Mark Shenton offers the week’s news, reviews, quotes and tweets in theatre from both sides of the Atlantic, including an interview with Sonia Friedman, reviews of Shakespeare in three different abbreviated versions, and a YouTube star appearing on Broadway.
NEWS: Gypsy, Kinky Boots, Branagh & Rylance lead #OlivierAwards nominations, Full shortlists
The productions of Gypsy and Kinky Boots lead the nominations with eight and seven nominations respectively Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company’s Plays At The Garrick Season secures seven nominations, including six for The Winter’s Tale Farinelli And The King receives six nominations Dame Judi Dench celebrates her 15th nomination having previously received six awards and one special award Imelda Staunton receives …
WATCH LIVE: #OlivierAwards nominations announced at noon, live-tweeting
Previous Olivier winners and co-hosts Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton reunite today to announce the full list of nominations in for the Olivier Awards 2016, sponsored by MasterCard. The Nominations event, held at the London’s Rosewood hotel in High Holborn, commences at 11.15am today (Monday 29 February 2016), with the Announcement starting promptly at mid-day. You can watch the Announcement …
NEWS: Michael Ball will host Olivier Awards for third time, 3 Apr
The Olivier Awards with MasterCard, the UK’s most prestigious stage honours, have today announced that Michael Ball will host this year’s awards ceremony. The awards, which this year celebrate their 40th anniversary, will be presented at a star-studded ceremony on Sunday 3 April at the Royal Opera House.
TICKETS: Mark’s Top Ten recommendations + this week’s openings (1 Feb)
Mark Shenton’s top ten of the week, including Florian Zeller’s The Mother that has followed his play The Father (soon to return to the West End) to London from Bath. Plus, this week’s biggest openings.
TICKETS: Mark’s Top Ten recommendations + this week’s openings (25 Jan)
Top ten of the week, including Bend it Like Beckham, Close to You and In the Heights, three shows I’ve already re-visited again and again, and intend to yet again!
42 late theatre greats who we should stop and remember
The most moving moment for me every year at the Olivier Awards ceremony is the tribute sequence, during which the industry remembers colleagues who have passed away during the previous 12 months. This year’s tribute was a musical one, with Julian Ovenden singing (beautifully) “Smile and the World Smiles With You”, accompanied by choir and […]
Watch & listen: Talking #Oliviers on Sky and Resonance FM
What were your red carpet memories from this year’s Laurence Olivier Awards? A week before this year’s event on Sunday 12 April 2015, having been quietly dropped from the media invitation list since leaving WhatsOnStage, I wasn’t planning to get very involved in the furore this year – apart from, of course, watching the highlights […]
OLIVIERS NIGHT……. royal opera house
The list of winners is now widespread, but for theatrecat tolerators and friends, some review notes on how it was to be in the actual ROH seeing it happen: – definitely the best production by SOLT so far: snapoily timed, … Continue reading →
Suits you, Larry: Olivier lauded actors dress up and talk shop
As a way of raising the glamour stakes ahead of this Sunday’s Laurence Olivier Awards, last Saturday’s Times Magazine‘s cover story was a five-star effort. For the piece, three out of four of this year’s Best Actor nominees – James McAvoy, Mark Strong (for The Ruling Class and A View From the Bridge, both of […]
Ultimate press pass: All the angles on 2015 #Oliviers shortlists
I offered my own take on yesterday’s 2015 Laurence Olivier nominations yesterday. But my view is only one, of course. The shortlists announcement was live-streamed across myriad platforms and attracted international headlines. So how did other commentators interpret the shortlists? Well, angles are varied, but they largely break down into the following five main thrusts: […]
2015 #Oliviers nominations: What’s in, what’s out? Full lists here
The biggest surprise for me at today’s Olivier nominations event at the ritzy Rosewood London hotel was just how much this event has grown in a few short years. Celebrating nominees: you’re all beautiful I remember so well when I held the first WhatsOnStage Awards Launch Party back in 2002. I believed then, as I […]