Olivier Awards winners 2023: full list of winners as Jodie Comer and Paul Mescal scoop top prizes

Jodie Comer (The End We Start From, Help) and Paul Mescal (Normal People, Aftersun) scooped the top gongs for their West End debut performances at the Olivier Awards, as the biggest night in British theatre returned on Sunday (2 April).

The Killing Eve star won best actress for her role as Tessa in Prima Facie, a one-person production by Suzie Miller, which also won the coveted best new play award. After receiving critical acclaim for her West End debut at the Harold Pinter Theatre, 30-year-old Comer will be taking the play to Broadway later this month.

During her acceptance speech, Comer said: “I’m so overwhelmed. This play has changed my life. I am so grateful and I have so many people to thank. To Suzie Miller for writing the most exquisite play I have ever had the pleasure of reading.

“One thing I would like to say to any kids who haven’t been to drama school, who can’t afford to go to drama school, who have been rejected from drama school, don’t let anyone tell you that it isn’t possible. It might take the stars to align and you to be met with generous, kind, patient people, but it is possible.

“Mum, Dad, I love you, and my Grandad is 82 today so happy birthday.”

The award ceremony, held on Sunday at the Royal Albert Hall, also saw Oscar-nominated Mescal take home best actor for his role as Stanley Kowalski in the new stage adaptation of A Streetcar Named Desire.

The Almeida Theatre production also picked up the prestigious award for best revival and Anjana Vasan won best actress in a supporting role for her turn as Stella in the play directed by Olivier winner Rebecca Frecknall.

During his acceptance speech, 27-year-old Mescal thanked his mother, who is receiving treatment for cancer, adding: “I hope you get better.”

The big winner of the night was the Royal Shakespeare Company’s enchanting new stage adaptation of Studio Ghibli’s 1988 animated film My Neighbour Totoro which dominated the theatre awards. The coming-of-age adaption landed six of the nine prizes it was nominated for, including the Noel Coward Award for best entertainment or comedy play and the Sir Peter Hall Award for best director.

The full list of winners

This is the full list of nominations for the Olivier Awards 2023.

Best actress

• Jodie Comer for Prima Facie at Harold Pinter theatre – Winner
• 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
• Nicola Walker for The Corn Is Green at National Theatre

Best actor

• Paul Mescal for A Streetcar Named Desire at Almeida theatre – Winner
• Tom Hollander for Patriots at Almeida theatre
• Rafe Spall 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

Best actor in a supporting role

• Will Keen for Patriots at Almeida theatre – Winner
• Mark Akintimehin, Emmanuel Akwafo, Nnabiko Ejimofor, Darragh Hand, Aruna Jalloh and Kaine Lawrence for For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy at the Royal Court 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

Best actress in a supporting role

• Anjana Vasan for A Streetcar Named Desire at Almeida theatre – Winner
• 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
• Sharon Small for Good at Harold Pinter theatre

Best actor in a musical

• Arthur Darvill for Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! at Young Vic
• Alon Moni Aboutboul for The Band’s Visit at Donmar Warehouse
• 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 – Winner
• 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

Best actress in a supporting role in a musical

• Beverley Knight for Sylvia at the Old Vic – Winner
• Maimuna Memon for Standing at the Sky’s Edge at the National Theatre
• 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

• Zubin Varla for Tammy Faye at Almeida theatre – Winner
• 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

Sir Peter Hall award for best director

• Phelim McDermott for My Neighbour Totoro at Barbican theatre – Winner
• Rebecca Frecknall for A Streetcar Named Desire at Almeida theatre
• Robert Hastie for Standing at the Sky’s Edge at National Theatre
• Justin Martin for Prima Facie at Harold Pinter theatre
• Bartlett Sher for To Kill a Mockingbird at Gielgud theatre

Best new play

• Prima Facie at Harold Pinter theatre – Winner
• For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy at Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court theatre
• Patriots at Almeida theatre
• To Kill a Mockingbird at Gielgud theatre

Best new musical

• Standing at the Sky’s Edge at National Theatre – Winner
• The Band’s Visit at Donmar Warehouse
• Sylvia at the Old Vic
• Tammy Faye at Almeida theatre

Noël Coward award for best entertainment or comedy play

• My Neighbour Totoro at Barbican theatre – Winner
• Jack and the Beanstalk at the London Palladium
• 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

• Hey Duggee: The Live Theatre Show at Royal Festival Hall – Winner
• Blippi the Musical at Apollo theatre
• Midsummer Mechanicals at Sam Wanamaker Playhouse
• The Smartest Giant in Town at St Martin’s theatre

Gillian Lynne award for best theatre choreographer

• Matt Cole for Newsies at Troubadour Wembley Park theatre – Winner
• Lynne Page for Standing at the Sky’s Edge at National Theatre
• Kate Prince for Sylvia at the Old Vic
• Basil Twist for puppetry direction for My Neighbour Totoro at Barbican theatre

Best costume design

• Kimie Nakano for My Neighbour Totoro at Barbican theatre – Winner
• Frankie Bradshaw for Blues for An Alabama Sky at National Theatre
• Hugh Durrant for Jack and the Beanstalk at the London Palladium
• Jean Paul Gaultier for Jean Paul Gaultier Fashion Freak Show at Roundhouse

Best revival

• A Streetcar Named Desire at Almeida theatre – Winner
• The Crucible at National Theatre
• Good at Harold Pinter theatre
• Jerusalem at Apollo theatre

Best musical revival

• Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! at Young Vic – Winner
• My Fair Lady at London Coliseum
• Sister Act at Eventim Apollo
• South Pacific at Sadler’s Wells

Best sound design

• Tony Gayle for My Neighbour Totoro at Barbican theatre – Winner
• Bobby Aitken for Standing at the Sky’s Edge at National Theatre
• Drew Levy for Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! at Young Vic
• Ben and Max Ringham for Prima Facie at Harold Pinter theatre

Best original score or new orchestrations

• Richard Hawley and Tom Deering for Standing at the Sky’s Edge at National Theatre – Winner
• David Yazbek, Jamshied Sharifi and Andrea Grody for The Band’s Visit at Donmar Warehouse
• Joe Hisaishi and Will Stuart for My Neighbour Totoro at Barbican theatre
• Daniel Kluger and Nathan Koci for Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! at the Young Vic

Best set design

• Tom Pye for My Neighbour Totoro at Barbican theatre – Winner
• Miriam Buether for To Kill a Mockingbird at Gielgud theatre
• Ben Stones for Standing at the Sky’s Edge at National Theatre
• Mark Walters for Jack and the Beanstalk at the London Palladium

Best lighting design

• Jessica Hung Han Yun for My Neighbour Totoro at Barbican theatre – Winner
• Natasha Chivers for Prima Facie at Harold Pinter theatre
• Lee Curran for A Streetcar Named Desire at Almeida theatre
• Tim Lutkin for The Crucible at National Theatre

Best new opera production

• Alcina by Royal Opera at Royal Opera House – Winner
• Least Like the Other by Irish National Opera and Royal Opera at the Royal Opera House
• Peter Grimes by Royal Opera at Royal Opera House
• Sibyl at Barbican theatre

Outstanding achievement in opera

• William Kentridge for his conception and direction of Sibyl at Barbican theatre – Winner
• Sinéad Campbell-Wallace for her performance in Tosca by English National Opera at London Coliseum
• Antony McDonald for his design of Alcina at Royal Opera House

Best new dance production

• Traplord by Ivan Michael Blackstock at 180 Studios (The Strand) – Winner
• Light of Passage by Crystal Pite at Royal Opera House
• Pasionaria by La Veronal at Sadler’s Wells
• Triptych (The Missing Door, The Lost Room and The Hidden Floor) by Peeping Tom at Barbican theatre

Outstanding achievement in dance

• Dickson Mbi for his choreography of Enowate at Sadler’s Wells – Winner
• Manuel Liñán for his choreography of ¡Viva! at Sadler’s Wells
• Raquel Meseguer Zafe for her dramaturgy of Ruination by Lost Dog at Royal Opera House – Linbury theatre
• Catrina Nisbett for her performance in Family Honour by Spoken Movement at Sadler’s Wells

Outstanding achievement in affiliate theatre

• The P Word at Bush theatre – Winner
• Age Is a Feeling at Soho theatre
• Blackout Songs at Hampstead theatre
• Paradise Now! at Bush theatre
• Two Palestinians Go Dogging at the Royal Court theatre