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View from the Bridge scoops three Olivier awards Angela Lansbury scoops Olivier award while View from the Bridge wins three
(about 2 hours later)
There is no set, no interval and not a prop or a shoe in sight yet Ivo van Hove’s convention-breaking A View from the Bridge has wowed critics and audiences, and on Sunday became one of the big winners at the 2015 Olivier awards. At the age of 89, Dame Angela Lansbury picked up her first Olivier theatre award on Sunday night, winning for her portrayal of eccentric medium Madame Arcati in Noel Coward’s Blithe Spirit.
Lansbury won the best supporting actress prize at a ceremony which also brought particular success for the Young Vic and its pared-down production of A View From The Bridge; and the Hampstead theatre’s Kinks musical Sunny Afternoon.
There was a loud standing ovation of genuine warmth as Lansbury accepted the award for what was her first West End play in around 40 years.
She recalled her first London theatre role, a play which also starred Peggy Ashcroft. “I can’t remember the title … I can’t remember a lot of things these days, except I can remember my lines!
“I’m creeping up to 90 and feeling like a million dollars because I’m in London.”
Lansbury, best known for many as Jessica Fletcher in Murder She Wrote, has five Tony awards but this was her first Olivier.
A View From the Bridge, which ended its West End run on Saturday but may be heading to Broadway, won best revival, best director for Ivo van Hove, and best actor for Mark Strong.
Related: Olivier awards 2015: all the winners – in picturesRelated: Olivier awards 2015: all the winners – in pictures
The Belgian director’s pared-down production of Arthur Miller’s play won three awards on a what was a terrific night for smaller subsidised theatre with the Young Vic and Hampstead Theatre winning four each. It is not a typical West End play: there is no set, no interval, no props, not even shoes on the actors but it has thrilled critics and audiences alike.
There were awards for the Kinks’ Ray Davies and Downton Abbey’s Penelope Wilton, but one of the biggest cheers at the Royal Opera House ceremony was for Dame Angela Lansbury who won, at the age of 89, her first Olivier award for her portrayal of Madame Arcati in Blithe Spirit. David Lan, the Young Vic’s artistic director said he hoped the play’s success would encourage the west end to stage “more adventurous work that is more truthful and deeper and more complex”.
A View From the Bridge opened a year ago at the Young Vic and played to sell-out audiences before a West End transfer which, ironically, ended on Saturday. Van Hove said the wins were totally unexpected. “I’m very happy that what is called avant-garde theatre has found such a great, big audience. That for me has been a mission. The public is ready for this, there is no doubt about it.”
Mark Strong’s performance as Eddie Carbone, a Brooklyn docker with an unhealthy attraction to his 17-year-old niece, won him the best actor award from a shortlist that included James McAvoy, Tim Pigott-Smith and Richard Armitage. Strong’s performance as Eddie Carbone, a Brooklyn docker with an unhealthy interest in his 17-year-old niece, won him the best actor award from a shortlist that also had James McAvoy, Tim Pigott-Smith and Richard Armitage.
Accepting the award, Strong said it showed the continuing relevance of live theatre. “What has been amazing is the young people who came to see it, they all wanted to talk about what they were seeing. A 12-year-old boy asked me what is the purpose of theatre – I’ve never been in a production people wanted to talk about more.”
Mike Bartlett won the award for best new play for King Charles III which began life at the Almeida before transferring to the Wyndhams. It travels to Broadway in autumn.
Related: The Olivier awards 2015 red carpet – in picturesRelated: The Olivier awards 2015 red carpet – in pictures
It was Strong’s first stage role in 12 years after a non-stop TV and film career that began with his breakthrough role as Tosker in the 1996 BBC series Our Friends in the North. Afterwards he too spoke of the importance of the UK’s subsidised theatre sector. “Audiences in this country are craving new, they are craving experimental, they are craving things they have never seen before. In order to build those things we need subsidy because no-one knows if it will work.”
The play was also named best revival while Van Hove was named best director, beating Rupert Goold for King Charles III, Jeremy Herrin for Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies, and Josie Rourke for City of Angels. He said, on paper, no-one would have bought into his play. “It’s the sort of thing that would be on Channel 5, it can only be proven in a subsidised environment and we have got this brilliant mixed model that is the strength of British theatre.”
The Young Vic’s fourth award came via Mike Bartlett’s play Bull, at the theatre’s small Maria stage, which won it outstanding achievement in an affiliate theatre. Bartlett ended the night a double winner after his play Bull, at the Young Vic’s theatre’s small Maria stage, won outstanding achievement in an affiliate theatre.
Bartlett ended the night a double winner after his play King Charles III triumphed in the best new play category ahead of The Nether, Taken at Midnight and the Wolf Hall/Bring Up the Bodies. Sunny Afternoon gathered four awards: best new new musical, best actor for John Dagleish and best supporting actor for George Maguire. Ray Davies was given the award for outstanding achievement in music for the score.
Equalling the Young Vic’s four awards was the Hampstead Theatre, which saw wins for its West End transfer of The Kinks musical Sunny Afternoon. It won best new musical while John Dagleish, as Ray Davies, won best actor in a musical and George Maguire, as Dave Davies, won best supporting actor in a musical. Ray Davies was given the award for outstanding achievement in music for the score. Accepting the prize, Davies said it was people who were the source of his material. “So the next time you’re sitting in a park somewhere and you see someone like me looking at you … don’t phone the police, I’m just writing about you.”
Sunny Afternoon won ahead of Memphis and Beautiful, which had led the nominations with nine and eight respectively. Sunny Afternoon won ahead of Memphis and Beautiful which had headed the nominations with nine and eight respectively. Beautiful, based on the life and songs of Carole King, won Katie Brayben best actress in a musical and Lorna Want, who played songwriter Cynthia Weil, best supporting actress. Memphis won awards for choreography and set design.
Beautiful, based on the life and songs of Carole King, won Katie Brayben best actress in a musical and Lorna Want, who played songwriter Cynthia Weil, best supporting actress.
Memphis the Musical, meanwhile, also won two awards – for choreography and set design.
Lansbury’s return to the London stage in Noël Coward’s Blithe Spirit, after an absence of nearly 40 years, won her best supporting actress from a shortlist in which the others were notably younger: Phoebe Fox for A View From the Bridge; Lydia Wilson who played Kate, Duchess of Cambridge in King Charles III; and the three girls who rotated as nine-year-old Iris in The Nether.
Penelope Wilton was named best actress from a strong shortlist that included Gillian Anderson’s Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire; Kristin Scott Thomas’s Electra; and Imelda Staunton for Good People.Penelope Wilton was named best actress from a strong shortlist that included Gillian Anderson’s Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire; Kristin Scott Thomas’s Electra; and Imelda Staunton for Good People.
It was Wilton’s sixth nomination and first win – for her portrayal of a mother who stands up to the Nazis in Taken at Midnight. The Guardian’s Michael Billington was among the critics who praised her performance, writing: “Wilton increasingly reminds me of the great Peggy Ashcroft in her ability to convey moral authority without any ostentatious display of acting technique.” It was Wilton’s sixth nomination and first win, triumphing for her portrayal of a mother who stands up to the Nazis in Taken at Midnight. The Guardian’s Michael Billington was among the critics praising her performance writing: “Wilton increasingly reminds me of the great Peggy Ashcroft in her ability to convey moral authority without any ostentatious display of acting technique.”
Related: Olivier awards 2015: who’s missing from the nominees?
Nathaniel Parker’s Henry VIII in the RSC production of Hilary Mantel’s Thomas Cromwell novels won him the best supporting actor award over David Calder, Richard Goulding and John Light.Nathaniel Parker’s Henry VIII in the RSC production of Hilary Mantel’s Thomas Cromwell novels won him the best supporting actor award over David Calder, Richard Goulding and John Light.
One of the surprise West End hits of the past year has been The Play That Goes Wrong, which began life in a room above a pub. The physical and silly comedy, about a polytechnic drama society ineptly staging a 1920s murder mystery, last week had its run extended to February 2016. On Sunday, it won best new comedy ahead of Handbagged and Shakespeare in Love. One of the surprise West End hits of the last year has been The Play That Goes Wrong which began life in a room above a pub. The physical and silly comedy, about a polytechnic drama society ineptly staging a 1920s murder mystery, last week had its run extended to February 2016. It won best new comedy ahead of Handbagged and Shakespeare in Love.
The Donmar Warehouse production of the film-noir-celebrating City of Angels won two awards – best musical revival and best lighting. The Donmar Warehouse production of the film noir celebrating City of Angels won two awards – best musical revival and best lighting.
Related: Olivier awards 2015: who’s missing from the nominees?
While it was a good night for smaller subsidised theatre, it was a terrible one for the biggest subsidised theatre. The National Theatre came away from the evening empty-handed after it gathered a meagre three nominations for the Imelda Marcos musical Here Lies Love.While it was a good night for smaller subsidised theatre, it was a terrible one for the biggest subsidised theatre. The National Theatre came away from the evening empty-handed after it gathered a meagre three nominations for the Imelda Marcos musical Here Lies Love.
In the opera awards, the troubled English National Opera had the most reason to be cheerful. The company has had a torrid year backstage, with bitter infighting resulting in the departure of its chairman and executive director, and it being placed in special funding measures by Arts Council England. In the opera awards, the troubled English National Opera had the biggest reason to be cheerful. The company has had a torrid year backstage with bitter infighting, resulting in the departure of its chairman and executive director, and being placed in special funding measures by Arts Council England.
On stage, the productions are winning rave reviews and, on Sunday, the opera director Richard Jones won the outstanding achievement in opera awards for three productions at the Coliseum; and The Mastersingers of Nuremberg won best new opera production. On stage its productions are winning rave reviews and the opera director Richard Jones won the outstanding achievement in opera awards for three productions at the Coliseum. The Mastersingers of Nuremberg won best new opera production.
In dance, the best new dance production category was shared by Mats Ek’s Juliet and Romeo at Sadler’s Wells, and 32 Rue Vandenbranden by Peeping Tom at the Barbican.In dance, the best new dance production category was shared by Mats Ek’s Juliet and Romeo at Sadler’s Wells, and 32 Rue Vandenbranden by Peeping Tom at the Barbican.
There were two special award winners. Dame Judi Dench presented one to Kevin Spacey, in recognition of 11 years as artistic director of the Old Vic – a position he relinquishes this year. There were two special award winners. Kevin Spacey received one from Dame Judi Dench in recognition of his 11 years as artistic director of the Old Vic.
And the prima ballerina Sylvie Guillem, who is on her farewell tour, received hers from Sir Anthony Dowell. Prima ballerina Slyvie Guillem, currently on her farewell tour, was given her special award by Sir Anthony Dowell.
The one award voted on by the public, for long-running musicals, went to Wicked.The one award voted on by the public, for long-running musicals, went to Wicked.
Award organisers had promised a surprise ending to the ceremony. It came in the form of Spacey, removing his jacket to give a nightclub singer performance of Simon & Garfunkel’s Bridge Over Troubled Water.