The Laurence Olivier Award for Actor of the Year in a New Play was 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.
| Laurence Olivier Award for Actor of the Year in a New Play | |
|---|---|
| Awarded for | Actor of the Year in a New Play |
| Location |  England |
| Presented by | Society of London Theatre |
| First awarded | 1976 |
| Last awarded | 1988 |
| Website | officiallondontheatre |
This award was presented from 1976 to 1984, then in 1985 the award was combined with the Actor of the Year in a Revival award to create the Best Actor award. The original Actor of the Year in a New Play award returned one last time, for the 1988 ceremony.
Winners and nominees
edit1970s
edit| Year | Actor | Play | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | |||
| Paul Copley | For King and Country | Pte. Hamp | |
| Richard Beckinsale | Funny Peculiar | Trevor Tinsley | |
| Frank Finlay | Watch It Come Down and Weapons of Happiness | Ben Prosser / Josef Frank | |
| Alec McCowen | The Family Dance | Ben Musgrave | |
| 1977 | |||
| Michael Bryant | State of Revolution | Vladimir Lenin | |
| Colin Blakely | Just Between Ourselves | Dennis | |
| Alec Guinness | The Old Country | Hilary | |
| Ralph Richardson | The Kingfisher | The Author | |
| 1978 | |||
| Tom Conti | Whose Life is it Anyway? | Ken Harrison | |
| Gordon Chater | The Elocution of Benjamin Franklin | Robert O'Brien | |
| John Gielgud | Half-Life | Sir Noel Cunliffe | |
| Peter McEnery | The Jail Diary of Albie Sachs | Albie Sachs | |
| 1979 | |||
| Ian McKellen | Bent | Max | |
| Michael Gambon | Betrayal | Jerry | |
| Dinsdale Landen | Bodies | Mervyn | |
| John Standing | Close of Play | Benedict |
1980s
editSee also
editReferences
edit- London Theatre Guide (2008). "The Laurence Olivier Awards: Full List of Winners, 1976-2008" (.PDF). 1976-2008. The Society of London Theatre. p. 20. Retrieved 2008-08-30.