10 Long running shows that didn't win Best Musical at the Oliviers

Chicago

The original production of Chicago in 1979 lost out on the Best Musical Award to Songbook. However the revival did win Best Musical revival in 1998. The original production ran for 600 performances at the Cambridge Theatre. The show was also nominated in two other categories at the 1979 Olivier Awards; Antonia Ellis (Roxie) for Best Actress in a Musical and Ben Cross (Billy Flynn) for Best Actor in a Musical. However The Awards went to Virginia McKenna (The King and I and Anton Rodgers (Songbook).

Starlight Express

This long running show at the Victoria Apollo ran for 7,409 performances over 18 years. The show is currently the ninth longest running West End show in History and remains the Apollo Victoria Theatres longest running show. The musical lost out on the Best Musical Award to 42nd Street in 1984. Lon Satton, who played Poppa in the original London production, was also nominated for Best Actor in a Musical but the award went to Paul Clarkson for The Hired Man.

LAURENCE OLIVIER AWARDS announce 2017 nominees

Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical

Ian Bartholomew for Half A Sixpence at Noël Coward Theatre

Adam J Bernard for Dreamgirls at Savoy Theatre

Ben Hunter for The Girls at Phoenix Theatre

Andrew Langtree for Groundhog Day at The Old Vic



Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical

Haydn Gwynne for The Threepenny Opera at National Theatre - Olivier

Victoria Hamilton-Barritt for Murder Ballad at Arts Theatre

Rebecca Trehearn for Show Boat at New London Theatre

Emma Williams for Half A Sixpence at Noël Coward Theatre

Olivier Awards: Full list of Winners and Nominees

BEST ACTOR

Winner: Rory Kinnear for Othello at the National Theatre, Olivier 

Nominees:

Henry Goodman for The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui at the Duchess Theatre 
Tom Hiddleston at Coriolanus at Donmar Warehouse
Rory Kinnear for Othello at the National Theatre, Olivier 
Jude Law for Henry V at the Noel Coward Theatre 

BEST ACTRESS

Winner: Lesley Manville for Ghosts at the Almeida Theatre & Trafalgar Studios 

Nominees:

Hayley Atwell for The Pride at the Trafalgar Studios 

Anna Chancellor for Private Lives at the Gielgud Theatre 

Judi Dench for Peter and Alice at the Noel Coward Theatre

Lesley Manville for Ghosts at the Almeida Theatre & Trafalgar Studios 

Olivier Awards: Full list of Nominations

BEST ACTOR

Nominees:

Henry Goodman for The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui at the Duchess Theatre 
Tom Hiddleston at Coriolanus at Donmar Warehouse
Rory Kinnear for Othello at the National Theatre, Olivier 
Jude Law for Henry V at the Noel Coward Theatre 

BEST ACTRESS

Nominees:

Hayley Atwell for The Pride at the Trafalgar Studios 

Anna Chancellor for Private Lives at the Gielgud Theatre 

Judi Dench for Peter and Alice at the Noel Coward Theatre

Lesley Manville for Ghosts at the Almeida Theatre & Trafalgar Studios 

Olivier Awards 2013: Full List of Winners and Nominees

BEST ACTOR

WINNER: Luke Treadaway for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time at the NT Cottesloe & the Apollo

Nominees:

James McAvoy for Macbeth at the Trafalgar Studios
Luke Treadaway for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time at the NT Cottesloe & the Apollo
Mark Rylance for Twelfth Night at Shakespeare's Globe & the Apollo
Rafe Spall for Constellations at the Royal Court & the Duke of York's
Rupert Everett for The Judas Kiss at Hampstead & the Duke of York's

BEST ACTRESS

WINNER: Helen Mirren for The Audience at the Gielgud

Nominees:

Billie Piper for The Effect at the NT Cottesloe
Hattie Morahan for A Doll’s House at the Young Vic
Helen Mirren for The Audience at the Gielgud
Kristin Scott Thomas for Old Times at the Harold Pinter