Sunday night at the Royal Albert Hall belonged to a lot of people, such as Rachel Zegler and Paapa Essiedu, who took home the top acting honors. But on the same night, Paddington: The Musical officially swung into the history books, shattering the record for the most wins in a single night and proving that some stories truly are timeless.
Paddington The Musical sweeps the Olivier Awards
The 50th Laurence Olivier Awards, hosted by Ted Lasso and The Traitors star Nick Mohammed and broadcast on the BBC, turned into a coronation for the Savoy Theatre’s beloved adaptation.
Paddington The Musical entered the night with eleven nominations and left with seven trophies, a haul that included Best New Musical, Best Director for Luke Sheppard, Best Actor in a Musical shared between James Hameed and Arti Shah for their dual portrayal of the bear, Best Supporting Actor and Actress in a Musical, Best Set Design, and Best Costume Design.
McFly’s Tom Fletcher, who composed the show’s music alongside book writer Jessica Swale, said while accepting Best New Musical that the team had tried to make something that celebrates kindness, and that it felt “so special” to be part of it. The evening also had its share of individual triumphs.
Rachel Zegler won Best Actress in a Musical for her role as Eva Perón in Jamie Lloyd’s acclaimed revival of Evita at the London Palladium.
This production had generated genuine excitement throughout its run for Zegler’s habit of performing live from the balcony on Argyll Street to passersby below.
Taking the stage to accept her award, she was visibly emotional. “Thank you so much to the city of London for making me feel so welcome here, I never could’ve imagined it,” she said.
“It was the honour of a lifetime singing to the people on Argyll Street eight times a week. I can’t believe I got so lucky to sing in front of thousands of you.” She had already brought the room to its feet earlier in the evening with a live performance of Don’t Cry For Me Argentina that earned a standing ovation.
Paapa Essiedu, fresh from his acclaimed run as Severus Snape in HBO’s Harry Potter series, won Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Chris Keller in the revival of Arthur Miller’s All My Sons at Wyndham’s Theatre.
This production also took Best Revival on the night.
Rosamund Pike won Best Actress for her performance in Inter Alia, a legal drama by Australian playwright Suzie Miller staged at the National Theatre. Jack Holden took Best Actor for Kenrex at The Other Palace.
The ceremony also presented a special award to Dame Elaine Paige, the original Eva Perón in Evita, which was presented by Andrew Lloyd Webber himself.
The night’s wider red carpet also drew Cate Blanchett, Helen Mirren, Ian McKellen, Tom Hiddleston, and Bryan Cranston, whose bid for Best Actor came up short against Holden.
Producer Sonia Friedman, meanwhile, confirmed that Paddington The Musical is eyeing a Broadway transfer in 2027, which means London’s most decorated show of the night is almost certainly heading west.
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