Australian actor Sarah Snook is among the winners in the 2024 Olivier Awards, staged in London last night in a ceremony hosted by actor Hannah Waddingham.

Receiving the award for Best Actress, Snook’s win is yet another feather in the cap for the Kip Williams-directed Sydney Theatre Company production The Picture of Dorian Gray, now playing on the West End until 11 May. The production also earned a Mithridate Award for Best Costume Design for Marg Horwell.

On receiving the award, Snook said: “It’s an incredible honour to be on the stage in the West End and this is not something that I thought would come along with that. It’s billed as a one woman show but it’s not. It’s the crew who are on stage with me all the time every night and they are a vital and constant support and inspirational. So, thank you to the crew for being there in this show with me. A huge immeasurable thank you to Kip Williams and your very big brain and your specificity and precision and your inspiration and I just I thank my lucky stars I get to play inside that mad world you’ve created every night.”

Sarah Snook in Sydney Theatre Company’s The Picture of Dorian Gray. Photo © Marc Brenner

Mark Gatiss, star of The Motive and the Cue, in which he played actor John Gielgud opposite Johnny Flynn’s Richard Burton, was judged Best Actor.

The revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard scored 11 nominations for the 2024 Awards. It did well on the night, winning in seven: the Sir Peter Hall Award for Best Director was awarded to Jamie Lloyd for his work on the show, while Nicole Scherzinger collected Best Actress in a Musical for her playing of Norma Desmond. Sunset Boulevard was judged Best Revival and its Musical Director Alan Williams received an award for Outstanding Musical Contribution. The show also collected awards for Best Sound Design (Adam Fisher) and Best Lighting (Jack Knowles).

The Award for Best New Musical was presented to Operation Mincemeat.

Mark Gatiss (left) and Johnny Flynn (right) in The Motive and the Cue at the National Theatre. Image supplied

The TAIT Award for Best New Opera was awarded to the Royal Opera House for Innocence (composed by the late Kaija Saariaho, with libretto by Sofi Oksanen). Antonio Pappano collected an award for Outstanding Achievement in Opera for his work as Musical Director or of the Royal Opera House.

Stranger Things: The First Shadow, a prequel to the Netflix series, won the Nöel Coward Award Best New Entertainment or Comedy Play award and an Olivier for Best Set Design.

Another prominent Australian nominee, Bluey’s Big Play, lost out to Dinosaur World Live for the Best Family Show award.

Dear England, James Graham’s play about the English national soccer team’s manager Gareth Southgate, received nine nominations and won two (Best New Play; Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Will Close).