The 2020 Laurence Olivier Awards was held on 25 October 2020 at the London Palladium and hosted by Jason Manford, who presented all of the awards except Special Recognition.
The Oliviers were originally scheduled to be held on 5 April 2020 at the Royal Albert Hall with Manford as host, but was cancelled on 17 March due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. Event calendar 12 January: Jason Manford announced as host 14 February: Jo Hawes, Thelma Holt, Stephen Jameson, Sarah Preece and Peter Roberts are announced as the recipients of the Special Recognition Award 3 March: Nominations announced 6 March: Don Black is announced as a recipient of the Special Award 17 March: Award ceremony cancelled 5 April: Award ceremony originally scheduled 28 September: Award ceremony rescheduled 21 October: Ian McKellen is announced as a recipient of the Special Award 25 October: Award ceremony aired
Eligibility Any new production that opened between 20 February 2019 and 18 February 2020 in a theatre represented in membership of Society of London Theatre is eligible for consideration, provided it ran for the minimum amount of performances required for that category. The below are all productions eligible for the main theatre categories.
& Juliet – Shaftesbury Theatre A Very Expensive Poison – Old Vic Admissions – Trafalgar Studios 1 All My Sons – Old Vic Amélie – Other Palace Anna – National Theatre Dorfman The Antipodes – National Theatre Dorfman Appropriate – Donmar Warehouse As You Like It – Barbican Theatre Be More Chill – Other Palace Betrayal – Harold Pinter Theatre Big – Dominion Theatre Bitter Wheat – Garrick Theatre Blank – Donmar Warehouse Blood Wedding – Young Vic Botticelli in the Fire – Hampstead Theatre Captain Corelli's Mandolin – Harold Pinter Theatre Curtains – Wyndham's Theatre Cyrano de Bergerac – Playhouse Theatre A Day in the Death of Joe Egg – Trafalgar Studios 1 Dear Evan Hansen – Noël Coward Theatre Death of a Salesman – Young Vic and Piccadilly Theatre Death of England – National Theatre Dorfman The Doctor – Almeida Theatre Downstate – National Theatre Dorfman The Duchess of Malfi – Almeida Theatre Education, Education, Education – Trafalgar Studios 1 Emilia – Vaudeville Theatre The End of History – Jerwood Downstairs, Royal Court Endgame and Rough for Theatre II – Old Vic Equus – Trafalgar Studios 1 Europe – Donmar Warehouse Evita – Regent's Park Open Air Theatre Fairview – Young Vic Faith, Hope and Charity – National Theatre Dorfman Falsettos – Other Palace Fame – Peacock Theatre Far Away – Donmar Warehouse Fiddler on the Roof – Playhouse Theatre Fleabag – Wyndham's Theatre The Girl on the Train – Duke of York's Theatre Goldilocks and the Three Bears – London Palladium Groan Ups – Vaudeville Theatre Hansard – National Theatre Lyttelton The Haystack – Hampstead Theatre The Henriad: Henry IV (parts 1) and 2) and Henry V – Globe The Hunt – Almeida Theatre The Illusionists – Shaftesbury Theatre Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train – Young Vic Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat – London Palladium Jude – Hampstead Theatre A Kind of People – Jerwood Downstairs, Royal Court The King of Hell's Palace – Hampstead Theatre Kunene and the King – Ambassadors Theatre Leopoldstadt – Wyndham's Theatre Lungs – Old Vic Magic Goes Wrong – Vaudeville Theatre The Man in the White Suit – Wyndham's Theatre Mary Poppins – Prince Edward Theatre Master Harold and the Boys – National Theatre Lyttelton Measure for Measure – Barbican Theatre The Merry Wives of Windsor – Globe A Midsummer Night's Dream – Globe A Midsummer Night's Dream – Regent's Park Open Air Theatre My Brilliant Friend – National Theatre Olivier The Night of the Iguana – Noël Coward Theatre Noises Off – Garrick Theatre Nora: A Doll's House – Young Vic The Ocean at the End of the Lane – National Theatre Dorfman On Bear Ridge – Jerwood Downstairs, Royal Court On Your Feet – London Coliseum Peter Gynt – National Theatre Olivier The Phlebotomist – Hampstead Theatre Present Laughter – Old Vic Ravens: Spassky vs. Fischer – Hampstead Theatre Richard II – Sam Wanamaker Playhouse Richard III – Sam Wanamaker Playhouse Rosmersholm – Duke of York's Theatre Rutherford and Son – National Theatre Lyttelton The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13¾ – Ambassadors Theatre Small Island – National Theatre Olivier The Son – Duke of York's Theatre The Starry Messenger – Wyndham's Theatre Sweet Charity – Donmar Warehouse Swive (Elizabeth) – Sam Wanamaker Playhouse The Taming of the Shrew – Barbican Theatre The Taming of the Shrew – Sam Wanamaker Playhouse Tartuffe – National Theatre Lyttelton Teenage Dick – Donmar Warehouse This Is Going to Hurt – Garrick Theatre Three Sisters – Almeida Theatre Three Sisters – National Theatre Lyttelton Toast – Other Palace Top Girls – National Theatre Lyttelton Touching the Void – Duke of York's Theatre Translations – National Theatre Olivier Tree – Young Vic Uncle Vanya – Harold Pinter Theatre The Upstart Crow – Gielgud Theatre Vassa – Almeida Theatre The Visit – National Theatre Olivier Waitress – Adelphi Theatre The Wedding Singer – Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre The Welkin – National Theatre Lyttelton White Christmas – Dominion Theatre White Pearl – Jerwood Downstairs, Royal Court
Winners and nominees The nominations were announced on 3 March 2020 in 26 categories. The winners were announced during the ceremony.
Best New PlayBest New MusicalLeopoldstadt by Tom Stoppard – Wyndham's Theatre A Very Expensive Poison by Lucy Prebble (based on original text by Luke Harding) – Old Vic The Doctor by Robert Icke (based on original text by Arthur Schnitzler) – Almeida Theatre The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Joel Horwood (based on original text by Neil Gaiman) – National Theatre DorfmanDear Evan Hansen – Noël Coward Theatre & Juliet – Shaftesbury Theatre Amélie – Other Palace Waitress – Adelphi TheatreBest RevivalBest Musical RevivalCyrano de Bergerac – Playhouse Theatre Death of a Salesman – Young Vic and Piccadilly Theatre Present Laughter – Old Vic Rosmersholm – Duke of York's TheatreFiddler on the Roof – Playhouse Theatre Evita – Regent's Park Open Air Theatre Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat – London Palladium Mary Poppins – Prince Edward TheatreBest Entertainment or Comedy PlayBest Family ShowEmilia by Morgan Lloyd Malcolm – Vaudeville Theatre Fleabag by Phoebe Waller-Bridge – Wyndham's Theatre Magic Goes Wrong by Henry Lewis, Penn Jillette, Jonathan Sayer, Henry Shields and Teller – Vaudeville Theatre The Upstart Crow by Ben Elton – Gielgud TheatreThe Worst Witch – Vaudeville Theatre Mr Gum and the Dancing Bear – National Theatre Dorfman Oi Frog and Friends – Lyric Theatre To the Moon and Back – Barbican TheatreBest ActorBest ActressAndrew Scott as Garry Essendine in Present Laughter – Old Vic Toby Jones as Vanya Petrovich Voynitsky in Uncle Vanya – Harold Pinter Theatre James McAvoy as Cyrano de Bergerac in Cyrano de Bergerac – Playhouse Theatre Wendell Pierce as Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman – Young Vic and Piccadilly TheatreSharon D. Clarke as Linda Loman in Death of a Salesman – Young Vic and Piccadilly Theatre Hayley Atwell as Rebecca West in Rosmersholm – Duke of York's Theatre Juliet Stevenson as Ruth Wolff in The Doctor – Almeida Theatre Phoebe Waller-Bridge as Fleabag in Fleabag – Wyndham's TheatreBest Actor in a MusicalBest Actress in a MusicalSam Tutty as Evan Hansen in Dear Evan Hansen – Noël Coward Theatre Andy Nyman as Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof – Playhouse Theatre Charlie Stemp as Bert in Mary Poppins – Prince Edward Theatre Jac Yarrow as Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat – London PalladiumMiriam-Teak Lee as Juliet Capulet in & Juliet – Shaftesbury Theatre Audrey Brisson as Amélie in Amélie – Other Palace Judy Kuhn as Golde in Fiddler on the Roof – Playhouse Theatre Zizi Strallen as Mary Poppins in Mary Poppins – Prince Edward TheatreBest Actor in a Supporting RoleBest Actress in a Supporting RoleAdrian Scarborough as Hermann Merz in Leopoldstadt – Wyndham's Theatre Arinzé Kene as Biff Loman in Death of a Salesman – Young Vic and Piccadilly Theatre Colin Morgan as Chris Keller in All My Sons – Old Vic Reece Shearsmith as The President and Jon in A Very Expensive Poison – Old VicIndira Varma as Liz Essendine in Present Laughter – Old Vic Michele Austin as Leila Ragueneau in Cyrano de Bergerac – Playhouse Theatre Sophie Thompson as Monica Reed in Present Laughter – Old Vic Josie Walker as Old Mrs Hempstock in The Ocean at the End of the Lane – National Theatre DorfmanBest Actor in a Supporting Role in a MusicalBest Actress in a Supporting Role in a MusicalDavid Bedella as Lance in & Juliet – Shaftesbury Theatre Stewart Clarke as Perchik in Fiddler on the Roof – Playhouse Theatre Jack Loxton as Jared Kleinman in Dear Evan Hansen – Noël Coward Theatre Rupert Young as Larry Murphy in Dear Evan Hansen – Noël Coward TheatreCassidy Janson as Anne Hathaway in & Juliet – Shaftesbury Theatre Lucy Anderson as Zoe Murphy in Dear Evan Hansen – Noël Coward Theatre Petula Clark as Bird Woman in Mary Poppins – Prince Edward Theatre Lauren Ward as Cynthia Murphy in Dear Evan Hansen – Noël Coward TheatreBest DirectorBest Theatre ChoreographerMiranda Cromwell and Marianne Elliott for Death of a Salesman – Young Vic and Piccadilly Theatre Jamie Lloyd for Cyrano de Bergerac – Playhouse Theatre Trevor Nunn for Fiddler on the Roof – Playhouse Theatre Ian Rickson for Uncle Vanya – Harold Pinter TheatreMatthew Bourne and Stephen Mear for Mary Poppins – Prince Edward Theatre Fabian Aloise for Evita – Regent's Park Open Air Theatre Matt Cole (based on original choreography by Jerome Robbins) for Fiddler on the Roof – Playhouse Theatre Jennifer Weber for & Juliet – Shaftesbury TheatreBest Set DesignBest Costume DesignBob Crowley for Mary Poppins – Prince Edward Theatre Soutra Gilmour for & Juliet – Shaftesbury Theatre Rae Smith for Rosmersholm – Duke of York's Theatre Rae Smith for Uncle Vanya – Harold Pinter TheatreJoanna Scotcher for Emilia – Vaudeville Theatre Hugh Durrant for Goldilocks and the Three Bears – London Palladium Jonathan Lipman for Fiddler on the Roof – Playhouse Theatre Paloma Young for & Juliet – Shaftesbury TheatreBest Lighting DesignBest Sound DesignPaule Constable for The Ocean at the End of the Lane – National Theatre Dorfman Neil Austin for Rosmersholm – Duke of York's Theatre Howard Hudson for & Juliet – Shaftesbury Theatre Bruno Poet for Uncle Vanya – Harold Pinter TheatreEmma Laxton for Emilia – Vaudeville Theatre Gregory Clarke for Rosmersholm – Duke of York's Theatre Ben Ringham and Max Ringham for Anna – National Theatre Dorfman Ben Ringham and Max Ringham for Cyrano de Bergerac – Playhouse TheatreBest Original Score or New OrchestrationsAlex Lacamoire for orchestrating and Benj Pasek and Justin Paul for scoring and lyricising Dear Evan Hansen – Noël Coward Theatre Sara Bareilles for scoring and lyricising Waitress – Adelphi Theatre Jason Carr for orchestrating Fiddler on the Roof – Playhouse Theatre Dominic Fallacaro and Bill Sherman for orchestrating & Juliet – Shaftesbury Theatre Barnaby Race for music supervising and arranging Amélie – Other PalaceBest New Dance ProductionOutstanding Achievement in DanceIngoma by Mthuthuzeli November, Ballet Black – Linbury Theatre, Royal Opera House La Fiesta by Israel Galván – Sadler's Wells Mám by Michael Keegan-Dolan, Teaċ Daṁsa – Sadler's Wells Vessel by Damien Jalet and Kohei Nawa – Sadler's WellsSara Baras for choreographing and performing Ballet Flamenco Sombras – Sadler's Wells Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker for performing Mitten wir im Leben sind/Bach6Cellosuiten – Sadler's Wells Gisèle Vienne for choreographing Crowd, Dance Umbrella – Sadler's WellsBest New Opera ProductionOutstanding Achievement in OperaBilly Budd – Royal Opera House Berenice – Linbury Theatre, Royal Opera House Hansel and Gretel – Regent's Park Open Air Theatre