Month: October 2020

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2020 Olivier award winners announced on October 25th

The winners of this year’s Olivier Awards 2020 with Mastercard will be announced on Sunday 25 October in a special programme hosted by Jason Manford and broadcast on ITV and Magic Radio.

Following the cancellation, due to the pandemic, of the original ceremony in April, this year’s winners will be revealed in an innovative format to celebrate the UK’s globally renowned artists, both on stage and behind the scenes.

The awards show will be broadcast from different areas within the London Palladium and contain a mixture of the awards themselves, unique performances, interviews and some very special moments. Due to the ongoing situation, the majority of the show will be pre-filmed in the days leading up to the broadcasts. The main show will be broadcast on ITV, with additional awards being shown in a pre-show broadcast the same evening on Official London Theatre’s YouTube channel.

Listeners will be able to tune in to a show highlighting the winners and key moments on Magic Radio from 8pm until 10pm on Monday 26 October, with extended coverage across the week on digital radio station Magic at the Musicals. More details of performances and guests will be announced nearer the date.

Julian Bird, Chief Executive of Society of London Theatre (SOLT) and Executive Producer of the Olivier Awards, said:

“We are excited to be able to honour this year’s nominees and winners during a very difficult time for our industry, and demonstrate the outstanding talent we have in our theatre sector in the UK. Coming together to celebrate their achievements feels more poignant now than ever before as we all fight collectively to save our theatre industry. I hope that everyone working in, or simply missing the theatre, will join us on the 25 October to celebrate last year’s achievements and remain hopeful for our future”.

Due to the limited number of new productions that will be able to open this year, it is currently anticipated that the next Olivier Awards ceremony will take place in April 2022. SOLT will be announcing plans to celebrate the theatre industry in 2021 at a later date.

SOLT is establishing a group to carefully review criteria for the awards in future years to ensure all aspects of diversity and inclusion are considered. They envisage announcing conclusions in Spring 2021.

Nominations for the Olivier Awards 2020 with Mastercard were announced on 3 March. You can see the full list here

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Watch Now for Families: Little Angel Theatre’s THE LITTLE FISH

“I want to see the world!”

A curious little fish wants to explore the big, wide world outside of his fish bowl in a house in Cross Street. One brave leap from the window takes the little fish down into the gutter, along the Thames and beyond. As the little fish will learn, a big adventure is often what it takes to make us appreciate the familiarity of home.

This show has been created by Lyndie Wright, Sarah Wright and Mike Shepherd in association with Little Angel Theatre.

The show lasts approximately fifteen minutes and is suitable for younger children. It will be available indefinitely.

Although this show is free to watch, please consider making a donation to the Little Angel Theatre which does vital work in helping younger children to access and experience the joy of theatre.

Watch THE LITTLE FISH here

Credits:

Made by Lyndie Wright and Sarah Wright
Narrated by Mike Shepherd
A Silent Tide project made at the Kneehigh Barns

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Victorian Society reveals top ten list of buildings most at risk in UK today

Brighton Hippodrome interior. Photo courtesy Theatres Trust.

The Victorian Society has released its list of the ten outstanding UK buildings most at risk for 2020. The list’s only theatre this year is the rare survival, the Brighton Hippodrome.

Brighton Hippodrome, designed by renowned theatre architect Frank Matcham, is the country’s finest surviving example of a circus theatre. The building was originally built in 1897 as an ice rink, but it was transformed by a major rebuilding into a circus in 1901. It was once a thriving hub of entertainment, but today it sits empty and rotting. The most spectacular feature is the circular auditorium with its richly decorated ceiling in the form of a panelled tent. Schemes for a multiplex cinema, a new hotel, spa and serviced apartments were all announced but never materialised as the building went through a variety of owners. In September 2020, the building was sold to Brighton-based Matsim Properties. The Victorian Society says “The building remains vacant and urgent works are required. These should be urgently undertaken to prevent further deterioration until a viable and sympathetic new use can be found for this impressive building”.

Griff Rhys Jones, President of the Victorian Society, said: “Brighton is a thriving city with a vibrant culture. If anywhere can support such a unique venue it is Brighton. In Blackpool, the restored winter gardens are being used to revive the towns fortunes. With staycations likely to increase in popularity and Brighton’s easy access to London, surely Matsim Properties can develop a plan which makes sensitive use of this building? What is clear is that losing many more years with nothing happening risks any of the building surviving.“

For the full list of 2020’s Most Endangered Buildings, click here