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Olivier Awards nominations 2022: Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club leads the pack 

After a virtual ceremony in 2020 and no ceremony last year, the Olivier Awards are back this year with an in-person event, you may have heard. The nominations were announced today by Sam Tutty and Miriam Teak-Lee.

Some quick thoughts: Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club tops the Olivier Award nominations. The odds are in its favour. Lily Allen feels like a makeweight on this list – a so-so entry playing a hysterical wife in a contemporary haunted house-chiller. Where is Saoirse Ronan?

Frozen was mostly snubbed. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella was left out in the cold, with one nomination to its name: not even a nod for that fitful score. Back To The Future – The Musical, a new stage adaptation of the hit 1985 film, landed seven nominations, which was surprising.

On the play front, single nods for Anna X and The Shark is Broken feel kind of stingy. The ‘7 actors who play a tiger’ in Lolita Chakrabarti’s majestic Life of Pi nomination is amazing, the show secured 9 nods. 

Jessie Buckley photo credit: Marc Brenner

The Best Actress in a Musical must be the closest fought. Jessie Buckley gives a superb and utterly unique performance in Cabaret. Sutton Foster was totally totally mesmerising in Anything Goes. Not backing Anything Goes in the Best Revival of a Musical is a practically treasonable offence, but Cabaret inches into pole position on nearly every category. These two productions are toe-to-toe, so it will be interesting to see how this plays out. 

Anyway, let’s have a recap of the nominees plus a guide to who should win each category.

Cunard Best Revival

A Number at The Old Vic

Constellations – Donmar Warehouse at Vaudeville Theatre

The Normal Heart at National Theatre – Olivier

The Tragedy Of Macbeth at Almeida Theatre

Who should win: The Normal Heart 

Who will win: The Tragedy of Macbeth 

Noël Coward/Geoffrey Johnson Award for Best Entertainment or Comedy Play

The Choir Of Man at Arts Theatre

Pantoland At The Palladium at The London Palladium

Pride And Prejudice* (*Sort Of) at Criterion Theatre

The Shark Is Broken at Ambassadors Theatre

Who should win: Pride and Prejudice (*Sort of)  

Who will win: The Shark is Broken 

Magic Radio Best Musical Revival

Anything Goes at Barbican Theatre

Cabaret at The Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre

Spring Awakening at Almeida Theatre

Who should win: Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club   

Who will win: Anything Goes 

Best Costume Design

Jon Morrell for Anything Goes at Barbican Theatre

Christopher Oram for Frozen at Theatre Royal Drury Lane

Tom Scutt for Cabaret at The Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre

Catherine Zuber for Moulin Rouge! The Musical at Piccadilly Theatre

Who should win: Tom Scutt for Cabaret 

Who will win: Tom Scutt for Cabaret

Sutton Foster photo credit Tristram Kenton

d&b audiotechnik Award for Best Sound Design

Ian Dickinson for 2:22 A Ghost Story at Noël Coward Theatre

Carolyn Downing for Life Of Pi at Wyndham’s Theatre

Nick Lidster for Cabaret at The Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre

Gareth Owen for Back To The Future – The Musical at Adelphi Theatre

Who should win: Carolyn Downing for Life Of Pi at Wyndham’s Theatre

Who will win: Gareth Owen for Back To The Future – The Musical at Adelphi Theatre

Best Original Score or New Orchestrations

Anything Goes – New Orchestrations: Bill Elliott, David Chase and Rob Fisher at Barbican Theatre

Back To The Future – The Musical – Composers: Alan Silvestri and Glen Ballard; Orchestrations: Ethan Popp and Bryan Crook at Adelphi Theatre

Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical – Orchestrator: Simon Hale at Lyric Theatre

Life Of Pi – Composer: Andrew T. Mackay at Wyndham’s Theatre

Who should win: Anything Goes  

Who will win: Life of Pi   

Best Theatre Choreographer

Finn Caldwell for Life Of Pi at Wyndham’s Theatre

Julia Cheng for Cabaret at The Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre

Kathleen Marshall for Anything Goes at Barbican Theatre

Sonya Tayeh for Moulin Rouge! The Musical at Piccadilly Theatre

Who should win: Cabaret 

Who will win: Cabaret 

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

7 actors who play the Tiger for Life Of Pi at Wyndham’s Theatre

Dino Fetscher for The Normal Heart at National Theatre – Olivier

Nathaniel Parker for The Mirror And The Light at Gielgud Theatre

Danny Lee Wynter for The Normal Heart at National Theatre – Olivier

Who should win: 7 actors who play the Tiger

Who will win: Dino Fetscher

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

Tori Burgess for Pride And Prejudice* (*Sort Of) at Criterion Theatre

Liz Carr for The Normal Heart at National Theatre – Olivier

Christina Gordon for Pride And Prejudice* (*Sort Of) at Criterion Theatre

Akiya Henry for The Tragedy Of Macbeth at Almeida Theatre

Who should win: Tori Burgess

Who will win: Tori Burgess 

Blue-I Theatre Technology Award for Best Set Design

Tim Hatley for Design and Nick Barnes & Finn Caldwell for Puppets for Life Of Pi at Wyndham’s Theatre

Tim Hatley for Design and Finn Ross for Video Design for Back To The Future – The Musical at Adelphi Theatre

Derek McLane for Moulin Rouge! The Musical at Piccadilly Theatre

Tom Scutt for Cabaret at The Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre 

Who should win: Life of Pi 

Who will win: Life of Pi 

Life of Pi Photo: Johan Persson

White Light Award for Best Lighting Design

Neil Austin for Frozen at Theatre Royal Drury Lane

Isabella Byrd for Cabaret at The Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre

Tim Lutkin for Back To The Future – The Musical at Adelphi Theatre

Tim Lutkin and Andrzej Goulding for Life Of Pi at Wyndham’s Theatre

 Who should win: Cabaret 

Who will win: Frozen 

Best Actress In A Supporting Role In A Musical

Gabrielle Brooks for Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical at Lyric Theatre

Victoria Hamilton-Barritt for Cinderella at Gillian Lynne Theatre

Carly Mercedes Dyer for Anything Goes at Barbican Theatre

Liza Sadovy for Cabaret at The Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre

Who should win: Victoria Hamilton-Barritt

Who will win: Carly Mercedes Dyer

Best Actor In A Supporting Role In A Musical

Clive Carter for Moulin Rouge! The Musical at Piccadilly Theatre

Hugh Coles for Back To The Future – The Musical at Adelphi Theatre

Elliot Levey for Cabaret at The Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre

Gary Wilmot for Anything Goes at Barbican Theatre

Who should win: Elliot Levey 

Who will win: Elliot Levey 

Eddie Redmayne photo credit: Marc Brenner

Best Actor In A Musical

Olly Dobson for Back To The Future – The Musical at Adelphi Theatre

Arinzé Kene for Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical at Lyric Theatre

Robert Lindsay for Anything Goes at Barbican Theatre

Eddie Redmayne for Cabaret at The Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre

Who should win: Eddie Redmayne 

Who will win: Eddie Redmayne 

Best Actress In A Musical

Jessie Buckley for Cabaret at The Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre

Sutton Foster for Anything Goes at Barbican Theatre

Beverley Knight for The Drifters Girl at Garrick Theatre

Stephanie McKeon for Frozen at Theatre Royal Drury Lane

 Who should win: JESSIE BUCKLEY

Who will win: JESSIE BUCKLEY

Best Actress

Lily Allen for 2:22 A Ghost Story at Noël Coward Theatre

Sheila Atim for Constellations – Donmar Warehouse at Vaudeville Theatre

Emma Corrin for Anna X at Harold Pinter Theatre

Cush Jumbo for Hamlet at Young Vic

Who should win: Emma Corrin 

Who will win: Lily Allen 

Best Actor

Hiran Abeysekera for Life Of Pi at Wyndham’s Theatre

Ben Daniels for The Normal Heart at National Theatre – Olivier 

Omari Douglas for Constellations – Donmar Warehouse at Vaudeville Theatre

Charles Edwards for Best Of Enemies at Young Vic

 Who should win: Hiran Abeysekera

Who will win: Ben Daniels 

Sir Peter Hall Award for Best Director

Rebecca Frecknall for Cabaret at The Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre

Michael Longhurst for Constellations – Donmar Warehouse at Vaudeville Theatre

Kathleen Marshall for Anything Goes at Barbican Theatre

Max Webster for Life Of Pi at Wyndham’s Theatre

Who should win: Rebecca Frecknall 

Who will win: Rebecca Frecknall 

Outstanding Achievement in Affiliate Theatre

10 Nights at Bush Theatre

Folk at Hampstead Theatre Downstairs

The Invisible Hand at Kiln Theatre

Old Bridge at Bush Theatre

A Place For We at Park Theatre

Who should win: Folk at Hampstead Theatre Downstairs

Who will win: 10 Nights at Bush Theatre 

Best Family Show

Billionaire Boy at Garrick Theatre

Dragons And Mythical Beasts at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

What The Ladybird Heard at Palace Theatre

Wolf Witch Giant Fairy at Royal Opera House – Linbury Theatre

Who should win: Billionaire Boy at Garrick Theatre

Who will win: Billionaire Boy at Garrick Theatre

Best New Play

2:22 A Ghost Story at Noël Coward Theatre

Best Of Enemies at Young Vic

Cruise at Duchess Theatre

Life Of Pi at Wyndham’s Theatre

Who should win: Cruise 

Who will win: Best of Enemies 

Mastercard Best New Musical

Back To The Future – The Musical at Adelphi Theatre

The Drifters Girl at Garrick Theatre

Frozen at Theatre Royal Drury Lane

Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical at Lyric Theatre

Moulin Rouge! The Musical at Piccadilly Theatre

Who should win: Moulin Rouge! 

Who will win: Moulin Rouge!  

And there we have it. 

The 2022 Olivier Awards take place on Sunday April 10 at the Royal Albert Hall.