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.
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.
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
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
