# 1996 Laurence Olivier Awards

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.
| 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