Hollywood stars lead the nominations for this year’s Olivier Awards, with Nicole Scherzinger, Sarah Snook and Sarah Jessica Parker all recognised.
The hit musical Sunset Boulevard scooped 11 nods, including Scherzinger for best actress in a musical and Tom Francis for best actor in a musical.
And Dear England, James Graham’s play about Gareth Southgate, has nine, with Joseph Fiennes receiving his first.
The Oliviers is seen as the most prestigious awards event in UK theatre.
Getty ImagesJoseph Fiennes plays Gareth Southgate in Dear England
Sunset Boulevard, a new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s story of a fading film star, also received nominations in all the acting categories for a musical, as well as best musical revival, and best director for Jamie Lloyd.
The National Theatre garnered the most nominations for a single company, with its productions Dear England, Hadestown, The Motive and the Cue, Till the Stars Come Down and The Effect all recognised across a number of categories.
Footballing drama Dear England is the most nominated play, with nods including Fiennes for best actor, Gina McKee for best actress in a supporting role, Rupert Goold for best director and best new play.
Marc BrennerParker and Broderick star in Plaza Suite
Many television, film and music stars have received recognition, including James Norton for A Little Life and Parker, who scored her first Olivier nomination, for Plaza Suite.
The Sex and the City star is appearing opposite her husband Matthew Broderick in Neil Simon’s 1968 play, with critics praising her performance as “a revelation”.
A number of one-person plays received nominations in the best actor and actress categories – include Snook’s first, for The Picture of Dorian Gray, Andrew Scott for Vanya and Sheridan Smith for Shirley Valentine.
Marc BrennerSnook impressed critics for her performance in The Picture of Dorian Gray
The Picture of Dorian Gray, based on Oscar Wilde’s 1890 novel, is running in London’s West End until May.
Snook, who starred in Succession, plays 26 characters in the play and is surrounded by a camera crew so her performance can be beamed onto overhead screens.
“I’m pretty stoked, yeah, just a bit overwhelmed,” the Adelaide-born actress told the BBC upon learning of her nomination.
“Australia’s asleep so I haven’t called my parents yet to tell them. I’m excited when they wake up to give them a call.”
Actress kept in the dark
Getty ImagesMarisha Wallace isn’t being told about her nomination for Guys And Dolls
David Tennant also scored a best actor nomination for his portrayal of Macbeth at the Donmar Warehouse.
Others who made the shortlist include Haydn Gwynne, posthumously nominated for best actress in a supporting role for When Winston Went to War with the Wireless.
And, in an unusual twist, one performer is still in the dark about their Olivier nomination.
Marisha Wallace is up for best actress in a musical for her portrayal of nightclub singer Adelaide in Guys And Dolls; but she went straight from the West End to the Celebrity Big Brother house, alongside the likes of Sharon Osbourne and Fern Britton.
The reality show’s producers confirmed on Tuesday that she won’t be told about her nomination “until she leaves the house”.
The best new musical nominees are The Little Big Things, Next to Normal, Operation Mincemeat and A Strange Loop.
The best musical revival category also has a number of strong favourites, including Groundhog Day, Guys & Dolls, Hadestown and Sunset Boulevard.
The annual awards ceremony takes place on 14 April at the Royal Albert Hall, hosted by Hannah Waddingham.
Olivier nominations 2024:
Best actress
- Laura Donnelly for The Hills Of California
- Sophie Okonedo for Medea
- Sarah Jessica Parker for Plaza Suite
- Sheridan Smith for Shirley Valentine
- Sarah Snook for The Picture Of Dorian Gray
Best actor
- Joseph Fiennes for Dear England
- Mark Gatiss for The Motive And The Cue
- James Norton for A Little Life
- Andrew Scott for Vanya
- David Tennant for Macbeth
Best new play
- Dear England
- The Hills Of California
- The Motive And The Cue
- Till The Stars Come Down
Best actress in a musical
- Natasha Hodgson for Operation Mincemeat
- Caissie Levy for Next To Normal
- Nicole Scherzinger for Sunset Boulevard
- Marisha Wallace for Guys & Dolls
Best actor in a musical
- David Cumming for Operation Mincemeat
- Tom Francis for Sunset Boulevard
- Daniel Mays for Guys & Dolls
- Charlie Stemp for Crazy For You
Best new musical
- The Little Big Things
- Next To Normal
- Operation Mincemeat
- A Strange Loop
Sir Peter Hall Award for Best Director
- Stephen Daldry & Justin Martin for Stranger Things: The First Shadow
- Rupert Goold for Dear England
- Jamie Lloyd for Sunset Boulevard
- Sam Mendes for The Motive And The Cue
Best revival
- The Effect by Lucy Prebbletelton
- Macbeth by William Shakespeare
- Shirley Valentine by Willy Russell
- Vanya by Anton Chekhov, adapted by Simon Stephens
Best musical revival
- Groundhog Day, music & lyrics by Tim Minchin, book by Danny Rubin
- Guys & Dolls, music & lyrics by Frank Loesser, book by Jo Swerling & Abe Burrows
- Hadestown, music, lyrics & book by Anaïs Mitchell
- Sunset Boulevard, music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics & book by Don Black & Christopher Hampton
