Olivier Awards 2023: Paul Mescal, Jodie Comer and Beverley Knight score big nominations

Virgin Radio

1 Mar 2023, 09:32

The likes of Paul Mescal, Beverley Knight and Jodie Comer are up for some big prizes at the 2023 Olivier Awards. 

Celebrating productions from across the year, the annual theatre awards recognises the supreme talent seen across the stage, and there are some very big names listed in the nominations for 2023. 

The most nominated production this year is the stage adaptation of Studio Ghibli's My Neighbour Totoro, which received nine nods, including Best Director, Best Entertainment or Comedy Play, and Best Actress for Mei Mac.

Normal People star and Oscar nominee Mescal will face off against David Tennant, Rafe Spall and Tom Hollander for the Best Actor gong for his role in A Streetcar Named Desire, which also landed six nods in total.

Killing Eve actress Jodie Comer will go against Mac in the Best Actress category alongside Unforgotten's Nicola Walker and Janet McTeer. 

Meanwhile, Strictly Come Dancing star Rose Ayling-Ellis has landed her first Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for As You Like It.

Singer Beverley Knight also bagged a Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical for Sylvia, which also scored a Best New Musical nod. 

Taking to Twitter to share her elation about the news, Beverley wrote: “Well I am floored. I LOVE this show and playing a strong woman with so much depth, a complex character, a leader and a fighter. An absolute gift playing Emmeline Pankhurst. It’s a joy to be playing opposite @SharonRoseLive as Sylvia.”

The Olivier Awards will be hosted by Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham on Sunday 2nd April .

The 2023 Olivier Awards main category nominations: 

Noël Coward Award for Best Entertainment or Comedy Play 

• Jack And The Beanstalk at The London Palladium

• My Neighbour Totoro at Barbican Theatre

• My Son’s A Queer, (But What Can You Do?) at Garrick Theatre and Ambassadors Theatre

• One Woman Show at Ambassadors Theatre

Best Family Show

• Blippi The Musical at Apollo Theatre

• Hey Duggee The Live Theatre Show at Royal Festival Hall at Southbank Centre

• Midsummer Mechanicals at Sam Wanamaker Playhouse at Shakespeare’s Globe

• The Smartest Giant In Town at St Martin’s Theatre

Cunard Best Revival

• The Crucible at National Theatre – Olivier

• Good at Harold Pinter Theatre

• Jerusalem at Apollo Theatre

• A Streetcar Named Desire at Almeida Theatre

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

• Mark Akintimehin, Emmanuel Akwafo, Nnabiko Ejimofor, Darragh Hand, Aruna Jalloh & Kaine Lawrence for For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When The Hue Gets Too Heavy at Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court Theatre

• Will Keen for Patriots at Almeida Theatre

• Elliot Levey for Good at Harold Pinter Theatre

• David Moorst for To Kill A Mockingbird at Gielgud Theatre

• Sule Rimi for Blues For An Alabama Sky at National Theatre – Lyttelton

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

• Rose Ayling-Ellis for As You Like It at @sohoplace

• Pamela Nomvete for To Kill A Mockingbird at Gielgud Theatre

• Caroline Quentin for Jack Absolute Flies Again at National Theatre – Olivier

• Sharon Small for Good at Harold Pinter Theatre

• Anjana Vasan for A Streetcar Named Desire at Almeida Theatre

Best Actress In A Supporting Role In A Musical

• Beverley Knight for Sylvia at The Old Vic

• Maimuna Memon for Standing At The Sky’s Edge at National Theatre – Olivier

• Liza Sadovy for Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! At Young Vic

• Marisha Wallace for Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! At Young Vic

Best Actor In A Supporting Role In A Musical

• Sharif Afifi for The Band’s Visit at Donmar Warehouse

• Peter Polycarpou for The Band’s Visit at Donmar Warehouse

• Clive Rowe for Sister Act at Eventim Apollo

• Zubin Varla for Tammy Faye at Almeida Theatre

Best Actor In A Musical

• Alon Moni Aboutboul for The Band’s Visit at Donmar Warehouse

• Arthur Darvill for Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! At Young Vic

• Julian Ovenden for South Pacific at Sadler’s Wells

• Andrew Rannells for Tammy Faye at Almeida Theatre

Best Actress In A Musical

• Katie Brayben for Tammy Faye at Almeida Theatre

• Anoushka Lucas for Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! At Young Vic

• Miri Mesika for The Band’s Visit at Donmar Warehouse

• Faith Omole for Standing At The Sky’s Edge at National Theatre – Olivier

Sir Peter Hall Award for Best Director

• Rebecca Frecknall for A Streetcar Named Desire at Almeida Theatre

• Robert Hastie for Standing At The Sky’s Edge at National Theatre – Olivier

• Justin Martin for Prima Facie at Harold Pinter Theatre

• Phelim McDermott for My Neighbour Totoro at Barbican Theatre

• Bartlett Sher for To Kill A Mockingbird at Gielgud Theatre

Best Actress   

• Jodie Comer for Prima Facie at Harold Pinter Theatre

• Patsy Ferran for A Streetcar Named Desire at Almeida Theatre

• Mei Mac for My Neighbour Totoro at Barbican Theatre

• Janet McTeer for Phaedra at National Theatre – Lyttelton

• Nicola Walker for The Corn Is Green at National Theatre – Lyttelton

Best Actor

• Tom Hollander for Patriots at Almeida Theatre

• Paul Mescal for A Streetcar Named Desire at Almeida Theatre

• Rafe for To Kill A Mockingbird at Gielgud Theatre

• David Tennant for Good at Harold Pinter Theatre

• Giles Terera for Blues For An Alabama Sky at National Theatre – Lyttelton

Delta Air Lines Best New Play

• For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When The Hue Gets Too Heavy at Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at Royal Court Theatre

• Patriots at Almeida Theatre

• Prima Facie at Harold Pinter Theatre

• To Kill A Mockingbird at Gielgud Theatre

Mastercard Best New Musical

• The Band’s Visit at Donmar Warehouse

• Standing At The Sky’s Edge at National Theatre – Olivier

• Sylvia at The Old Vic

• Tammy Faye at Almeida Theatre