1979 Laurence Olivier Awards

1979 Society of West End Theatre Awards

The 1979 Society of West End Theatre Awards were held in 1979 in London celebrating excellence in West End theatre by the Society of West End Theatre. The awards would not become the Laurence Olivier Awards, as they are known today, until the 1984 ceremony.

Winners and nominees

Play of the Year	Musical of the Year
Betrayal by Harold Pinter – National Theatre Night and Day by Tom Stoppard – Phoenix The Crucifer of Blood by Arthur Conan Doyle, adapted by Paul Giovanni – Theatre Royal Haymarket Undiscovered Country by Arthur Schnitzler, adapted by Tom Stoppard – National Theatre	Songbook – Globe Ain't Misbehavin' – Her Majesty's Bar Mitzvah Boy – Adelphi Chicago – Cambridge
Comedy of the Year
Middle-Age Spread by Roger Hall – Lyric Clouds by Michael Frayn – Duke of York's Outside Edge by Richard Harris – Queen's
Actor of the Year in a Revival	Actress of the Year in a Revival
Warren Mitchell in Death of a Salesman – National Theatre Michael Bryant in Strife – National Theatre Jonathan Pryce in The Taming of the Shrew – RSC at the Aldwych Patrick Stewart in The Merchant of Venice – RSC at the Warehouse	Zoë Wanamaker in Once in a Lifetime – RSC at the Aldwych Paola Dionisotti in The Taming of the Shrew – RSC at the Aldwych Glenda Jackson in Antony and Cleopatra – RSC at the Aldwych Billie Whitelaw in Happy Days – Royal Court
Actor of the Year in a New Play	Actress of the Year in a New Play
Ian McKellen in Bent – Royal Court / Criterion Michael Gambon in Betrayal – National Theatre Dinsdale Landen in Bodies – Ambassadors John Standing in Close of Play – National Theatre	Jane Lapotaire in Piaf – RSC at the Warehouse Constance Cummings in Wings – National Theatre Gemma Jones in And a Nightingale Sang – Queen's Jessica Tandy in The Gin Game – Lyric
Actor of the Year in a Musical	Actress of the Year in a Musical
Anton Rodgers in Songbook – Globe Tony Britton in My Fair Lady – Adelphi Michael Crawford in Flowers for Algernon – Queen's Ben Cross in Chicago – Cambridge	Virginia McKenna in The King and I – London Palladium Carol Channing in Hello, Dolly – Theatre Royal Drury Lane Antonia Ellis in Chicago – Cambridge Liz Robertson in My Fair Lady – Adelphi
Comedy Performance of the Year
Barry Humphries in A Night with Dame Edna – Piccadilly Richard Griffiths in Once in a Lifetime – RSC at the Aldwych Oscar James in Gloo Joo – Criterion Maureen Lipman in Outside Edge – Queen's
Actor of the Year in a Supporting Role	Actress of the Year in a Supporting Role
Patrick Stewart in Antony and Cleopatra – RSC at the Aldwych Michael Bryant in Undiscovered Country – National Theatre Stephen Greif in Death of a Salesman – National Theatre David Suchet in Once in a Lifetime – RSC at the Aldwych	Doreen Mantle in Death of a Salesman – National Theatre Carmen du Sautoy in Once in a Lifetime – RSC at the Aldwych Alison Fiske in For Services Rendered – National Theatre Patricia Routledge in And a Nightingale Sang – Queen's
Director of the Year
Michael Bogdanov for The Taming of the Shrew – RSC at the Aldwych Michael Elliott for The Family Reunion – Vaudeville Trevor Nunn for Once in a Lifetime – RSC at the Aldwych Michael Rudman for Death of a Salesman – National Theatre
Designer of the Year
William Dudley for Undiscovered Country – National Theatre John Bury for Strife – National Theatre John Napier for Once in a Lifetime – RSC at the Aldwych Carl Toms for For Services Rendered – National Theatre
Outstanding Achievement of the Year in Ballet
Peter Schaufuss for La Sylphide, London Festival Ballet – Royal Festival Hall Kenneth MacMillan for Playground, The Royal Ballet – Sadler's Wells The Tempest, Ballet Rambert – Sadler's Wells
Outstanding Achievement in Opera
The Rake's Progress, The Royal Opera – Royal Opera House Die Zauberflöte, The Royal Opera – Royal Opera House Manon, English National Opera – London Coliseum The Adventures of Mr Brouček, English National Opera – London Coliseum
Society Special Award
Laurence Olivier

Productions with multiple nominations and awards

The following 13 productions received multiple nominations:

• 6: Once in a Lifetime
• 4: Death of a Salesman
• 3: Chicago, The Taming of the Shrew and Undiscovered Country
• 2: And a Nightingale Sang, Antony and Cleopatra, Betrayal, For Services Rendered, My Fair Lady, Outside Edge, Songbook and Strife

The following two productions received multiple awards:

• 2: Death of a Salesman and Songbook

See also

• 33rd Tony Awards

References

• London Theatre Guide (2008). "The Laurence Olivier Awards: Full List of Winners, 1976-2008" (.PDF). 1976-2008. The Society of London Theatre: 20. Retrieved 2008-08-30.

External links

• Previous Olivier Winners – 1979