1996 Laurence Olivier Awards

Edition of London theatre awards

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Olivier Awards

· 1997 →

The 1996 Laurence Olivier Awards were held in 1996 in London celebrating excellence in West End theatre by the Society of London Theatre.

Winners and nominees

Details of winners (in bold) and nominees, in each award category, per the Society of London Theatre.^[1]

Play of the Year	Best New Musical
Skylight by David Hare – National Theatre Cottesloe / Wyndham's Pentecost by David Edgar – RSC at the Young Vic Taking Sides by Ronald Harwood – Criterion The Steward of Christendom by Sebastian Barry – Royal Court	Jolson – Victoria Palace Fame – Cambridge Hot Mikado – Queen's Mack and Mabel – Piccadilly
Best Comedy
Mojo by Jez Butterworth – Royal Court Communicating Doors by Alan Ayckbourn – Gielgud / Savoy Funny Money by Ray Cooney – Playhouse
Best Actor	Best Actress
*Alex Jennings as Peer Gynt in Peer Gynt* – RSC at the Young Vic** Michael Gambon as Tom Sergeant in Skylight – National Theatre Cottesloe / Wyndham's Daniel Massey as Wilhelm Furtwängler in Taking Sides – Criterion Donal McCann as Thomas Dunne in The Steward of Christendom – Royal Court	*Judi Dench as Christine Foskett in Absolute Hell* – National Theatre Lyttelton** Diana Rigg as Mother Courage in Mother Courage and Her Children – National Theatre Olivier Zoë Wanamaker as Amanda Wingfield in The Glass Menagerie – Donmar Warehouse / Comedy Lia Williams as Kyra Hollis in Skylight – National Theatre Cottesloe / Wyndham's
Best Actor in a Musical	Best Actress in a Musical
*Adrian Lester as Robert in Company* – Donmar Warehouse** Brian Conley as Al Jolson in Jolson – Victoria Palace Ross Lehman as Koko in Hot Mikado – Queen's Clarke Peters as Nat King Cole in Unforgettable – Garrick	*Judi Dench as Desirée Armfeldt in A Little Night Music* – National Theatre Olivier** Elizabeth Mansfield as Marie Lloyd in Marie – Fortune Caroline O'Connor as Mabel Normand in Mack and Mabel – Piccadilly Elaine Paige as Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard – Adelphi
Best Supporting Performance	Best Supporting Performance in a Musical
*Simon Russell Beale as Mosca in Volpone* – National Theatre Olivier** Ben Chaplin as Tom Wingfield in The Glass Menagerie – Donmar Warehouse / Comedy Geraldine McEwan as Lady Wishfort in The Way of the World – National Theatre Lyttelton Claire Skinner as Laura Wingfield in The Glass Menagerie – Donmar Warehouse / Comedy	*Sheila Gish as Joanne in Company* – Donmar Warehouse** John Bennett as Louis Epstein in Jolson – Victoria Palace Siân Phillips as Madame Armfeldt in A Little Night Music – National Theatre Olivier Sophie Thompson as Amy in Company – Donmar Warehouse
Best Director	Best Theatre Choreographer
*Sam Mendes for Company* – Donmar Warehouse and The Glass Menagerie – Donmar Warehouse / Comedy** Richard Eyre for La Grande Magia – National Theatre Lyttelton and Skylight – National Theatre Cottesloe / Wyndham's Adrian Noble for A Midsummer Night's Dream – RSC at the Barbican Matthew Warchus for Henry V – RSC at the Barbican and Volpone – National Theatre Olivier	*Dein Perry for Tap Dogs* – Sadler's Wells** Lars Bethke for Fame – Cambridge Wayne McGregor for A Little Night Music – National Theatre Olivier
Best Set Designer	Best Costume Designer
*John Napier for Burning Blue* – Theatre Royal Haymarket** John Gunter for Absolute Hell – National Theatre Lyttelton, Skylight – National Theatre Cottesloe / Wyndham's and Twelfth Night – RSC at the Barbican Rob Howell for The Glass Menagerie – Donmar Warehouse / Comedy Anthony Ward for A Midsummer Night's Dream – RSC at the Barbican, La Grande Magia and The Way of the World – National Theatre Lyttelton	*Anthony Ward for A Midsummer Night's Dream* – RSC at the Barbican, La Grande Magia and The Way of the World – National Theatre Lyttelton** Deirdre Clancy for Absolute Hell – National Theatre Lyttelton and Twelfth Night – RSC at the Barbican Nicky Gillibrand for A Little Night Music – National Theatre Olivier Richard Hudson for Volpone – National Theatre Olivier
Best Lighting Designer
*David Hersey for Burning Blue* – Theatre Royal Haymarket, The Glass Menagerie – Donmar Warehouse / Comedy and Twelfth Night – RSC at the Barbican** Mark Henderson for Absolute Hell and La Grande Magia – National Theatre Lyttelton and Indian Ink – Aldwych Peter Mumford for Mother Courage and Her Children, Volpone – National Theatre Olivier and Richard II – National Theatre Cottesloe Chris Parry for A Midsummer Night's Dream – RSC at the Barbican and The Way of the World – National Theatre Lyttelton
Outstanding Achievement in Dance	Best New Dance Production
*Siobhan Davies for choreographing The Art of Touch, Siobhan Davies Dance Company – Sadler's Wells* Deborah Bull in Steptext, The Royal Ballet – Royal Opera House Sylvie Guillem in Episodes, Béjart Ballet Lausanne – Sadler's Wells Marion Tait in Pillar of Fire, Birmingham Royal Ballet – Royal Opera House	Swan Lake, Adventures in Motion Pictures – Sadler's Wells Saints and Shadows, Arc Dance Company – Sadler's Wells SH-BOOM, 10 Dancers Ensemble – Sadler's Wells Who Cares, Les Ballets de Monte Carlo – Sadler's Wells
Outstanding Achievement in Opera	Outstanding New Opera Production
*Bernard Haitink for conducting Götterdämmerung* and Siegfried, The Royal Opera – Royal Opera House** Jonathan Miller for directing Carmen, English National Opera – London Coliseum Bryn Terfel in Salome, The Royal Opera – Royal Opera House John Tomlinson in Billy Budd and Siegfried, The Royal Opera – Royal Opera House	Billy Budd, The Royal Opera – Royal Opera House A Midsummer Night's Dream, English National Opera – London Coliseum Salome, The Royal Opera – Royal Opera House Siegfried, The Royal Opera – Royal Opera House
Society Special Award
Harold Pinter

Productions with multiple nominations and awards

The following 20 productions, including two operas, received multiple nominations:

6: The Glass Menagerie
5: Skylight
4: A Little Night Music, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Absolute Hell, Company, La Grande Magia, The Way of the World and Volpone
3: Jolson, Siegfried and Twelfth Night
2: Burning Blue, Fame, Hot Mikado, Mack and Mabel, Mother Courage and Her Children, Salome, Taking Sides and The Steward of Christendom

The following three productions received multiple awards:

3: Company
2: Burning Blue and The Glass Menagerie

References

^ "Olivier Winners 1996". officiallondontheatre.com. Society of London Theatre. Archived from the original on 10 February 2018. Retrieved 6 May 2022.