Monday, February 23, 2004

National Theater shows sweep 2004 Olivier Awards

LONDON (AP) - Britain's National Theater swept the 2004 Olivier Awards, London's equivalent of Broadway's Tonys, winning the top prizes for best new musical ("Jerry Springer - The Opera''), best new play ("The Pillowman,'' by Martin McDonagh) and best revival ("Mourning Becomes Electra,'' by Eugene O'Neill, in a four-and-a-half hour production directed by Howard Davies).

"Jerry Springer,'' a scabrous British musical take on the American TV phenomenon, won four prizes in all, including best musical and best actor for the American performer David Bedella, who plays Satan in the take-no-prisoners satirical show, which arrives on Broadway in spring 2005.

Trumping expected victor "Democracy,'' by Michael Frayn to take best play was another National Theater entry: the glitteringly ghoulish "The Pillowman,'' by Anglo-Irish writer Martin McDonagh.

McDonagh was one of many victors at the black-tie ceremony at London's Hilton Hotel not to accept his trophy in person.

Indeed, it took five prizes at Sunday night's ceremony before an actual winner was present: set designer William Dudley for his projection-heavy designs for the Terry Johnson play "Hitchcock Blonde,'' at the Royal Court and then on the West End.

Taking a surprising three awards was the Donmar premiere of Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman's Broadway musical "Pacific Overtures,'' which won best musical production and best choreographer (Karen Bruce), among other prizes.

The Donmar also nabbed the prize for best director of a play or musical for Michael Grandage's version of Albert Camus' rarely seen World War II play "Caligula.''

Best actor and actress in a play were both unexpected: TV name Matthew Kelly for a revival of the John Steinbeck play "Of Mice and Men,'' in which he is no longer appearing, and Dame Eileen Atkins for the London premiere of the Australian play "Honour'' by Joanna Murray-Smith.

Atkins is on Broadway for one more week in the William Nicholson play "The Retreat From Moscow.''

The night's sole standing ovation went to a second Dame of the British Empire, Judi Dench, for her overall career. Dench, now appearing in the West End in a rare revival of Shakespeare's "All's Well That Ends Well,'' was given the prize by Kevin Spacey, her co-star in the Hollywood film "The Shipping News.''

Spacey, a two-time Oscar-winner, could well be up for an Olivier next year, since he takes over the artistic directorship of the Old Vic Theater in London this fall.

Best actor and actress in a musical went to "Jerry Springer'"s Bedella and previous Olivier winner Maria Friedman, who played Mother in the short-lived London debut of the Broadway musical "Ragtime.''

Friedman will open later this year in the new Andrew Lloyd Webber musical "The Woman In White,'' based on the Wilkie Collins novel.

For the first time since 1981, the Oliviers were not shown on British television.

Perhaps because of the absence of TV cameras, the event was more freewheeling than usual, with various barbs directed against the BBC and winners allowed to speak more or less for as long as they liked, without worry of being cut off.

The Olivier awards are presented annually by The Society of London Theater to honor achievement in London theater, opera, and dance. - AP

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