Seven Oliviers for musical Sunset Boulevard at city’s theatre awards
SUNSET Boulevard, starring Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger, has earned seven wins at the Olivier Awards.
The US actress and singer won the best actress in a musical award at the Royal Albert Hall as the reinterpretation of the 1950 film also picked up best director and best musical revival at the awards which celebrate the best of London theatre.
Tom Francis also won the best actor in a musical gong for his role in the show.
Referring to her almost tripping before accepting her award, Scherzinger said: “Thank God for saving me from that trip right there,” before adding that she was “nothing without him”.
She said that “coming from really humble beginnings I always wanted to be a singer and do musicals”. Meanwhile, Dame Arlene Phillips also received a standing ovation following her winning her first competitive Olivier for her choreography on the musical Guys & Dolls.
The 80-year-old former Strictly Come Dancing judge thanked fellow choreographer James Cousins for helping her by “crawling around” on the floor to demonstrate movements when she had issues with her knees.
Last year, she won a special Olivier award for choreographing some of the biggest musical shows including We Will Rock You, The Wizard Of Oz, The Sound Of Music.
In the winner’s room, Dame Arlene said she “wished she could have photographed” the moment of her standing ovation.
Succession star Sarah Snook won best actress in a play for her performance in the one-woman show The Picture Of Dorian Gray and Mark Gatiss secured best actor in a play for The Motive And The Cue at the National Theatre.
He beat UK actors Joseph Fiennes, who played England manager Gareth Southgate in Dear England, Happy Valley’s James Norton, Doctor Who star David Tennant and Irish star Andrew Scott.
The Olivier for best new play went to Dear England by James Graham.
Best actress in a supporting role went to When Winston Went To War With The Wireless star Haydn Gwynne, who died last year at the age of 66, and Will Close scooped a best supporting actor win for Dear England at the National Theatre.