Olivier Awards 2023: My Neighbour Totoro, Paul Mescal and Jodie Comer triumph

The awards recognise the best in the UK capital’s theatre scene annually

Jodie Comer won the award for Best Actress for Prima Facie at the Olivier Awards. Reuters

The stage adaptation of the 1998 Studio Ghibli film My Neighbour Totoro, Academy Award-nominated actor Paul Mescal and Killing Eve actress Jodie Comer were among the big winners at the 2023 Olivier Awards.

The Laurence Olivier Awards, known as the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise the best in the UK capital’s theatre scene. This year's ceremony took place at the Royal Albert Hall on Sunday.

My Neighbour Totoro, a Royal Shakespeare Company's adaptation shown at the Barbican Theatre, picked up six awards — the Noel Coward Award for Best Entertainment or Comedy Play, Best Costume Design, Best Sound Design, Best Set Design and Best Lighting Design. The play’s director, Phelim McDermott, also won the Sir Peter Hall Award for Best Director.

Mescal won the Best Actor award for A Streetcar Named Desire, a production at Almeida Theatre. The actor, who was nominated for an Oscar for his performance in Aftersun, beat Tom Hollander for Patriots, Rafe Spall for To Kill a Mockingbird, David Tennant for Good and Giles Terera for Blues for An Alabama Sky.

Comer won the best actress award for Prima Facie at the Harold Pinter Theatre. She was competing for the prize against Patsy Ferran for A Streetcar Named Desire, Mei Mac for My Neighbour Totoro, Janet McTeer for Phaedra, and Nicola Walker for The Corn is Green.

Prima Facie also won the award for Best New Play. Hey Duggee: The Live Theatre Show at Royal Festival Hall won the award for Best Family Show. Matt Cole won the Gillian Lynne Award for Best Theatre Choreographer for his work on Newsies.

A Streetcar Named Desire was named winner of the Best Revival award, whereas Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! at the Young Vic won the Best Musical Revival Award.

Richard Hawley and Tom Deering won the award for Best Original Score or New Orchestrations for Standing at the Sky’s Edge at National Theatre.

Alcina by Royal Opera at Royal Opera House won in the Tait Award for Best New Opera Production category. The Outstanding Achievement in Opera award, meanwhile, was picked up by William Kentridge for his conception and direction of Sibyl at Barbican Theatre.

Arthur Darvill won the Best Actor in a Musical award for his performance in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!. Katie Brayben was awarded Best Actress in a Musical for Tammy Faye at Almeida theatre.

Traplord by Ivan Michael Blackstock at 180 Studios was named the Best New Dance Production. In the Outstanding Achievement in Dance category, Dickson Mbi was awarded for his choreography of Enowate at Sadler’s Wells.

The P Word at Bush Theatre was awarded the Unusual Rigging Award for Outstanding Achievement in Affiliate Theatre. Standing at the Sky’s Edge at National Theatre won the Best New Musical award.

Choreographer Dame Arlene Phillips was the recipient of the special award. Sir Derek Jacobi, an actor known for his work at the Royal National Theatre as well as for his film and television roles, won the Lifetime Achievement Award.