Olivier Awards: Adrien Brody gets first nomination days after Oscar win

Published

7 months ago

March 4, 2025

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Nominations for the Olivier Awards, British theatre’s most prestigious honours, have been announced.

Following his second Oscar win at the weekend, Adrien Brody is nominated for best actor, for his performance in The Fear Of 13 – a play based on the real-life story of a man who spent 22 years on death row for a rape and murder that he did not commit.

Fellow US stars Billy Crudup and John Lithgow are up against him in the category, along with UK stars Paapa Essiedu and Mark Strong.

Brody, Crudup, Essiedu and Lithgow are all first-time nominees.

In the best actress category, The Crown star Lesley Manville is up against Meera Syal, Indira Varma, Heather Agyepong and Rosie Sheehy.

Manville and Varma both nominated for playing the same role in different productions of the Greek mythology classic Oedipus

Fiddler On The Roof is this year’s most nominated production, with 13 nods.

It’s up for best musical revival, with old favourites including Oliver!, Hello Dolly and Starlight Express.

In the musical theatre performing categories, John Dagleish is up for best actor for his role in The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, a decade after his last win.

He’s up against Myles Frost, Simon Lipkin, Jamie Muscato and Adam Dannheisser.

Four-time Olivier winner Imelda Staunton is up for best actress in a musical for her role in Hello Dolly!, her 14th Olivier nomination and her eighth in the category.

She’s competing against Lara Pulver, Chumisa Dornford-May, Lauren Drew and Clare Foster.

Best new play includes Brody’s The Fear Of 13, along with Kyoto, Shifters, Giant and The Years.

Giant and The Years are tied for most nominated play this year with five apiece.

Gina McKee is nominated for best actress in a supporting role, alongside Romola Garai who is double nominated in the same category for her roles in Giant and The Years.

Actress Sharon D Clarke makes up the category.

And in best supporting actor, Ben Whishaw will be battling it out against Jorge Bosch, Tom Edden, and Elliot Levey.

Sunset Boulevard was the big winner at last year’s Olivier Awards, taking home seven gongs and equalling the record for the most prizes for a musical at the ceremony.

The 2025 Olivier Awards will take place on Sunday 6 April at the Royal Albert Hall, hosted by Beverley Knight and Billy Porter.

Full list of nominations:

Mastercard Best New Musical

The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, music & lyrics by Darren Clark, book & lyrics by Jethro Compton at Ambassadors Theatre

MJ The Musical, book by Lynn Nottage at Prince Edward Theatre

Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet Of 1812, music, lyrics & book by Dave Malloy at Donmar Warehouse

Why Am I So Single?, music, lyrics & book by Toby Marlow & Lucy Moss at Garrick Theatre

Blue-i Theatre Technology Award for Best Set Design

Jon Bausor for Set Design, Toby Olié & Daisy Beattie for Puppetry Design and Satoshi Kuriyama for Projection Design for Spirited Away at London Coliseum

Frankie Bradshaw for Set Design for Ballet Shoes at National Theatre – Olivier

Es Devlin for Set Design for Coriolanus at National Theatre – Olivier

Tom Scutt for Set Design for Fiddler On The Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

White Light Award for Best Lighting Design

Paule Constable & Ben Jacobs for Oliver! at Gielgud Theatre

Howard Hudson for Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet Of 1812 at Donmar Warehouse

Howard Hudson for Starlight Express at Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre

Aideen Malone for Fiddler On The Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

TAIT Award for Best New Opera Production

Duke Bluebeard’s Castle by English National Opera at London Coliseum

Festen by The Royal Opera at Royal Opera House

L’Olimpiade by Irish National Opera & The Royal Opera at Royal Opera House

The Tales Of Hoffmann by The Royal Opera at Royal Opera House

Outstanding Achievement in Opera

Aigul Akhmetshina for her performance in Carmen at Royal Opera House

Allan Clayton for his performance in Festen at Royal Opera House

Jung Young-doo for his direction of Lear at Barbican Theatre

Best Family Show

Brainiac Live at Marylebone Theatre

Maddie Moate’s Very Curious Christmas at Apollo Theatre

The Nutcracker at Polka Theatre

Rough Magic at Shakespeare’s Globe – Sam Wanamaker Playhouse

Best New Production in Affiliate Theatre

Animal Farm at Theatre Royal Stratford East by George Orwell, adapted by Tatty Hennessy

Boys On The Verge Of Tears by Sam Grabiner at Soho Theatre

English by Sanaz Toossi at Kiln Theatre

Now, I See by Lanre Malaolu at Theatre Royal Stratford East

What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank by Nathan Englander at Marylebone Theatre

Best New Dance Production

Assembly Hall by Kidd Pivot, Crystal Pite & Jonathon Young at Sadler’s Wells

Frontiers: Choreographers Of Canada – Pite/Kudelka/Portner by The National Ballet Of Canada at Sadler’s Wells

Theatre Of Dreams by Hofesh Shechter Company at Sadler’s Wells

An Untitled Love by A.I.M by Kyle Abraham at Sadler’s Wells

Outstanding Achievement in Dance

Sarah Chun for her performance in Three Short Ballets at Royal Opera House – Linbury Theatre

Tom Visser for his lighting design of Angels’ Atlas as part of Frontiers: Choreographers Of Canada – Pite/Kudelka/Portner at Sadler’s Wells

Eva Yerbabuena for her performance in Yerbagüena at Sadler’s Wells

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

Jorge Bosch for Kyoto at @sohoplace

Tom Edden for Waiting For Godot at Theatre Royal Haymarket

Elliot Levey for Giant at Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at Royal Court Theatre

Ben Whishaw for Bluets at Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at Royal Court Theatre

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

Sharon D Clarke for The Importance Of Being Earnest at National Theatre – Lyttelton

Romola Garai for Giant at Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at Royal Court Theatre

Romola Garai for The Years at Almeida Theatre & Harold Pinter Theatre

Gina McKee for The Years at Almeida Theatre & Harold Pinter Theatre

Gillian Lynne Award for Best Theatre Choreographer

Matthew Bourne for Oliver! at Gielgud Theatre

Julia Cheng for Fiddler On The Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Hofesh Shechter for Oedipus at The Old Vic

Christopher Wheeldon for MJ The Musical at Prince Edward Theatre

Best Costume Design

Hugh Durrant for Robin Hood at The London Palladium

Sachiko Nakahara for Spirited Away at London Coliseum

Tom Scutt for Fiddler On The Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Gabriella Slade for Starlight Express at Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre

d&b audiotechnik Award for Best Sound Design

Nick Lidster for Fiddler On The Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Christopher Shutt for Oedipus at The Old Vic

Thijs van Vuure for The Years at Almeida Theatre & Harold Pinter Theatre

Koichi Yamamoto for Spirited Away at London Coliseum

Outstanding Musical Contribution

Mark Aspinall for Musical Supervision & Additional Orchestrations for Fiddler On The Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Darren Clark for Music Supervision, Orchestrations & Arrangements and Mark Aspinall for Musical Direction, Music Supervision, Orchestrations & Arrangements for The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button at Ambassadors Theatre

Dave Malloy for Orchestrations and Nicholas Skilbeck for Musical Supervision for Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet Of 1812 at Donmar Warehouse

Asaf Zohar for Compositions and Gavin Sutherland for Dance Arrangements & Orchestration for Ballet Shoes at National Theatre – Olivier

Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical

Liv Andrusier for Fiddler On The Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Amy Di Bartolomeo for The Devil Wears Prada at Dominion Theatre

Beverley Klein for Fiddler On The Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Maimuna Memon for Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet Of 1812 at Donmar Warehouse

Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical

Andy Nyman for Hello, Dolly! at The London Palladium

Raphael Papo for Fiddler On The Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Layton Williams for Titanique at Criterion Theatre

Tom Xander for Mean Girls at Savoy Theatre

Noël Coward Award for Best New Entertainment or Comedy Play

Ballet Shoes adapted by Kendall Feaver at National Theatre – Olivier

Inside No 9 Stage/Fright by Steve Pemberton & Reece Shearsmith at Wyndham’s Theatre

Spirited Away adapted by John Caird & co-adapted by Maoko Imai at London Coliseum

Titanique by Tye Blue, Marla Mindelle & Constantine Rousouli at Criterion Theatre

Sir Peter Hall Award for Best Director

Eline Arbo for The Years at Almeida Theatre & Harold Pinter Theatre

Jordan Fein for Fiddler On The Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Nicholas Hytner for Giant at Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at Royal Court Theatre

Robert Icke for Oedipus at Wyndham’s Theatre

Best Actress

Heather Agyepong for Shifters at Duke of York’s Theatre

Lesley Manville for Oedipus at Wyndham’s Theatre

Rosie Sheehy for Machinal at The Old Vic

Meera Syal for A Tupperware Of Ashes at National Theatre – Dorfman

Indira Varma for Oedipus at The Old Vic

Best Actor

Adrien Brody for The Fear Of 13 at Donmar Warehouse

Billy Crudup for Harry Clarke at Ambassadors Theatre

Paapa Essiedu for Death Of England: Delroy at @sohoplace

John Lithgow for Giant at Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at Royal Court Theatre

Mark Strong for Oedipus at Wyndham’s Theatre

Cunard Best Revival

The Importance Of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde at National Theatre – Lyttelton

Machinal by Sophie Treadwell at The Old Vic

Oedipus by Robert Icke at Wyndham’s Theatre

Waiting For Godot by Samuel Beckett at Theatre Royal Haymarket

Piper-Heidsieck Award for Best Musical Revival

Fiddler On The Roof, music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, book by Joseph Stein at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Hello, Dolly!, music & lyrics by Jerry Herman, book by Michael Stewart at The London Palladium

Oliver!, book, music & lyrics by Lionel Bart, new material & revisions by Cameron Mackintosh at Gielgud Theatre

Starlight Express, music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Richard Stilgoe at Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre

Best Actor in a Musical

John Dagleish for The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button at Ambassadors Theatre

Adam Dannheisser for Fiddler On The Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Myles Frost for MJ The Musical at Prince Edward Theatre

Simon Lipkin for Oliver! at Gielgud Theatre

Jamie Muscato for Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet Of 1812 at Donmar Warehouse

Best Actress in a Musical

Chumisa Dornford-May for Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet Of 1812 at Donmar Warehouse

Lauren Drew for Titanique at Criterion Theatre

Clare Foster for The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button at Ambassadors Theatre

Lara Pulver for Fiddler On The Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Imelda Staunton for Hello, Dolly! at The London Palladium

The Londoner Award for Best New Play

The Fear Of 13 by Lindsey Ferrentino at Donmar Warehouse

Giant by Mark Rosenblatt at Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at Royal Court Theatre

Kyoto by Joe Murphy & Joe Robertson at @sohoplace

Shifters by Benedict Lombe at Duke of York’s Theatre

The Years adapted by Eline Arbo, in an English version by Stephanie Bain at Almeida Theatre & Harold Pinter Theatre

Entertainment

Claudia Cardinale: Star of The Pink Panther and Once Upon A Time In The West dies aged 87

Published

13 hours ago

September 24, 2025

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Claudia Cardinale: Star of The Pink Panther and Once Upon A Time In The West dies aged 87

Acclaimed Italian actress Claudia Cardinale, who starred in The Pink Panther and Once Upon A Time In The West, has died aged 87, according to French media reports.

The actress, who starred in more than 100 films and made-for-TV productions, died in Nemours, France, surrounded by her children, her agent told the AFP news agency.

At the age of 17 she won a beauty contest in Tunisia, where she was born to Sicilian parents, and was rewarded with a trip to the Venice Film Festival, kick-starting her acting career.

She had expected to become a schoolteacher before she entered the beauty contest.

Cardinale gained international fame in 1963 when she starred in both Federico Fellini’s 8-1/2 and The Leopard.

She went on to star in the comedy The Pink Panther and Sergio Leone’s Once Upon A Time In The West in 1968.

She considered 1966’s The Professionals as the best of her Hollywood films.

When she was awarded a lifetime achievement at the Berlin Film Festival in 2002, she said acting had been a great career.

“I’ve lived more than 150 lives, prostitute, saint, romantic, every kind of woman, and that is marvellous to have this opportunity to change yourself,” she said.

“I’ve worked with the most important directors. They gave me everything.”

Cardinale was named a goodwill ambassador for the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation for the defence of women’s rights in 2000.

She is survived by two children.

Entertainment

Convicted killer jailed after turning up at Cheryl Tweedy’s home for fourth time

Published

19 hours ago

September 23, 2025

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Convicted killer jailed after turning up at Cheryl Tweedy's home for fourth time

A convicted killer who turned up at Cheryl Tweedy’s home for a fourth time has been jailed.

Daniel Bannister, 50, was sentenced to 12 months after admitting a single charge of breaching a restraining order.

He was also given a new restraining order, which warns him against contacting the former Girls Aloud singer.

“You are causing her anxiety,” Judge Alan Blake told him.

“She does not wish any contact with you. You have shown defiance to the court order. You need to draw a line under that behaviour.”

Bannister turned up at Tweedy’s rural home for the fourth time on 19 June.

Reading Crown Court heard he arrived in a taxi just before 10pm and rang the intercom twice before peering over the gate.

Bannister believed the singer had invited him to her home over Microsoft Teams, the court was told.

Tweedy said she was “stunned” when Bannister visited her home yet again and had been forced to hire security.

“Each time he returns the worry of his intentions intensifies,” she said in a victim impact statement.

“I’m worried, nervous and on edge every time I open my gate. No person should have to feel this way.

“Daniel has made my young child scared,” she added.

Bannister was initially jailed for four months in September last year – and handed a three-year restraining order.

But he breached it by turning up at Tweedy’s home in December.

In March, he was jailed for 16 weeks at Wycombe Magistrates’ Court for repeatedly going to Tweedy’s Buckinghamshire home while under the restraining order.

During that appearance, the court heard that Tweedy “immediately panicked” and was “terrified” when she saw him outside her home, fearing for the safety of her eight-year-old son Bear.

Bannister killed Rajendra Patel, 48, at a south London YMCA shelter in 2012 and pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

Mr Patel died from an injury to his leg, a court heard.

Tweedy’s former partner Liam Payne died last year in Buenos Aires, Argentina, after falling from his third-floor hotel balcony.

Entertainment

Noel Clarke ordered to pay at least £3m of Guardian publisher’s legal fees

Published

1 day ago

September 23, 2025

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Noel Clarke ordered to pay at least £3m of Guardian publisher's legal fees

Noel Clarke has been ordered to pay at least £3m of The Guardian publisher’s legal costs after losing his “far-fetched” libel case over allegations of sexual misconduct reported by the newspaper.

The first article, published in April 2021, said some 20 women who knew the actor and filmmaker in a professional capacity had come forward with allegations including harassment and sexually inappropriate behaviour.

Clarke, best known for his 2006 film Kidulthood and for starring in Doctor Who, sued Guardian News and Media (GNM) over seven articles in total, as well as a podcast, and vehemently denied “any sexual misconduct or wrongdoing”.

Following a trial earlier this year, a High Court judge found the newspaper’s reporting was substantially true, agreeing with the publisher’s defence of its reporting as both true and in the public interest.

At a hearing to determine costs on Tuesday, Clarke represented himself – saying in written submissions to the court that his legal team had resigned as he was unable to provide funding for the hearing.

Mrs Justice Steyn ruled that he must pay £3m ahead of a detailed assessment into the total costs to be recovered, which lawyers for the publisher estimated to be more than £6m.

“The claimant maintained a far-fetched and indeed a false case that the articles were not substantially true, by pursuing allegations of dishonesty and bad faith against almost all of the defendant’s truth witnesses,” the judge said.

The sum of £3m sought by GNM was “appropriate and no more than what ought to be reasonably ordered in this case”, she added, and “substantially lower than the defendant’s likely level of recovery”.

Clarke, 49, told the court he used ChatGPT to prepare his response to GNM’s barrister Gavin Millar KC, who asked the judge to order £3m as an interim payment – which he said was “significantly less” than the “norm” of asking for 75%-80%.

The actor described the proposed costs order as “excessive”, “inflated” and “caused by their own choices”, and asked the court to “consider both the law and the human reality of these proceedings”.

He also requested for the order on costs be held, pending an appeal.

“I have not been vexatious and I have not tried to play games with the court,” Clarke said. “I have lost my work, my savings, my legal team, my ability to support my family and much of my health.

“My wife and children live every day under the shadow of uncertainty. We remortgaged our home just to survive.

“Any costs or interim payments must be proportionate to my means as a single household, not the unlimited resources of a major media conglomerate.

“A crushing order would not just punish me, it would punish my children and wife, and they do not deserve that.”

Detailing GNM’s spend, Mr Millar said about 40,000 documents, including audio recordings and transcripts, had to be reviewed as a result of Clarke bringing the case against then. He highlighted a number of “misconceived applications” made by the actor which “required much work from the defendant’s lawyers in response”.

During the trial, the actor accused GNM – as well as a number of women who made accusations against him – of being part of a conspiracy aiming to destroy his career.

This conspiracy allegation “massively increased the scale and costs of the litigation by giving rise to a whole new unpleaded line of attack against witnesses and third parties,” Mr Millar said in written submissions to the court.

Clarke originally asked for damages of £10m, increasing to £40m and then £70m as the case progressed, the barrister said.

He must now pay GNM the £3m within 28 days, Mrs Justice Steyn ruled.

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