Paddington The Musical was the evening’s most celebrated production at the Olivier Awards in London on Sunday, taking home seven prizes at Britain’s premier theatre awards. The stage version, drawn from Michael Bond’s children’s books and the 2014 film, follows the marmalade-loving bear - a refugee from Peru who receives his name from the London station where he is found.
With music and lyrics by Tom Fletcher, the show won several of the ceremony’s top categories, including best new musical and best director. The accolade for best actor in a musical was awarded jointly to the two performers who share the role of Paddington - one on stage and one providing the off-stage voice.
In their joint acceptance remarks, James Hameed, who supplies Paddington’s off-stage voice, and Arti Shah, who performs the bear on stage, linked the character’s qualities to a broader message. "With everything that is happening in this world there will be further displaced people, please be welcoming, accepting and helpful to those people and treat them as you would if you were Paddington himself," they said. "Paddington reminds us to be welcoming, inquisitive and most importantly kind."
Paddington and Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods led the evening’s nominations, each receiving 11 nods. Into the Woods, a revival that brings together Brothers Grimm characters in Sondheim’s musical, secured the award for best musical revival.
New writing was also recognised: Punch, a play based on a real-life fatal punch, won best new play. The ceremony honoured multiple standout performances across genres and generations of stage work.
Rachel Zegler, who starred in Snow White, was awarded best actress in a musical for her portrayal of Argentine first lady Eva Peron in Evita. Zegler performed the show’s signature number, "Don’t Cry For Me Argentina," live from a balcony outside the theatre during the event. After accepting the award, she said, "Thank you so much to the city of London for making me feel so welcome here. I never could have imagined it. It was the honour of a lifetime singing to the people of Argyll Street eight times a week. I can’t believe I got so lucky."
Rosamund Pike received the best actress award for her role in legal drama Inter Alia. In the men’s acting categories, Jack Holden was named best actor for the true-crime thriller play Kenrex, prevailing over nominees including Tom Hiddleston, known for Loki, and Bryan Cranston, known for Breaking Bad.
A new staging of Arthur Miller’s All My Sons won best revival, and Paapa Essiedu earned best supporting actor for his role in that production. The ceremony noted Essiedu’s association with an upcoming television project by referencing that he plays Professor Snape in the forthcoming Harry Potter television series.
The Olivier Awards, named after actor Laurence Olivier and first presented in 1976, are considered Britain’s foremost theatrical honours. This year’s ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall also celebrated several institutional milestones: the 50th anniversary of the awards themselves, plus special performances recognising 40 years of Phantom of the Opera and 20 years of Wicked.
In addition to competitive prizes, veteran musical theatre performer Elaine Paige was given a special award in recognition of her defining contribution to musical theatre.
Key details at a glance
- Paddington The Musical - seven awards including best new musical, best director and shared best actor in a musical.
- Into the Woods - tied for most nominations (11) and won best musical revival.
- Punch - won best new play; Rachel Zegler won best actress in a musical for Evita; Rosamund Pike won best actress for Inter Alia; Jack Holden won best actor for Kenrex.