Lesley Manville and John Lithgow proudly accepted the award for Best Actor and Actress at the 2025 Olivier Awards on Sunday night.
English actress Lesley, 69, received the coveted gong for her part in Oedipus at Wyndham’s Theatre.
Hollywood legend John Lithgow, 79, was handed the Best Actor award for his role in Giant.
Conclave star John plays Roald Dahl in Giant, a play which puts the author in the dock for his uncomfortable views.
Tearing up as he accepted the award, John said: ‘I’m going to faint. I can’t tell you how much this means to me. Giant is one of the best experiences I have ever had on stage.’
Mark Rosenblatt’s West End show Giant come out on top, sweeping the board with three impressive gongs including Best New Play.
Lesley Manville, 69, and John Lithgow, 79, proudly accepted the award for Best Actor and Actress at the 2025 Olivier Awards on Sunday night
English actress Lesley received the coveted gong for her part in Oedipus at Wyndham’s Theatre
Romola Garai, 42, who also stars in Giant, beamed as she posed with her Best Actress In A Supporting Role gong for her role in The Years
Mark Rosenblatt’s West End show Giant swept the board with three impressive gongs including Best New Play (pictured with Elizabeth Debicki and Ewan McGregor)
Giant received another win as Elliot Levey, 51, was awarded the Best Actor In A Supporting Role.
Romola Garai, 42, beamed as she posed with her Best Actress In A Supporting Role gong for her role in The Years.
Idris Elba proudly posed with winner Sam Grabiner after presenting him with a gong for Best New Production in an Affiliate Theatre for Boys On The Verge Of Tears.
Cate Blanchett and Tom Burke posed with Robert Icke after he accepted the award for Best Revival for Oedipus.
Imelda Staunton won Best Actress in a musical for her role in Hello, Dolly!, while Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical went to Maimuna Memon for Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812 at Donmar Warehouse.
The Olivier Awards is a particularly star-studded occasion this year, after a number of Hollywood veterans received nominations.
Hosted by Beverley Knight and Billy Porter at the Royal Albert Hall on April 6, the glitzy awards celebrate the best of London’s West End.
Adrien Brody, John Lithgow and Billy Crudup battled it out in the Best Actor category against English stars Paapa Essiedu and Mark Strong.
Olivier Awards 2025: WINNERS AT A GLANCE
Best Actor: John Lithgow – Giant
Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Elliot Levey – Giant
Best New Play: Giant
Best Actress: Lesley Manville – Oedipus
Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Romola Garai – The Years
Best Revival: Oedipus
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Hollywood legend John Lithgow was handed the Best Actor award for his role in Giant
Tom Hiddleston and Hayley Atwell presented John’s coveted gong
Giant received another win as Elliot Levey, 51, was awarded the Best Actor In A Supporting Role
Conclave star John received an award for his portrayal of Roald Dahl in Giant, a play which puts the author in the dock for his uncomfortable views (pictured with Romola and Elliot)
Romola couldn’t wipe the smile off her face as she proudly posed with her award
She looked incredibly in a satin floral pink gown
Winners Elliot and Romola shared a sweet embrace in the winner’s room
She was presented with the award by Martin Freeman and Celia Imrie
Idris Elba proudly posed with winner Sam Grabiner after presenting him with a gong for Best New Production in an Affiliate Theatre for Boys On The Verge Of Tears
Robert Icke accepted the award for Best Revival for Oedipus (pictured with Cate Blanchett and Tom Burke)
The winner’s room saw the likes of Celia Imrie and Martin Freeman (pictured L-R)
Idris appeared in incredibly high spirits as he took his seat
He larked around and posed for some polaroids before heading back to his seat
Tom Hiddleston and Hayley Atwell, who star in their new play Much Ado About Nothing together, reunited at the awards
Adrian was seen arm in arm with his supportive girlfriend Georgina Chapman after losing out on Best Actor
Adrian caught up with Ewan McGregor backstage
Dawn O’Porter and her Irish husband Chris O’Dowd took their seats
Other British stars up for stage gongs include Strictly’s Layton Williams, comedian Meera Syal and three-time Olivier Award winner Sharon D. Clarke.
Meanwhile the revival of Joseph Stein’s musical Fiddler On The Roof has garnered the most nods with 13 total nominations.
New productions Giant and The Years have tied for most nominated play with five nods each.
Manville and Strong have both been nominated for the top gongs for their roles in a retelling of the father-killing, mother-loving king of Thebes, Oedipus.
Conclave star Lithgow received his nod for his portrayal of Roald Dahl in Giant, a play which puts the author in the dock for his uncomfortable views.
The play examines the fallout from revolting anti-Semitic insinuations he made in 1983 in a review of a book – God Cried – by Tony Clifton and Catherine Leroy, about the bombing of Lebanon the previous year.
Meanwhile Brody’s nomination is for his role in The Fear Of 13, which ran at the Donmar Warehouse last year and is based on Nick Yarrow’s memoir about being incarcerated on death row in America for 22 years.
The Best Actress categories are equally as star-studded, with Imelda Staunton receiving a nod for her leading role in the musical Hello, Dolly!
Meanwhile Lesley Manville has been nominated for an ‘explosive’ thriller retelling of Oedipus – in which she starred opposite Strong last year
Hosts Beverley and Billy will be joined on stage by a star-studded line-up of presenters for various awards.
The stars presenting awards include Cate Blanchett, Naomi Campbell, Elizabeth Debicki, Tom Hiddleston, Idris Elba, Martin Freeman and Ewan McGregor.
Ahead of hosting the show, singer Beverley said: ‘What’s priceless to me is the joy, the sheer joy of being able to celebrate wonderful people and great talent.’
Her co-host and Cabaret star Billy added: ‘The celebration of theatre, the celebration of this community that’s unlike any other.’
ITV will air a highlights programme on Sunday featuring some of the awards and performances at 10.15pm on ITV1 and STV, before becoming available on ITVX.
One of the performance audiences are set to be treated to is from Les Miserables to celebrate the show’s 40th anniversary.
TikTok is also returning to host the Green Carpet coverage as the official mobile entertainment platform.
Olivier awards 2025: Full list of winners
Best Actress
Heather Agyepong – Shifters
Lesley Manville for Oedipus – WINNER
Rosie Sheehy for Machinal
Meera Syal for A Tupperware Of Ashes
Indira Varma for Oedipus
Best Actress in a Musical
Chumisa Dornford-May for Natasha, Pierre & The great Comet Of 1812
Lauren Drew for тιтanique
Clare Foster for The Curious Case Of Benjamin ʙuттon
Lara Pulver for Fiddler On The Roof
Imelda Staunton for Hello, Dolly! – WINNER
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Sharon D. Clarke for The Importance Of Being Earnest
Romola Garai for Giant
Romola Garai for The Years – WINNER
Gina McKee for The Years
Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical
Liv Andrusier for Fiddler On The Roof
Amy Di Bartolomeo for The Devil Wears Prada
Beverley Klein for Fiddler On The Roof
Maimuna Memon for Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet Of 1812 – WINNER
Best New Musical
The Curious Case Of Benjamin ʙuттon – WINNER
MJ The Musical
Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet Of 1812
Why Am I So Single?
Best Revival
The Importance of Being Earnest
Machinal
Oedipus – WINNER
Waiting For Godot
Sir Peter Hall Award For Best Director
Eline Arbo for The Years – WINNER
Jordan Fein for Fiddler On The Roof
Nicholas Hytner for Giant
Robert Icke for Oedipus
Best Lighting Design
Paule Constable & Ben Jacobs for Oliver! – WINNER
Howard Hudson for Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet Of 1812
Howard Hudson for Starlight Express
Aideen Malone for Fiddler On The Roof
Outstanding Achievement in Opera
Aigul Akhmetshina for her performance in Carmen
Allan Clayton for his performance in Festen – WINNER
Jung Young-doo for his direction of Lear
Best New Production in Affiliate Theatre
Animal Farm at Theatre Royal Stratford East by George Orwell, adapted by Tatty Hennessy
Boys On The Verge Of Tears by Sam Grabiner at Soho Theatre – WINNER
English by Sanaz Toossi at Kiln Theatre
Now, I See by Lanre Malaolu at Theatre Royal Stratford East
What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank by Nathan Englander at Marylebone Theatre
Oustanding Achievement In Dance
Sarah Chun for her performance in Three Short Ballets
Tom Visser for his lighting design of Angels’ Atlas as part of Frontiers: Choreographers Of Canada – Pite/Kudelka/Portner
Eva Yerbabuena for her performance in Yerbagüena – WINNER
Best Costume Design
Hugh Durrant for Robin Hood
Sachiko Nakahara for Spirited Away
Tom Scutt for Fiddler On The Roof
Gabriella Slade for Starlight Express – WINNER
Noël Coward Award for Best New Entertainment or Comedy Play
Ballet Shoes adapted by Kendall Feaver
Inside No. 9 Stage/Fright by Steve Pemberton & Reece Shearsmith
Spirited Away adapted by John Caird & co-adapted by Maoko Imai
тιтanique by Tye Blue, Marla Mindelle & Constantine Rousouli – WINNER
Best Actor
Adrien Brody for The Fear Of 13
Billy Crudup for Harry Clarke
Paapa Essiedu for Death Of England: Delroy
John Lithgow for Giant – WINNER
Mark Strong for Oedipus
Best Actor in a Musical
John Dagleish for The Curious Case Of Benjamin ʙuттon – WINNER
Adam Dannheisser for Fiddler On The Roof
Myles Frost for MJ The Musical
Simon Lipkin for Oliver!
Jamie Muscato for Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet Of 1812
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Jorge Bosch for Kyoto
Tom Edden for Waiting For Godot
Elliot Levey for Giant – WINNER
Ben Whishaw for Bluets
Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical
Andy Nyman for Holly, Dolly!
Raphael Papo for Fiddler On The Roof
Layton Williams for тιтanique – WINNER
Tom Xander for Mean Girls
Best New Play
The Fear Of 13
Giant – WINNER
Kyoto
Shifters
The Years
Best Musical Revival
Fiddler On The Roof – WINNER
Hello, Dolly!
Oliver!
Starlight Express
Best Set Design
Jon Bausor for Set, Toby Olié & Daisy Beattie for Puppetry and Satoshi Kuriyama for Projection for Spirited Away at London Coliseum
Frankie Bradshaw for Ballet Shoes at National Theatre – Olivier
Es Devlin for Coriolanus at National Theatre – Olivier
Tom Scutt for Fiddler On The Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre – WINNER
Best New Opera Production
Duke Bluebeard’s Castle by English National Opera
Festen by The Royal Opera – WINNER
L’Olimpiade by Irish National Opera & The Royal Opera
The Tales Of Hoffmann by The Royal Opera
Best Family Show
Brainiac Live – WINNER
Maddie Moate’s Very Curious Christmas
The Nutcracker
Rough Magic
Best New Dance Production
ᴀssembly Hall by Kidd Pivot, Crystal Pite & Jonathon Young – WINNER
Frontiers: Choreographers Of Canada – Pite/Kudelka/Portner by The National Ballet Of Canada
Theatre Of Dreams by Hofesh Shechter Company
An Unтιтled Love by A.I.M by Kyle Abraham
Best Theatre Choreographer
Matthew Bourne for Oliver!
Julia Cheng for Fiddler On The Roof
Hofesh Shechter for Oedipus
Christopher Wheeldon for MJ The Musical – WINNER
Best Sound Design
Nick Lidster for Fiddler On The Roof – WINNER
Christopher Shutt for Oedipus
Thijs van Vuure for The Years
Koichi Yamamoto for Spirited Away
Outstanding Musical Contribution
Mark Aspinall for Musical Supervision & Additional Orchestrations for Fiddler On The Roof
Darren Clark for Music Supervision, Orchestrations & Arrangements and Mark Aspinall for Musical Direction, Music Supervision, Orchestrations & Arrangements for The Curious Case Of Benjamin ʙuттon – WINNER
Dave Malloy for Orchestrations and Nicholas Skilbeck for Musical Supervision for Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet Of 1812
Asaf Zohar for Compositions and Gavin Sutherland for Dance Arrangements & Orchestration for Ballet Shoes
