2023 Olivier Awards nominations: ‘My Neighbour Totoro,’ ‘Standing at the Sky’s Edge’ lead

Two new works based on existing material dominated the nominations for the 2023 Olivier Awards, the top theatre honor in Britain. “My Neighbour Totoro” and “Standing at the Sky’s Edge” lead the play and musical fields with nine and eight bids apiece. The former is a stage adaptation of the Studio Ghibli film of the same name, brought to life in a visually stunning production featuring impressive puppetry by Basil Twist. “Standing at the Sky’s Edge” uses songs from the Richard Hawley album and new material to tell the story of three families in a Sheffield housing complex.

Revivals had strong showings, too. Director Daniel Fish’s remounting of “Rodger & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!” and the Paul Mescal-led “A Streetcar Named Desire” netted seven and six nominations, respectively. This production of “Oklahoma!” previously played Broadway and received eight Tony Award nominations, including wins for Best Revival and Featured Actress (Ali Stroker).

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The awards will be bestowed just a little over a month from now — on April 2 at the Royal Albert Hall — hosted by musical theatre and television star Hannah Waddingham. Last week, the body announced Arlene Phillips and Derek Jacobi would receive special honors: Phillips has earned a Special Award, while Jacobi receives the Lifetime Achievement prize.

SEE 2023 Tony Awards eligibility rulings (round 1): ‘Kimberly Akimbo,’ ‘Into the Woods,’ ‘1776’ and a change in voting procedure

“My Neighbour Totoro” has tied for the second-most nominated play in Olivier history, behind only “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” which received 11. It shares the position with “Life of Pi” from last year; that production will cross the Atlantic and open on Broadway on March 30 at the Schoenfeld Theatre.

The Oliviers are peppered with imported American works and productions. “The Band’s Visit” took home 10 Tonys in 2018, including Best Musical, Best Score, and three acting trophies, and has earned six bids at the British awards. The Aaron Sorkin-penned “To Kill a Mockingbird” also received six bids this year, following on its Tony showing in 2019 with nine nominations including a win for Featured Actress (Celia Keenan-Bolger).

See the complete list of 2023 Olivier Award nominations below:

MUSICALS

BEST MUSICAL
The Band’s Visit
Standing at the Sky’s Edge
Sylvia
Tammy Faye

BEST MUSICAL REVIVAL
My Fair Lady
Rodger’s & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!
Sister Act
South Pacific

BEST ACTOR (MUSICAL)
Alon Moni Aboutboul (“The Band’s Visit”)
Arthur Darvill (“Rodger’s & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!”)
Julien Overden (“South Pacific”)
Andrew Rannells (“Tammy Faye”)

BEST ACTRESS (MUSICAL)
Katie Brayben (“Tammy Faye”)
Anoushka Lucas (“Rodger’s & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!”)
Miri Mesika (“The Band’s Visit”)
Faith Omole (“Standing at the Sky’s Edge”)

BEST FEATURED ACTOR (MUSICAL)
Sharif Afifi (“The Band’s Visit”)
Peter Polycarpou (“The Band’s Visit”)
Clive Rowe (“Sister Act”)
Zubin Varla (“Tammy Faye”)

BEST FEATURED ACTRESS (MUSICAL)
Beverley Knight (“Sylvia”)
Maimuna Memon (“Standing at the Sky’s Edge”)
Liza Sadovy (“Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!”)
Marisha Wallace (“Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!”)

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE OR NEW ORCHESTRATIONS
David Yazbek, Jamshied Sharifi, and Andrea Grody (“The Band’s Visit”)
Joe Hisaishi and Will Stuart (“My Neighbour Totoro”)
Daniel Kluger and Nathan Koci (“Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!”)
Richard Hawley and Tom Deering (“Standing at the Sky’s Edge”)

PLAYS

BEST PLAY
For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy
Patriots
Prima Facie
To Kill a Mockingbird

BEST NEW COMEDY
Jack and the Beanstalk
My Neighbour Totoro
My Son’s a Queer (But What Can You Do?)
One Woman Show

BEST PLAY REVIVAL
The Crucible
Good
Jerusalem
A Streetcar Named Desire

BEST ACTOR (PLAY)
Tom Hollander (“Patriots”)
Paul Mescal (“A Streetcar Named Desire”)
Rafe Spall (“To Kill a Mockingbird”)
David Tennant (“Good”)
Giles Terera (“Blues for An Alabama Sky”)

BEST ACTRESS (PLAY)
Jodie Comer (“Prima Facie”)
Patsy Ferran (“A Streetcar Named Desire”)
Mei Mac (“My Neighbour Totoro”)
Janet McTeer (“Phaedra”)
Nicola Walker (“The Corn Is Green”)

BEST FEATURED ACTOR (PLAY)
Mark Akintimehin, Emmanuel Akwafo, Nnabiko Ejimofor, Darragh Hand, Aruna Jalloh, and Kaine Lawrence (“For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy”)
Will Keen (“Patriots”)
Elliot Levey (“Good”)
David Moorst (“To Kill a Mockingbird”)
Sule Rimi (“Blues for An Alabama Sky”)

BEST FEATURED ACTRESS (PLAY)
Rose Ayling-Ellis (“As You Like It”)
Pamela Nomvete (“To Kill a Mockingbird”)
Caroline Quentin (“Jack Absolutely Flies Again”)
Sharon Small (“Good”)
Anjana Vasan (“A Streetcar Named Desire”)

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN AFFILIATE THEATRE
Age Is a Feeling
Blackout Songs
The P Word
Paradise Now!
Two Palestinians Go Dogging

DANCE/OPERA/FAMILY

BEST NEW DANCE PRODUCTION
Light of Passage
Pasionaria
Traplord
Triptych (The Missing Door, The Lost Room, and The Hidden Floor)

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN DANCE
Manuel Liñán (“¡Viva!” choreography)
Dickson Mbi (“Enowate” choreography)
Raquel Meseguer Zafe (“Ruination” dramaturgy)
Catrina Nisbett (“Family Honour” performance)

BEST NEW OPERA PRODUCTION
Alcina
Least Like the Other
Peter Grimes
Sibyl

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN OPERA
Sinéad Campbell-Wallace (“Tosca” performance)
William Kentridge (“Sibyl” direction)
Antony McDonald (“Alcina” design)

BEST ENTERTAINMENT AND FAMILY
Blippi the Musical
Hey Duggee: The Live Theatre Show
Midsummer Mechanicals
The Smartest Giant in Town

CRAFTS

BEST DIRECTOR
Rebecca Frecknall (“A Streetcar Named Desire”)
Robert Hastie (“Standing at the Sky’s Edge”)
Justin Martin (“Prima Facie”)
Phelim McDermott (“My Neighbour Totoro”)
Bartlett Sher (“To Kill a Mockingbird”)

BEST CHOREOGRAPHER
Matt Cole (“Newsies”)
Lynne Page (“Standing at the Sky’s Edge”)
Kate Prince (“Sylvia”)
Basil Twist (“My Neighbour Totoro” puppetry direction)

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Frankie Bradshaw (“Blues for an Alabama Sky”)
Hugh Durrant (“Jack and the Beanstalk”)
Jean Paul Gaultier (“The Jean Paul Gaultier Fashion Freak Show”)
Kimie Nakano (“My Neighbour Totoro”)

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN
Natasha Chivers (“Prima Facie”)
Lee Curran (“A Streetcar Named Desire”)
Jessica Hung Han Yun (“My Neighbour Totoro”)
Tim Lutkin (“The Crucible”)

BEST SET DESIGN
Miriam Buether (“To Kill a Mockingbird”)
Tom Pye (“My Neighbour Totoro”)
Ben Stones (“Standing at the Sky’s Edge”)
Mark Walters (“Jack and the Beanstalk”)

BEST SOUND DESIGN
Bobby Aitken (“Standing at the Sky’s Edge”)
Tony Gayle (“My Neighbour Totoro”)
Drew Levy (“Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!”)
Ben and Max Ringham (“Prima Facie”)

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