1997 Laurence Olivier Awards

Edition of London theatre awards

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Olivier Awards

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The 1997 Laurence Olivier Awards were held in 1997 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
Stanley by Pam Gems – National Theatre Cottesloe Blinded by the Sun by Stephen Poliakoff – National Theatre Cottesloe The Beauty Queen of Leenane by Martin McDonagh – Royal Court The Herbal Bed by Peter Whelan – RSC at the Barbican Pit	Martin Guerre – Prince Edward Nine – Donmar Warehouse Passion – Queen's
Best Comedy	Outstanding Musical Production
Art by Yasmina Reza – Wyndham's Laughter on the 23rd Floor by Neil Simon – Queen's The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) by Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield – Criterion	Tommy – Shaftesbury By Jeeves – Duke of York's / Lyric Jesus Christ Superstar – Lyceum Smokey Joe's Cafe – Prince of Wales
Best Actor	Best Actress
*Antony Sher as Stanley Spencer in Stanley* – National Theatre Cottesloe** Paul Scofield as John Gabriel Borkman in John Gabriel Borkman – National Theatre Lyttelton Ken Stott as Yvan in Art – Wyndham's David Suchet as George in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf – Aldwych	*Janet McTeer as Nora Helmer in A Doll's House* – Playhouse** Eileen Atkins as Mrs. Gunhild Borkman in John Gabriel Borkman – National Theatre Lyttelton Vanessa Redgrave as Ella Rentheim in John Gabriel Borkman – National Theatre Lyttelton Diana Rigg as Martha in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf – Aldwych
Best Actor in a Musical	Best Actress in a Musical
*Robert Lindsay as Fagin in Oliver* – London Palladium** Iain Glen as Martin Guerre in Martin Guerre – Prince Edward Paul Keating as Tommy in Tommy – Shaftesbury Steven Pacey as Bertie Wooster in By Jeeves – Duke of York's / Lyric	*Maria Friedman as Fosca in Passion* – Queen's** B.J. Crosby as Performer in Smokey Joe's Cafe – Prince of Wales Joanna Riding as Sarah Brown in Guys and Dolls – National Theatre Olivier Imelda Staunton as Miss Adelaide in Guys and Dolls – National Theatre Olivier
Best Actor in a Supporting Role	Best Actress in a Supporting Role
*Trevor Eve as Dr. Mikhail Lvovich Astrov in Uncle Vanya* – Albery** Stephen Boxer as Barnabus Goche in The Herbal Bed – RSC at the Barbican Pit Tony Haygarth as Juror #3 in Twelve Angry Men – Comedy Owen Teale as Torvald Helmer in A Doll's House – Playhouse	*Deborah Findlay as Hilda Carline in Stanley* – National Theatre Cottesloe** Frances Barber as Sonya Alexandrovna Serebryakova in Uncle Vanya – Albery Anna Chancellor as Patricia Preece in Stanley – National Theatre Cottesloe Clare Holman as Honey in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf – Aldwych
Best Supporting Performance in a Musical
*Clive Rowe as Nicely Nicely Johnson in Guys and Dolls* – National Theatre Olivier** James Gillan as Uncle Ernie in Tommy – Shaftesbury Hugh Ross as Dr. Tambourri in Passion – Queen's Tony Selby as Ben Rumson in Paint Your Wagon – Open Air
Best Director	Best Theatre Choreographer
*Des McAnuff for Tommy* – Shaftesbury** Richard Eyre for John Gabriel Borkman – National Theatre Lyttelton Anthony Page for A Doll's House – Playhouse Matthew Warchus for Art – Wyndham's	*Bob Avian for Martin Guerre* – Prince Edward** Wayne Cilento for Tommy – Shaftesbury
Best Set Designer	Best Costume Designer
*Tim Hatley for Stanley* – National Theatre Cottesloe** John Arnone for Tommy – Shaftesbury Paul Farnsworth for Passion – Queen's Mark Thompson for Art – Wyndham's	*Tim Goodchild for The Relapse* – RSC at the Barbican Pit** Louise Belson for By Jeeves – Duke of York's / Lyric William Dudley for Mary Stuart – National Theatre Lyttelton David C. Woolard for Tommy – Shaftesbury
Best Lighting Designer
*Chris Parry for Tommy* – Shaftesbury** Mark Henderson for John Gabriel Borkman – National Theatre Lyttelton David Hersey for Martin Guerre – Prince Edward Hugh Vanstone for Art – Wyndham's
Outstanding Achievement in Dance	Best New Dance Production
The dancers of Rambert Dance Company for their season at the London Coliseum Sue Blane for her designs of Alice in Wonderland, English National Ballet – London Coliseum Viviana Durante in Anastasia... Now Langourous, Now Wild..., The Royal Ballet – Royal Opera House Thomas Edur in Alice in Wonderland and Giselle – London Coliseum	Cinderella, English National Ballet – London Coliseum Alice in Wonderland, English National Ballet – London Coliseum Carmina Burana, Birmingham Royal Ballet – Royal Opera House
Outstanding Achievement in Opera	Outstanding New Opera Production
*Elgar Howarth for conducting Die Soldaten* and The Prince of Homburg, English National Opera – London Coliseum** Wolfgang Gobbel for light designing of The Midsummer Marriage, The Royal Opera – Royal Opera House and Tristan und Isolde, English National Opera – London Coliseum Karita Mattila in Don Carlos, The Royal Opera – Royal Opera House	Tristan und Isolde, English National Opera – London Coliseum Cavalleria rusticana and I Pagliacci, Welsh National Opera – Royal Opera House Fidelio, English National Opera – London Coliseum
Society Special Award
Margaret Harris