The Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a 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.
This award was introduced in 1985, as Actress of the Year, then retitled to its current name for the 1993 ceremony. Prior to this award, from 1976 to 1984 (and again in 1988), there was a pair of awards given each year for this general category, one for Actress of the Year in a New Play and the other for Actress of the Year in a Revival.
Winners and nominees
1980s
Year Actor Play Character 1985 Yvonne Bryceland The Road to Mecca Miss Helen Wendy Morgan Martine Martine Harriet Walter The Castle Skinner Joanne Whalley Saved Pam 1986 Lindsay Duncan Les Liaisons Dangereuses Marquise de Merteuil Julia McKenzie Woman in Mind Susan Juliet Stevenson As You Like It, Les Liaisons Dangereuses and Troilus and Cressida Rosalind / Madame de Tourvel / Cressida Irene Worth The Bay at Nice Valentina Nrovka 1987 Judi Dench Antony and Cleopatra Cleopatra Miranda Richardson A Lie of the Mind Beth Maggie Smith Lettice and Lovage and Coming in to Land Lettice Douffet / Halina Juliet Stevenson Yerma Yerma 1989/90 Fiona Shaw Electra, As You Like It and The Good Person of Szechwan Electra / Celia / Shen Te Sheila Hancock Prin Prin Jane Lapotaire Shadowlands Joy Prunella Scales Single Spies Elizabeth II
1990s Year Actor Play Character 1991 Kathryn Hunter The Visit Claire Zachanassian Penny Downie Scenes from a Marriage Marianne Barbara Jefford Coriolanus Volumnia Josette Simon After the Fall Maggie 1992 Juliet Stevenson Death and the Maiden Paulina Janet McTeer Uncle Vanya Yelena Patricia Routledge Talking Heads Miss Schofield Fiona Shaw Hedda Gabler Hedda Gabler Tesman 1993 Alison Steadman The Rise and Fall of Little Voice Mari Stockard Channing Six Degrees of Separation Ouisa Kittredge Judi Dench The Gift of the Gorgon Helen Jane Horrocks The Rise and Fall of Little Voice Little Voice 1994 Fiona Shaw Machinal Young Woman Kathryn Hunter The Skriker Skriker Diana Rigg Medea Medea Penelope Wilton The Deep Blue Sea Hester Collyer 1995 Clare Higgins Sweet Bird of Youth Alexandra Del Lago Frances de la Tour Les Parents terribles Leo Sheila Gish Les Parents terribles Yvonne Margot Leicester Broken Glass Sylvia Gellburg 1996 Judi Dench Absolute Hell Christine Foskett Diana Rigg Mother Courage Mother Courage Zoë Wanamaker The Glass Menagerie Amanda Wingfield Lia Williams Skylight Kyra Hollis 1997 Janet McTeer A Doll's House Nora Helmer Eileen Atkins John Gabriel Borkman Mrs. Gunhild Borkman Vanessa Redgrave John Gabriel Borkman Ella Rentheim Diana Rigg Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Martha 1998 Zoë Wanamaker Electra Electra Judi Dench Amy's View Esme Allen Sally Dexter Closer Anna Maggie Smith A Delicate Balance Claire 1999 Eileen Atkins The Unexpected Man Woman Sinéad Cusack Our Lady of Sligo Mai O'Hara Judi Dench Filumena Marturano Filumena Nicole Kidman The Blue Room Various Characters Diana Rigg Britannicus and Phèdre Agrippina / Phaedra
2000s Year Actor Play Character 2000 Janie Dee Comic Potential Jacie Triplethree Jennifer Ehle The Real Thing Annie Maggie Smith The Lady in the Van Miss Shepherd Alison Steadman The Memory of Water Teresa 2001 Julie Walters All My Sons Kate Keller Jessica Lange Long Day's Journey Into Night Mary Tyrone Helen Mirren Orpheus Descending Lady Torrance Julia Ormond My Zinc Bed Elsa Harriet Walter Life x 3 Sonia 2002 Lindsay Duncan Private Lives Amanda Prynne Lindsay Duncan Mouth to Mouth Laura Victoria Hamilton A Day in the Death of Joe Egg Sheila Zoë Wanamaker Boston Marriage Anna 2003 Clare Higgins Vincent in Brixton Ursula Loyer Anita Dobson Frozen Nancy Gwyneth Paltrow Proof Catherine Emily Watson Uncle Vanya Sonya 2004 Eileen Atkins Honour Honor Helen Mirren Mourning Becomes Electra Christine Mannon Ann Mitchell Through the Leaves Martha Kelly Reilly After Miss Julie Miss Julie Kristin Scott Thomas Three Sisters Masha 2005 Clare Higgins Hecuba Hecuba Victoria Hamilton Suddenly, Last Summer Catharine Anna Maxwell Martin His Dark Materials Lyra Caroline O'Connor Bombshells Performer 2006 Eve Best Hedda Gabler Hedda Gabler Tesman Clare Higgins Death of a Salesman Linda Loman Helen McCrory As You Like It Rosalind Janet McTeer Mary Stuart Mary, Queen of Scots Harriet Walter Mary Stuart Elizabeth I of England 2007 Tamsin Greig Much Ado About Nothing Beatrice Eve Best A Moon for the Misbegotten Josie Sinéad Cusack Rock 'n' Roll Eleanor / Esme Kathleen Turner Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Martha 2008 Kristin Scott Thomas The Seagull Arkadina Anne-Marie Duff Saint Joan Joan of Arc Kelly Reilly Othello Desdemona Fiona Shaw Happy Days Winnie Penelope Wilton John Gabriel Borkman Ella Rentheim 2009 Margaret Tyzack The Chalk Garden Mrs St. Maugham Deanna Dunagan August: Osage County Violet Weston Lindsay Duncan That Face Martha Penelope Wilton The Chalk Garden Miss Madrigal
2010s Year Actor Play Character 2010 Rachel Weisz A Streetcar Named Desire Blanche DuBois Gillian Anderson A Doll's House Nora Helmer Lorraine Burroughs The Mountaintop Camae Imelda Staunton Entertaining Mr Sloane Kath Juliet Stevenson Duet for One Stephanie Anderson 2011 Nancy Carroll After the Dance Joan Tracie Bennett End of the Rainbow Judy Garland Tamsin Greig The Little Dog Laughed Diane Sophie Thompson Clybourne Park Bev 2012 Ruth Wilson Anna Christie Anna Christie Celia Imrie Noises Off Dotty Otley Lesley Manville Grief Dorothy Kristin Scott Thomas Betrayal Emma Marcia Warren The Ladykillers Mrs Wilberforce 2013 Helen Mirren The Audience Queen Elizabeth II Hattie Morahan A Doll's House Nora Helmer Billie Piper The Effect Connie Kristin Scott Thomas Old Times Kate / Anna 2014 Lesley Manville Ghosts Mrs. Helene Alving Hayley Atwell The Pride Sylvia Anna Chancellor Private Lives Amanda Prynne Judi Dench Peter and Alice Alice Liddell 2015 Penelope Wilton Taken at Midnight Irmgard Litten Gillian Anderson A Streetcar Named Desire Blanche DuBois Kristin Scott Thomas Electra Electra Imelda Staunton Good People Margie Walsh 2016 Denise Gough People, Places and Things Emma Gemma Arterton Nell Gwynn Nell Gwynn Nicole Kidman Photograph 51 Rosalind Franklin Janet McTeer Les Liaisons dangereuses Marquise de Merteuil Lia Williams Oresteia Clytemnestra 2017 Billie Piper Yerma Yerma Glenda Jackson King Lear King Lear Cherry Jones The Glass Menagerie Amanda Wingfield Ruth Wilson Hedda Gabler Hedda Gabler Tesman2018Laura DonnellyThe FerrymanCaitlin CarneyLesley ManvilleLong Day's Journey into NightMary TyroneAudra McDonaldLady Day at Emerson's Bar and GrillBillie HolidayImelda StauntonWho's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?Martha2019Patsy FerranSummer and SmokeAlma WinemillerGillian AndersonAll About EveMargo ChanningEileen AtkinsThe Height of the StormMadeleineSophie OkonedoAntony and CleopatraCleopatraKatherine ParkinsonHome, I'm DarlingJudy
2020s
Year Actor Play Character 2020 Sharon D. Clarke Death of a Salesman Linda Loman Hayley Atwell Rosmersholm Rebecca West Juliet Stevenson The Doctor The Doctor Phoebe Waller-Bridge Fleabag Fleabag 2021 Not presented due to extended closing of theatre productions during COVID-19 pandemic 2022 Sheila Atim Constellations Marianne Lily Allen 2:22 A Ghost Story Jenny Emma Corrin Anna X Anna Cush Jumbo Hamlet Hamlet 2023 Jodie Comer Prima Facie Tessa Patsy Ferran A Streetcar Named Desire Blanche DuBois Mei Mac My Neighbour Totoro Mei Janet McTeer Phaedra Helen Nicola Walker The Corn Is Green Miss Moffat 2024 Sarah Snook The Picture of Dorian Gray Performer / Various Laura Donnelly The Hills of California Veronica / Joan Sophie Okonedo Medea Medea Sarah Jessica Parker Plaza Suite Karen Nash / Muriel Tate / Norma Hubley Sheridan Smith Shirley Valentine Shirley Valentine 2025 Lesley Manville Oedipus Jocasta Heather Agyepong Shifters Des Rosie Sheehy Machinal Young Woman Meera Syal A Tupperware of Ashes Queenie Indira Varma Oedipus Jocasta 2026 Rosamund Pike Inter Alia Jessica Parks Cate BlanchettThe SeagullIrina ArkádinaMarianne Jean-Baptiste All My SonsKate KellerJulia McDermottWeather GirlStaceyRosie SheehyGuess How Much I Love You?Her
Multiple awards and nominations for Best Actress
Awards Three Awards Claire Higgins
Two Awards Judi Dench Fiona Shaw Eileen Atkins Lesley Manville
Nominations Six Nominations Judi Dench
Five Nominations Kristin Scott Thomas Juliet Stevenson Janet McTeer
Four Nominations Fiona Shaw Eileen Atkins Lesley Manville Penelope Wilton Diana Rigg
Three Nominations Zoë Wanamaker Helen Mirren Maggie Smith Harriet Walter Imelda Staunton Gillian Anderson
Two Nominations Kathryn Hunter Alison Steadman Lindsay Duncan Eve Best Tamsin Greig Billie Piper Patsy Ferran Laura Donnelly Sophie Okonedo Victoria Hamilton Sinéad Cusack Kelly Reilly Nicole Kidman Lia Williams Hayley Atwell Rosie Sheehy
See also Best Actress Critics' Circle Theatre Award for Best Actress Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actress Lists of acting awards Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play
References
External links