Fiddler on the Roof, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Giant are the big winners at the Olivier Awards 2025, each winning three awards.
The ceremony, hosted by Beverley Knight and Billy Porter, was held at the Royal Albert Hall on Sunday 6 April and featured several live performances from shows, including a special 40th anniversary performance from Les Misérables.
The modern adaptation of Fiddler on the Roof was nominated for thirteen awards and picked up three, as the spread of awards demonstrated what a great year it’s been for UK theatre.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Giant – for which John Lithgow won Best Actor for his portrayal of ‘Roald Dahl’ – also won three awards.
Imelda Staunton dedicated her award for Best Actress in a Musical to her late mother, while John Lithgow’s speech included more than a hint of political angst as he thanked English audiences for welcoming “an American into (their) midst”.
Lithgow’s Giant co-star, English actor Elliot Levey, landed Best Actor in a Supporting Role and said it’s “wrong” to “get an award for having this much fun.”
Lesley Manville won Best Actress for her portrayal of ‘Jocasta’ in Robert Icke’s retelling of the Greek tragedy Oedipus.
Full list of winners and nominees for the Olivier Awards 2025:
Best New Play
Winner: Giant by Mark Rosenblatt at Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at Royal Court Theatre
The Fear of 13 by Lindsey Ferrentino at Donmar Warehouse
Kyoto by Joe Murphy and 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 and Harold Pinter Theatre
Best New Musical
Winner: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, music and lyrics by Darren Clark, book and lyrics by Jethro Compton at Ambassadors Theatre
MJ The Musical, book by Lynn Nottage at Prince Edward Theatre
Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812, music, lyrics and book by Dave Malloy at Donmar Warehouse
Why Am I So Single?, music, lyrics and book by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss at Garrick Theatre
Best Revival
Winner: Oedipus by Robert Icke at Wyndham’s Theatre
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde at National Theatre – Lyttelton
Machinal by Sophie Treadwell at The Old Vic
Waiting For Godot by Samuel Beckett at Theatre Royal Haymarket
Best Musical Revival
Winner: 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 and lyrics by Jerry Herman, book by Michael Stewart at The London Palladium
Oliver!, book, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart, new material and revisions by Cameron Mackintosh at Gielgud Theatre
Starlight Express, music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Richard Stilgoe at Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre
Best Actress
Winner: Lesley Manville for Oedipus
Heather Agyepong for Shifters
Rosie Sheehy for Machinal
Meera Syal for A Tupperware of Ashes
Indira Varma for Oedipus
Best Actor
Winner: John Lithgow for Giant
Adrien Brody for The Fear of 13
Billy Crudup for Harry Clarke
Paapa Essiedu for Death of England: Delroy
Mark Strong for Oedipus
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Winner: Elliot Levey for Giant
Jorge Bosch for Kyoto
Tom Edden for Waiting for Godot
Ben Whishaw for Bluets
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Winner: Romola Garai for The Years
Sharon D Clarke for The Importance of Being Earnest
Romola Garai for Giant
Gina McKee for The Years
Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical
Winner: Maimuna Memon for Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812
Liv Andrusier for Fiddler on the Roof
Amy Di Bartolomeo for The Devil Wears Prada
Beverley Klein for Fiddler on the Roof
Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical
Winner: Layton Williams for Titanique
Andy Nyman for Hello, Dolly!
Raphael Papo for Fiddler on the Roof
Tom Xander for Mean Girls
Best Actor in a Musical
Winner: John Dagleish for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Adam Dannheisser for Fiddler on the Roof
Myles Frost for MJ The Musical
Simon Lipkin for Oliver!
Jamie Muscato for Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812
Best Actress in a Musical
Winner: Imelda Staunton for Hello, Dolly!
Chumisa Dornford-May for Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812
Lauren Drew for Titanique
Clare Foster for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Lara Pulver for Fiddler on the Roof
Best Director
Winner: Eline Arbo for The Years
Jordan Fein for Fiddler on the Roof
Nicholas Hytner for Giant
Robert Icke for Oedipus
Best Costume Design
Winner: Gabriella Slade for Starlight Express
Hugh Durrant for Robin Hood
Sachiko Nakahara for Spirited Away
Tom Scutt for Fiddler on the Roof
Best Sound Design
Winner: Nick Lidster for Fiddler on the Roof
Christopher Shutt for Oedipus
Thijs van Vuure for The Years
Koichi Yamamoto for Spirited Away
Best New Entertainment or Comedy Play
Winner: Titanique by Tye Blue, Marla Mindelle and Constantine Rousouli
Ballet Shoes adapted by Kendall Feaver at National Theatre
Inside No. 9 Stage/Fright by Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith
Spirited Away, adapted by John Caird and co-adapted by Maoko Imai
Best Family Show
Winner: 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
Best Theatre Choreographer
Winner: Christopher Wheeldon for MJ The Musical
Matthew Bourne for Oliver!
Julia Cheng for Fiddler on the Roof
Hofesh Shechter for Oedipus
Best Set Design
Winner: Tom Scutt for set design — Fiddler on the Roof
Jon Bausor for set design, Toby Olié and Daisy Beattie for puppetry design, and Satoshi Kuriyama for projection design — Spirited Away
Frankie Bradshaw for set design — Ballet Shoes
Es Devlin for set design — Coriolanus
Best Lighting Design
Winner: Paule Constable and Ben Jacobs — Oliver!
Howard Hudson — Starlight Express
Howard Hudson — Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812
Aideen Malone — Fiddler on the Roof
Best New Production in Affiliate Theatre
Winner: Boys on the Verge of Tears — Soho Theatre
Animal Farm — Theatre Royal Stratford East
English — Kiln Theatre
Now, I See — Theatre Royal Stratford East
What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank — Marylebone Theatre
Outstanding Achievement in Opera
Winner: Allan Clayton for Festen at the Royal Opera House
Aigul Akhmetshina for Carmen at the Royal Opera House
Jung Young-doo for direction of Lear at the Barbican
Best New Opera Production
Winner: Festen by the Royal Opera at the Royal Opera House
Duke Bluebeard’s Castle by ENO at the London Coliseum
L’Olimpiade by Irish National Opera and the Royal Opera at the Royal Opera House
The Tales of Hoffmann by the Royal Opera at the Royal Opera House
Best New Dance Production
Winner: Assembly Hall — Sadler’s Wells
Frontiers: Choreographers of Canada — Pite/Kudelka/Portner — Sadler’s Wells
Theatre of Dreams — Sadler’s Wells
An Untitled Love — Sadler’s Wells
Outstanding Achievement in Dance
Winner: Eva Yerbabuena for her performance in Yerbabuena
Sarah Chun for her performance in Three Short Ballets
Tom Visser for his lighting design of Angels’ Atlas as part of Frontiers: Choreographers of Canada — Pite/Kudelka/Portner
Outstanding Musical Contribution
Winner: Darren Clark for Music Supervision, Orchestrations and Arrangements and Mark Aspinall for Musical Direction, Music Supervision, Orchestrations and Arrangements for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mark Aspinall for Musical Supervision and Additional Orchestrations for Fiddler on the Roof
Dave Malloy for Orchestrations and Nicholas Skilbeck for Musical Supervision for Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812
Asaf Zohar for Compositions and Gavin Sutherland for Dance Arrangements and Orchestration for Ballet Shoes
Congratulations to all of the winners!
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