In a ceremony at London’s Royal Albert Hall on Sunday, the 2025 Olivier Awards handed out top acting honors to John Lithgow and Lesley Manville, while “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” and “Giant” emerged as the night’s most decorated productions with three wins each.
Hosted by Beverley Knight and Billy Porter, who kicked off the ceremony with a rendition of “Luck Be a Lady” from “Guys & Dolls,” the evening celebrated the best of London theater.
Lithgow collected his first-ever Olivier Award for his portrayal of Roald Dahl in the Royal Court’s “Giant,” which also claimed the Londoner Award for best new play. The production, set to return to the Harold Pinter Theatre later this month, picked up a third award when Elliot Levey secured his second career Olivier for best actor in a supporting role.
Manville triumphed in the best actress category for her performance in “Oedipus” at Wyndham’s Theatre, marking her second Olivier win. The production also took home the best revival trophy.
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” featuring music and lyrics by Darren Clark and book and lyrics by Jethro Compton, claimed the best new musical award. John Dagleish won best actor in a musical for his title role performance, his second Olivier trophy following his 2015 win for “Sunny Afternoon.” Clark and Mark Aspinall rounded out the musical’s haul with the outstanding musical contribution award.
“Fiddler on the Roof,” which tied ‘Hamilton’s 2018 record with 13 nominations, secured the award for best musical revival. The production, returning to the Barbican Theatre in May, also earned technical honors for Tom Scutt (best set design) and Nick Lidster (best sound design).
West End royalty Imelda Staunton added a fifth Olivier to her collection for her turn as Dolly Levi in “Hello, Dolly!,” marking her fourth win in the best actress in a musical category.
In supporting performance categories, Romola Garai won for “The Years” after being double-nominated for her work in both that production and “Giant.” Maimuna Memon took home best actress in a supporting role in a musical for “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812,” while Layton Williams won best actor in a supporting role in a musical for “Titanique,” which also secured best new entertainment or comedy play.
Industry stalwart Rufus Norris received a special award honoring his decade-long tenure as director of the National Theatre, while the evening’s In Memoriam segment paid tribute to Joan Plowright among other industry luminaries lost in the past year.
“The Olivier Awards have once again been a spectacular celebration of the very best of British theatre,” said Kash Bennett, president of the Society of London Theatre. “Huge congratulations to all the brilliant winners and nominees, who embody the creativity, passion, and magic that make our industry so extraordinary.”
