1978 Laurence Olivier Awards Explained

The 1978 Society of West End Theatre Awards were held in 1978 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

Details of winners (in bold) and nominees, in each award category, per the Society of London Theatre.^[1]

Play of the Year	Musical of the Year
Whose Life Is It Anyway by Brian Clark – Mermaid / Savoy Half-Life by Julian Mitchell – National Theatre Lark Rise by Flora Thompson, adapted by Keith Dewhurst – National Theatre Plenty by David Hare – National Theatre	Evita – Prince Edward Annie – Victoria Palace Elvis – Prince Edward
Comedy of the Year
Filumena by Eduardo De Filippo, adapted by Willis Hall / Keith Waterhouse – Lyric Shut Your Eyes and Think of England by John Chapman / Anthony Marriott – Apollo Ten Times Table by Alan Ayckbourn – Globe
Actor of the Year in a New Play	Actress of the Year in a New Play
Tom Conti as Ken Harrison in Whose Life Is It Anyway – Mermaid / Savoy Gordon Chater as Robert O'Brien in The Elocution of Benjamin Franklin – Mayfair John Gielgud as Sir Noel Cunliffe in Half-Life – National Theatre Peter McEnery as Albie Sachs in The Jail Diary of Albie Sachs – RSC at the Warehouse	Joan Plowright as Filumena Marturano in Filumena – Lyric Yvonne Bryceland as Hecuba in The Woman – National Theatre Sylvia Miles as Mrs. Wire in Vieux Carré – Piccadilly Kate Nelligan as Susan Traherne in Plenty – National Theatre
Actor of the Year in a Revival	Actress of the Year in a Revival
Alan Howard as Coriolanus in Coriolanus – RSC at the Aldwych Derek Jacobi as Nikolai Ivanov in Ivanov – Old Vic Timothy West as Max in The Homecoming – Garrick Nicol Williamson as Bill Maitland in Inadmissible Evidence – Royal Court	Dorothy Tutin as Lady Plyant in The Double Dealer – National Theatre Eileen Atkins as Viola in Twelfth Night – Old Vic Ingrid Bergman as Helen Lancaster in Waters of the Moon – Theatre Royal, Haymarket Wendy Hiller as Mrs. Whyte in Waters of the Moon – Theatre Royal, Haymarket
Performance of the Year in a Musical	Comedy Performance of the Year
Elaine Paige as Eva Perón in Evita – Prince Edward David Essex as Che in Evita – Prince Edward Roy Hudd as Fagin in Oliver! – Albery Stratford Johns as Daddy Oliver Warbucks in Annie – Victoria Palace	Ian McKellen as Face/Jeremy in The Alchemist – RSC at the Aldwych Sheila Hancock as Miss Agatha Hannigan in Annie – Victoria Palace Geraldine McEwan as Lulu in Look after Lulu – Theatre Royal, Haymarket Donald Sinden as Performer in Shut Your Eyes and Think of England – Apollo
Actor of the Year in a Supporting Role	Actress of the Year in a Supporting Role
Robert Eddison as Sir Andrew Aguecheek and Feste in Twelfth Night – Old Vic Michael Bryant as Sir Paul Plyant in The Double Dealer – National Theatre Julian Glover as Tullus Aufidius in Coriolanus – RSC at the Aldwych Robert Stephens as Mayor in Brand – National Theatre	Elizabeth Spriggs as Sonia Marsden in Love Letters on Blue Paper – National Theatre Brenda Bruce as Alizon Eliot in The Lady's Not for Burning – Old Vic Susan Fleetwood as Ismene in The Woman – National Theatre Patricia Hayes as Rosalia Solimene in Filumena – National Theatre
Director of the Year
Terry Hands for Henry VI – RSC at the Aldwych Bill Bryden and Sebastian Graham-Jones for Lark Rise – National Theatre Christopher Morahan for The Philanderer – National Theatre Harold Prince for Evita – Prince Edward
Designer of the Year
Ralph Koltai for Brand – National Theatre Eileen Diss for The Homecoming – Garrick Abd'Elkader Farrah for Henry VI – RSC at the Aldwych Tanya Moiseiwitsch for The Double Dealer – National Theatre
Outstanding Achievement of the Year in Ballet	Production of the Year in Ballet
Robert Cohan for artistic directing, London Contemporary Dance Theatre – Sadler's Wells Christopher Bruce for choreographing for Ballet Rambert – Sadler's Wells Siobhan Davies in Harmonica Breakdown – Sadler's Wells Lynn Seymour in A Month in the Country, The Royal Ballet – Royal Opera House	A Month in the Country, The Royal Ballet – Royal Opera House People Alone, London Contemporary Dance Theatre – Sadler's Wells Praeludium, Ballet Rambert – Sadler's Wells Song of the Earth, Stuttgart Ballet – London Coliseum
Outstanding Achievement in Opera	Production of the Year in Opera
English National Opera for their enterprising repertoire – London Coliseum Colin Davis for music directing, The Royal Opera – Royal Opera House	Lohengrin, The Royal Opera – Royal Opera House La fanciulla del West, The Royal Opera – Royal Opera House Luisa Miller, The Royal Opera – Royal Opera House The Seven Deadly Sins, English National Opera – London Coliseum

Productions with multiple nominations and awards

The following 16 productions received multiple nominations:

• 4: Evita
• 3: Annie, Filumena and The Double Dealer
• 2: Brand, Coriolanus, Half-Life, Henry VI, Lark Rise, Plenty, Shut Your Eyes and Think of England, The Homecoming, The Woman, Twelfth Night, Waters of the Moon and Whose Life Is It Anyway

The following three productions received multiple awards:

• 2: Evita, Filumena and Whose Life Is It Anyway

See also

• 32nd Tony Awards

External links

• Previous Olivier Winners – 1978

Notes and References

1. Web site: Olivier Winners 1978 . officiallondontheatre.com . . 2022-05-09 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180318054840/https://officiallondontheatre.com/olivier-awards/winners/olivier-winners-1978/ . 2018-03-18 . live.