February 18, 2007

Feature by Mary Couzens – Editor of EXTRA! EXTRA!

No Hollywood beams pierced the night sky as we made our way through the press entrance of the Grosvenor House Hotel for the 31 st Olivier Awards. This year marked our first foray into the inner sanctum as press and our first trip to the awards since 2003, when the yearly ceremony, then held at Lyceum Theatre, was last open to the public.

Inside, we snaked our way to the press desk in the lobby of the banqueting hall where the ceremony was to be held. No dining tables were visible, but photographers were in abundance as someone excitedly announced that, ‘Tamsin has arrived,' referring, of course, to Tamsin Greig, who was nominated for best actress in a play. Rather breathless clarification indicated that the actress' car had just pulled up outside of the hotel as we were hurriedly shown to the pressroom situated one floor above the hall. Badges in place, we entered a rather small room with two large plasma screens down front, a sea of lap-topped reporters in the centre and the all important Olivier Awards backdrop and microphones at the back, where the winners would stand for photo ops and interview questions. I'd done my fair share of reviewing around town over the past year and a half and even composed the odd interview or two. However, most of the articles that I had written had sprung from real time thinking accompanied by memory jogging notes and the interviews I had done had all been performed online - idiosyncrasies born more from lack of equipment funding than initiative. As it had only been confirmed that we were actually going to the awards a couple of days before, I'd been busily completing reviews and engaging with life's multitudinous little dramas. However, not knowing what to expect, I decided to take the philosophical approach. So, after reminding myself that I had come there to cover the awards ceremony itself, I settled down to wait for the show to begin. I didn't have to wait long. The twin screens sputtered to life, albeit out of synch, as the picture and sound didn't match, but the show was underway and I was there. And where I was in that moment was definitely the place to be in London that night!

Society of London Theatres President Rosemary Squires made an introduction, in which she honoured, amongst others, recently deceased actor Ian Richardson, and in closing made mention of the fact that London leads the world in terms of theatre ticket sales. Hosts Richard Wilson and Sue Johnston then lead things off with plenty of jokes and jibes. Typically droll Wilson quipped that ‘The Olivier Awards are an important date in an actors diary, in fact in some actors diary, they are the only date.' The ever-popular actor is set to star in yet another Bush Theatre West End transfer, Whipping It Up, which begins its run at New Ambassadors on February 22 nd . He just smiled gamely as Johnston referred to him as ‘Russell Brand with a bus pass.'

Richard Olivier was there to commemorate the one hundredth anniversary of his famed father's birth with some of the actor's world-wise quotes on the art of acting. One of the most memorable amongst them was as follows, ‘…you must present a mirror, an echo. You must take care of the play and the genius will take care of itself.'

A group rendition of ‘Everyone's a Little Bit Racist Sometime' from the musical Avenue Q was an early highlight, quickly quieting those who murmured ‘Bring back Kermit' supposedly, under their breath at its outset. Songs from two of the other nominated musicals, Caroline or Change and The Sound of Music intermittently followed, with operatic diva Lesley Garrett doing the honours on ‘Climb Every Mountain . ' Shelia Hancock picked up a supporting actress award for Cabaret. Upon accepting it, she commented that she'd had her misgivings about taking the role, until a friend advised her to ‘Just get on the stage and you'll get an award.' The popular musical also won an award for its Choreographer, Javier De Frutos. However, Sunday in the Park with George, which began its life at the Menier Chocolate Factory in Bankside, went on to garner the lion's share of awards in the category, including Outstanding Musical Production.

The Royal Ballet garnered the award for Best New Dance Production with their production Chroma and Carlos Acosta won the Best Achievement in Dance award for ‘his programme of work and his performances and Sadler's Wells.'

One of the first big winners to enter the pressroom was the aforementioned Tamsin Greig who had jubilantly accepted the Best Actress award for her feisty yet vulnerable Beatrice in RSC's lively production of Much Ado About Nothing . The smiling actress was accompanied by none other than ex- Miami Vicer Don Johnson, who is now playing Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls . After pooh-poohing the notion that she'd actually ‘peed her pants' in a borrowed frock as she'd gleefully suggested in her good natured acceptance speech, she and Johnson swapped wise cracks and she posed for photo, after photo after photo. Following what seemed like endless glamour shots, the actress was gracious enough to pose for this photo with yours truly, especially for the readers of EXTRA! EXTRA!

Yours truly and Olivier Award Winning Actress Tamsin Greig

Photo courtesy of John Couzens – EXTRA! EXTRA!

Actor Rufus Sewell was not there to claim his award for his role in Tom Stoppard's Rock n' Roll , the Royal Court transfer currently running at the Duke of York, as he was off in Saskatchewan making a film. However, acclaimed director Trevor Nunn, whose production of Gershwin's Porgy and Bess is enjoying a lengthily run at the Savoy Theatre, accepted the award on his behalf. Nunn, whose own production received several nominations, arrived in our vicinity with Sex and the City star Kim Cattrall. When asked what she does in London in her spare time, Cattrall quipped that she ‘goes to the theatre,' citing a trip to see RSC's Antony and Cleopatra as one of her most recent theatrical jaunts .

Trevor Nunn and Kim Cattrall

Photo courtesy of John Couzens – EXTRA! EXTRA!

The Society's ‘Special Award' went to Sir John Tomlinson, who sings with the Royal Opera and the ENO and has appeared with all of the major British Opera Companies. The singer, who was knighted during the Queen's Birthday Honours in 2005, makes his next appearance in London at the Proms on August 12 th at the Royal Albert Hall.

After a stimulating first half, I headed for the luxurious toilets, only to find myself amongst several sequin- studded starlets from the lower level, who spoke in hushed tones after spying my press badge. I can honestly say that, apart from the army of male and female waiting staff poised to serve dinner to the lauded and guests below, I was the only woman I saw wearing trousers that evening! As John and I took to the balcony, the artificially floral scent of the deluxe toilets was quickly replaced by that of collective streams of butter, wafting up our nostrils as we appraised the football field sized banquet room below. Huge glittering chandeliers competed with rotating blue lights shooting beams in an upwardly spiral motion. And seemingly endless round tables, adorned with white cloths topped with circular mirrored centrepieces, gave the impression that if you slipped, you might just fall through a looking glass!

Photo courtesy of John Couzens – EXTRA! EXTRA!

We returned momentarily to the pressroom, only to discover that in our absence, a large bowl of fruit had been brought in as a follow up to the sandwiches that had preceded it. But oh, how we longed to partake of the sumptuous banquet the diners below were so obviously enjoying! By the time the nominees and winners were savouring their post dinner chocolates, my mouth was watering…for the second half of the show, for which we'd wisely taken up residence along the balcony ledge.

A spirited response greeted the announcement that Pied Piper at Theatre Royal, Stratford East had won the award for Outstanding Achievement at an ‘Affiliate' Theatre - fringe theatre to us. The famed venue, in bygone years associated with the inimitable Joan Littlewood, had also been nominated for its ‘powerful season of provocative work, reaching new audiences,' granting it two out of the four nominations in its category. A similarly enthusiastic response met the news that Dominic Cooke had been voted Best Director for The Crucible at the Gieguld, which later won Best Revival as well. During the course of his acceptance speech, the director paid tribute to the ‘righteous anger' in the soul of the late playwright Arthur Miller.

Olivier Award Winning Director Dominic Cooke

Photo courtesy of Charlie Hopkinson - Society of London Theatre

David and Richard Alden, American twins who are both acclaimed, international Opera Directors entertained the audience with their quick-witted bantering. Each had directed ENO productions that were nominated this year, though David came out the winner with Jenufa , as opposed to his brother's Orfeo . The award-winner refuted claims that the ENO has been diminished in any way by its recent troubles, reiterating that, on the contrary, the company is not only very much alive and well, but busily producing world-class operas! Alden went on to praise the crew who make the operas work, as well as ENO management and all concerned. Jenufa scored another win with Amanda Roocroft's accolade for Outstanding Achievement. The singer also stressed the importance of the support of the ENO ‘family.'

This operatic foray was followed by a wonderfully emotive duet from the two stars of Trevor Nunn's production of Gershwin's Porgy and Bess . The vigorous applause afterwards only strengthened my resolve to see the production a.s.a.p. John Buchan's The 39 Steps seemed a very popular choice in the New Comedy Category. And playwright David Harrower, whose Blackbird won the award for Best New Play, said he hoped that ‘a new generation of playwrights come and take the West End by storm.'

The National Theatre added to the growing list of awards its productions lay claim to with actor Jim Norton's win for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Conor McPherson's play The Seafarer. Like many before him, the actor thanked various people, amongst them the playwright and fellow cast members. The production, originally staged at the Lyttleton, is now on tour. Gareth Fry had already been honoured for Best Sound Design for Waves, the play based on a novel by Virginia Woolf at the Cottlesloe Theatre, as had Alison Chitty for her Costume Design on The Voysey Inheritance at the Lyttleton.

Musical stars Jenna Russell and Daniel Evans sang a lovely duet from Sunday in the Park with George, after which each was honoured with Olivier Awards for their acting in the multi prize winning musical. Russell broke up the audience with some spontaneous expletives before launching into one about how lovely her fellow nominees are (apparently they'd all been out together on the Friday) and how much she loves her partner.

Olivier Award Winning actors Jenna Russell and Daniel Evans

Photo courtesy of Charlie Hopkinson - Society of London Theatre

Caroline, or Change, at the Lyttleton Theatre won the final award of the evening – Best New Musical. Lastly, but certainly not least, a final, vigorous round of applause was directed at the versatile musicians, seated on a platform above the stage.

After all was said and done, the round tables were emptying as well wishers rushed to congratulate the winners. What had been most striking was perhaps, the fact that most of the award winners, despite their accolades, seemed to be extremely humble. And I must admit that it was a humbling experience being at the Olivier Awards, as they reminded us that theatre, like life, is a collaborative effort.

Photo courtesy of John Couzens – EXTRA! EXTRA!

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