley Pam Gems The Beauty Queen of Leenane Martin McDonagh Blinded by the Sun Stephen Poliakoff The Herbal Bed Peter Whelan 1998 Closer Patrick Marber Amy's View David Hare Hurlyburly David Rabe The Invention of Love Tom Stoppard Tom & Clem Stephen Churchett 1999 The Weir Conor McPherson The Blue Room David Hare Copenhagen Michael Frayn The Unexpected Man Yasmina Reza
2000s Year Play Writer 2000 Goodnight Children Everywhere Richard Nelson Perfect DaysLiz Lochhead Rose Martin Sherman The Lady in the Van Alan Bennett Three Days of Rain Richard Greenberg 2001 Blue/Orange Joe Penhall Dolly West's Kitchen Frank McGuinness Life x 3 Yasmina Reza My Zinc Bed David Hare 2002 Jitney August Wilson Boy Gets Girl Rebecca Gilman Gagarin Way Gregory Burke Humble Boy Charlotte Jones Mouth to Mouth Kevin Elyot 2003 Vincent in Brixton Nicholas Wright Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train Stephen Adly Guirgis The Coast of Utopia Tom Stoppard The York Realist Peter Gill 2004 The Pillowman Martin McDonagh Democracy Michael Frayn Elmina's Kitchen Kwame Kwei-Armah Hitchcock Blonde Terry Johnson 2005 The History Boys Alan Bennett By the Bog of Cats Marina Carr Festen David Eldridge The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? Edward Albee 2006 On the Shore of the Wide World Simon Stephens Coram Boy Helen Edmundson Harvest Richard Bean Paul Howard Brenton 2007 Blackbird David Harrower Frost/Nixon Peter Morgan Rock 'n' Roll Tom Stoppard The Seafarer Conor McPherson 2008 A Disappearing Number Simon McBurney The Reporter Nicholas Wright Vernon God LittleTanya Ronder War Horse Nick Stafford 2009 Black Watch Gregory Burke August: Osage County Tracy Letts The Pitmen Painters Lee Hall That Face Polly Stenham
2010s Year Play Writer 2010 The Mountaintop Katori Hall ENRON Lucy Prebble Jerusalem Jez Butterworth Red John Logan 2011 Clybourne Park Bruce Norris End of the Rainbow Peter Quilter The Little Dog Laughed Douglas Carter Beane Sucker Punch Roy Williams Tribes Nina Raine 2012 Collaborators John Hodge Jumpy April De Angelis One Man, Two Guvnors Richard Bean The Ladykillers Graham Linehan 2013 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Simon Stephens Constellations Nick Payne The Audience Peter Morgan This House James Graham 2014 Chimerica Lucy Kirkwood 1984Robert Icke and Duncan MacMillan The Night Alive Conor McPherson Peter and Alice John Logan 2015 King Charles III Mike Bartlett Taken at Midnight Mark Hayhurst The Nether Jennifer Haley Wolf Hall / Bring Up the Bodies Hilary Mantel and Mike Poulton 2016 Hangmen Martin McDonagh Farinelli and the King Claire van Kampen People, Places and ThingsDuncan MacMillan The Father Florian Zeller 2017Harry Potter and the Cursed ChildJack ThorneElegyNick PayneThe FlickAnnie BakerOne Night in Miami…Kemp Powers2018The FerrymanJez ButterworthInkJames GrahamNetworkLee HallOsloJ. T. Rogers2019The InheritanceMatthew LopezThe Lehman TrilogyStefano MassiniMistyArinzé KeneSweatLynn Nottage
2020s Year Play Writer2020LeopoldstadtTom StoppardA Very Expensive PoisonLucy PrebbleThe DoctorRobert IckeThe Ocean at the End of the LaneJoel Horwood 2021 Not presented due to extended closing of theatre productions during COVID-19 pandemic2022 Life of PiLolita Chakrabarti2:22 A Ghost StoryDanny RobinsBest of EnemiesJames GrahamCruiseJack Holden2023 Prima FacieSuzie MillerFor Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too HeavyRyan Calais CameronPatriotsPeter MorganTo Kill a MockingbirdAaron Sorkin2024 Dear England James Graham The Hills of California Jez Butterworth The Motive and the Cue Jack Thorne Till the Stars Come Down Beth Steel 2025 Giant Mark Rosenblatt The Fear of 13Lindsey FerrentinoKyotoJoe Murphy and Joe RobertsonShiftersBenedict LombeThe YearsEline Arbo and Stephanie Bain2026PunchJames Graham1536Ava PickettInter AliaSuzie MillerKenrexJack Holden and Ed Stambollouian
Multiple awards and nominations for Best New Play
Awards Two awards James Graham David Hare Martin McDonagh Simon Stephens Tom Stoppard
Nominations Seven nominations David Hare Tom Stoppard
Five nominations James Graham
Three nominations Jez Butterworth Athol Fugard Christopher Hampton Conor McPherson Martin McDonagh Peter Morgan
Two nominations David Edgar Michael Frayn Brian Friel Pam Gems Ronald Harwood Jack Holden Terry Johnson Suzie Miller Julian Mitchell Frank McGuinness Simon Stephens Jack Thorne
See also Critics' Circle Theatre Award for Best New Play Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Play Tony Award for Best Play
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