Laurence Olivier Award for Best Family Show

Laurence Olivier Award
for Best Family Show
Awarded forBest Family Show
Location England
Presented bySociety of London Theatre
First awarded1991
Currently held byDinosaur World Live by Derek Bond (2024)
Websiteofficiallondontheatre.com/olivier-awards/ Edit this at Wikidata

The Laurence Olivier Award for Best Family Show is an annual award presented by the Society of London Theatre in recognition of achievements in commercial London theatre. The awards were established as the Society of West End Theatre Awards in 1976, and renamed in 1984 in honour of English actor and director Laurence Olivier.

The award was introduced in 1991, as Best Entertainment, was renamed Best Entertainment and Family in 2012, and changed to its current name in 2020 – when "Entertainment" was moved to join Best Comedy Play on the renamed Best Entertainment or Comedy Play.

Winners and nominees

1990s

Year Production Writer
1991
Five Guys Named Moe Clarke Peters
An Evening with Peter Ustinov Peter Ustinov
Victoria Wood Up West Victoria Wood
1992
Talking Heads Alan Bennett
A Tribute to the Blues Brothers Con O'Neill
Lavishly Mounted Kit Hesketh-Harvey and Richard Sisson
Tango Argentino Claudio Segovia and Hector Orezzoli
1993
Travels with My Aunt Graham Greene and Giles Havergal
Ennio Marchetto Ennio Marchetto and Sosthen Hennekam
The Blue Angel Pam Gems
The Invisible Man Ken Hill
1994
A Christmas Carol Patrick Stewart
Jamais Vu Ken Campbell
January Sale Kit and The Widow
Stomp Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas
1995
By Special Arrangement Maria Friedman
Fascinating Aïda Dillie Keane, Adele Anderson and Issy Van Randwyck
Juggle and Hyde The Flying Karamazov Brothers
Jack - A Night On the Town with John Barrymore Nicol Williamson and Leslie Megahey
1998
Slava's Snowshow Slava Polunin
Maureen Lipman, Live and Kidding Maureen Lipman
Marlene Pam Gems
She Knows You Know Jean Fergusson
1999
Do You Come Here Often? The Right Size
Much Ado About Everything Jackie Mason
Steve Coogan is the Man who Thinks He's It Steve Coogan and Henry Normal
Shakespeare's Villains: A Masterclass in Evil Steven Berkoff

2000s

Year Production Writer
2000
Defending the Caveman Rob Becker
Al Murray - The Pub Landlord Al Murray
Barefaced Chic Fascinating Aida
Soul Train Mark Clements and Michael Vivian
2002
Shockheaded Peter Julian Bleach, Anthony Cairns, Graeme Gilmour and Tamzin Griffin
The Pub Landlord - My Gaff, My Rules Al Murray
Barbara Cook Sings Mostly Sondheim Barbara Cook
The League of Gentlemen Jeremy Dyson, Mark Gatiss, Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith
The Vagina Monologues Eve Ensler
2003
Play Without Words Matthew Bourne
Contact Susan Stroman and John Weidman
Elaine Stritch at Liberty John Lahr and Elaine Stritch
Rory Bremner with John Bird and John Fortune Rory Bremner
2004
Duckie's C'est Barbican! Ursula Martinez, Christopher Green and Marisa Carnesky
Jus' Like That John Fisher
My Brilliant Divorce Geraldine Aron
One Last Flutter Fascinating Aïda
The Rat Pack: Live From Las Vegas Mitch Sebastian, Paul Walden and Derek Nicol
2006
Something Wicked This Way Comes Derren Brown
Blue Man Group Blue Man Group
Ducktastic The Right Size
2009
La Clique La Clique
Brief Encounter Noël Coward
Maria Friedman: Rearranged Maria Friedman

2010s

Year Production Writer
2010
Morecambe Tim Whitnall
Arturo Brachetti: Change Sean Foley
Derren Brown: Enigma Derren Brown and Andy Nyman
2011
The Railway Children Mike Kenny
Beauty and the Beast Lucy Kirkwood
Ghost Stories Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman
Potted Panto Daniel Clarkson and Jefferson Turner
2012
Svengali Derren Brown
Midnight Tango Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace
Potted Potter Daniel Clarkson and Jefferson Turner
The Tiger Who Came to Tea David Wood
2013
Goodnight Mister Tom David Wood
Cinderella: A Fairytale Sally Cookson
Hansel and Gretel Lucy Kirkwood
Room on the Broom Tall Stories Theatre Company
2014
The Wind in the Willows Will Tuckett
Derren Brown: Infamous Derren Brown
Eat, Pray, Laugh! Barry Humphries
Eric and Little Ern Jonty Stephens and Ian Ashpitel
2015
La Soirée Brett Haylock, Mick Perrin and Mark Rubinstein
Dance 'til Dawn Andrew Guerdat and Steven Kreinberg
Hetty Feather Jacqueline Wilson and Emma Reeves
2016
Showstopper N/A
Alice's Adventures Underground Anthony Spargo and Oliver Lansley
The Lorax Dr. Seuss
I Want My Hat Back Jon Klassen
Peter Pan J. M. Barrie
2017
The Red Shoes Matthew Bourne
Cinderella Michael Harrison
David Baddiel – My Family: Not the Sitcom David Baddiel
Peter Pan J.M. Barrie (devised by the company)
2018
Dick Whittington Alan McHugh
David Walliam's Gangsta Granny Neal Foster
Derren Brown: Underground Derren Brown
Five Guys Named Moe Clarke Peters
2019
A Monster Calls Patrick Ness (devised by the company)
Snow White Michael Harrison
Songs for Nobodies Joanna Murray-Smith
The Wider Earth David Morton

2020s

Year Production Writer
2020
The Worst Witch Emma Reeves
Mr Gum and the Dancing Bear Jim Fortune (music) and Andy Stanton (lyrics and book)
Oi Frogs and Friends Emma Earle, Zoe Squire, Luke Bateman and Richy Hughes
To the Moon and Back Paula Manning
2021 Not presented due to extended closing of theatre productions during COVID-19 pandemic[A]
2022[A]
Wolf Witch Giant Fairy Little Bulb (Clare Beresford, Dominic Conway and Alexander Scott)
Billionaire Boy Neal Foster
Dragons and Mythical Beasts Derek Bond
What the Ladybird Heard Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks
2023
Hey Duggee the Live Theatre Show Vikki Stone & Matthew Xia
Blippi the Musical
Midsummer Mechanicals Ben Hales & Kerry Frampton
The Smartest Giant in Town Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler, adapted by Barb Jungr & Samantha Lane
2024
Dinosaur World Live Derek Bond, Laura Cubitt & Max Humphries
Bluey's Big Play Joe Brumm
The House with Chicken Legs Sophie Anderson, adapted by Oliver Lansley
The Smeds and the Smoos Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler, adapted by Tall Stories
  1. ^ a b Due to late March 2020[1] to late July 2021[2] closing of London theatre productions during the COVID-19 pandemic in England, the 2022 awards recognise productions that launched anytime from February 2020 to February 2022[3]

See also

References

  1. ^ Johnson, The Rt Hon Boris, MP (2020-03-23). Prime Minister's statement on coronavirus (COVID-19): 23 March 2020 [transcript] (Speech). Prime Minister's Televised Speech to the United Kingdom. www.gov.uk. London, UK. Archived from the original on 2020-06-09. Retrieved 2022-04-25. From this evening I must give the British people a very simple instruction — you must stay at home.{{cite speech}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ McPhee, Ryan (2021-06-14). "U.K. Postpones Reopening Roadmap; West End Theatres Will No Longer Reopen in Full in June". Playbill. Archived from the original on 2021-06-14. Retrieved 2022-04-25. Step 4 of the roadmap will allow productions to play without capacity restrictions. June 21 was the goal; now, the government is eyeing July 19.
  3. ^ Thomas, Sophie (2022-03-08). "Everything you need to know about the Olivier Awards". londontheatre.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2022-04-11. Retrieved 2022-04-25. Any new production that opened between 19 Feb. 2020 to 22 Feb. 2022 are eligible for categories in the 2022 Olivier Awards. With two years worth of shows set for honours in one year's ceremony, the 2022 Olivier Awards will prove tougher competition than before.