# 1997 Laurence Olivier Awards

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.
| 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 |

## Productions with multiple nominations and awards

The following 16 productions, including one ballet and one opera, received multiple nominations:
* 8: Tommy
* 5: Art, John Gabriel Borkman and Stanley
* 4: Martin Guerre and Passion
* 3: A Doll's House, Alice in Wonderland, By Jeeves, Guys and Dolls and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf
* 2: Alice in Wonderland, Smokey Joe's Cafe, The Herbal Bed, Tristan und Isolde and Uncle Vanya
The following three productions received multiple awards:
* 4: Stanley
* 3: Tommy
* 2: Martin Guerre