Laurence Olivier Award for Best Entertainment or Comedy Play

The Noël Coward Award for Best Entertainment or Comedy Play is an annual award presented by the Society of London Theatre in recognition of achievements in commercial London theatre. The awards were established as the Society of West End Theatre Awards in 1976, and renamed in 1984 in honour of English actor and director Laurence Olivier.

Noël Coward
Award for Best Entertainment or Comedy Play
Awarded forBest New Comedy
Location England
Presented bySociety of London Theatre
First awarded1976
Currently held byStranger Things: The First Shadow (2024)
Websiteofficiallondontheatre.com/olivier-awards/ Edit this at Wikidata

The award was titled Comedy of the Year from its establishment in 1976 until 1990, was renamed to Best Comedy starting in 1991, Best New Comedy starting in 1999, then retitled to its current name for the 2020 Olivier Awards – when "Entertainment" was moved to join Best Comedy Play from the Best Entertainment and Family award, which was renamed Best Family Show at that same time.

Winners and nominees

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1970s

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Year Play Writer
1976
Donkeys' Years Michael Frayn
The Bed Before Yesterday Ben Travers
Confusions Alan Ayckbourn
Funny Peculiar Mike Stott
1977
Privates on Parade Peter Nichols
Bedroom Farce Alan Ayckbourn
Once a Catholic Mary O'Malley
The Kingfisher William Douglas-Home
1978
Filumena Eduardo De Filippo, Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall
Shut Your Eyes and Think of England John Chapman and Anthony Marriott
Ten Times Table Alan Ayckbourn
1979
Middle-Age Spread Roger Hall
Clouds Michael Frayn
Outside Edge Richard Harris

1980s

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Year Play Writer
1980
Educating Rita Willy Russell
Born in the Gardens Peter Nichols
Make and Break Michael Frayn
Sisterly Feelings Alan Ayckbourn
1981
Steaming Nell Dunn
Anyone for Denis? John Wells
Can't Pay? Won't Pay! Dario Fo
On the Razzle Tom Stoppard
1982
Noises Off Michael Frayn
Key for Two John Chapman and Dave Freeman
Season's Greetings Alan Ayckbourn
Trafford Tanzi Claire Luckham
1983
Daisy Pulls It Off Denise Deegan
Beethoven's Tenth Peter Ustinov
Run for Your Wife Ray Cooney
Woza Albert! Barney Simon, Percy Mtwa and Mbongeni Ngema
1984
Up 'n' Under John Godber
Gymslip Vicar Cliff Hanger
Intimate Exchanges Alan Ayckbourn
Two into One Ray Cooney
1985
A Chorus of Disapproval Alan Ayckbourn
Bouncers John Godber
Love's Labours Lost William Shakespeare
Pravda Howard Brenton and David Hare
1986
When We Are Married J.B. Priestley
Lend Me a Tenor Ken Ludwig
The Merry Wives of Windsor William Shakespeare
A Midsummer Night's Dream William Shakespeare
1987
Three Men on a Horse John Cecil Holm and George Abbott
Groucho: A Life in Revue Arthur Marx and Robert Fisher
A Midsummer Night's Dream William Shakespeare
Twelfth Night William Shakespeare
1988
Shirley Valentine Willy Russell
Henceforward... Alan Ayckbourn
Separation Tom Kempinski
The Common Pursuit Simon Gray
1989/90
Single Spies Alan Bennett
Jeffrey Bernard is Unwell Keith Waterhouse
Some Americans Abroad Richard Nelson
Steel Magnolias Robert Harling

1990s

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Year Play Writer
1991
Out of Order Ray Cooney
Gasping Ben Elton
1992
La Bête David Hirson
An Evening with Gary Lineker Arthur Smith and Chris England
It's Ralph Hugh Whitemore
1993
The Rise and Fall of Little Voice Jim Cartwright
Lost in Yonkers Neil Simon
On the Piste John Godber
1994
Hysteria Terry Johnson
April in Paris John Godber
The Life of Stuff Simon Donald
Time of My Life Alan Ayckbourn
1995
My Night with Reg Kevin Elyot
Beautiful Thing Jonathan Harvey
Dead Funny Terry Johnson
Neville's Island Tim Firth
1996
Mojo Jez Butterworth
Communicating Doors Alan Ayckbourn
Funny Money Ray Cooney
1997
'Art' Yasmina Reza
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield
Laughter on the 23rd Floor Neil Simon
1998
Popcorn Ben Elton
East is East Ayub Khan-Din
A Skull in Connemara Martin McDonagh
1999
Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle and Dick Terry Johnson
Alarms and Excursions Michael Frayn
Love Upon the Throne Patrick Barlow, Martin Duncan and John Ramm
Things We Do for Love Alan Ayckbourn

2000s

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Year Play Writer
2000
The Memory of Water Shelagh Stephenson
Comic Potential Alan Ayckbourn
Quartet Ronald Harwood
2001
Stones in His Pockets Marie Jones
Cooking with Elvis Lee Hall
House/Garden Alan Ayckbourn
Peggy for You Alan Plater
2002
The Play What I Wrote Hamish McColl, Sean Foley and Eddie Braben
Boston Marriage David Mamet
Caught in the Net Ray Cooney
Feelgood Alistair Beaton
2003
The Lieutenant of Inishmore Martin McDonagh
RolePlay Alan Ayckbourn
Dinner Moira Buffini
Lobby Hero Kenneth Lonergan
2006
Heroes Gérald Sibleyras and Tom Stoppard
Glorious! Peter Quilter
Shoot the Crow Owen McCafferty
2007
The 39 Steps Patrick Barlow, Simon Corble and Nobby Dimon
Don Juan in Soho Patrick Marber
Love Song John Kolvenbach
2008
Rafta, Rafta... Bill Naughton and Ayub Khan-Din
Absurdia: The Crimson Hotel Michael Frayn
Elling Simon Bent
Whipping It Up Stephen Thompson
2009
God of Carnage Yasmina Reza
Fat Pig Neil LaBute
The Female of the Species Joanna Murray-Smith

2010s

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Year Play Writer
2010
The Priory Michael Wynne
Calendar Girls Tim Firth
England People Very Nice Richard Bean
Parlour Song Jez Butterworth
2014
Jeeves and Wooster in Perfect Nonsense Robert Goodale and David Goodale
The Duck House Dan Patterson and Colin Swash
The Full Monty Simon Beaufoy
The Same Deep Water as Me Nick Payne
2015
The Play That Goes Wrong Henry Shields, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Lewis
Handbagged Moira Buffini
Shakespeare in Love Marc Norman, Tom Stoppard and Lee Hall
2016
Nell Gwynn Jessica Swale
A Christmas Carol Patrick Barlow
Hand to God Robert Askins
Peter Pan Goes Wrong Henry Shields, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Lewis
2017
Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour Lee Hall
The Comedy About a Bank Robbery Henry Shields, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Lewis
Nice Fish Mark Rylance and Louis Jenkins
The Truth Florian Zeller in a version by Christopher Hampton
2018
Labour of Love James Graham
Dry Powder Sarah Burgess
Mischief Movie Night Mischief Theatre
The Miser Molière in an adaptation by Sean Foley and Phil Porter
2019
Home, I'm Darling Laura Wade
Nine Night Natasha Gordon
Quiz James Graham

2020s

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Year Play Writer
2020 Emilia Morgan Lloyd Malcolm
Fleabag Phoebe Waller-Bridge
Magic Goes Wrong Henry Shields, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Lewis
The Upstart Crow Ben Elton
2021 Not presented due to extended closing of theatre productions during COVID-19 pandemic[A]
2022[A] Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) Isobel McArthur
The Choir of Man Nic Doodson, Andrew Kay, Jack Blume, Ben Norris, Freddie Huddleston
Pantoland at the Palladium Michael Harrison
The Shark Is Broken Joseph Nixon and Ian Shaw
2023
My Neighbour Totoro Tom Morton-Smith
Jack and the Beanstalk Michael Harrison
My Son's a Queer (But What Can You Do?) Rob Madge
One Woman Show Liz Kingsman
2024
Stranger Things: The First Shadow Kate Trefry
Accidental Death of an Anarchist Dario Fo & Franca Rame, adapted by Tom Basden
Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends Stephen Sondheim
Vardy V Rooney: The Wagatha Christie Trial adapted by Liv Hennessy
  1. ^ a b Due to late March 2020[1] to late July 2021[2] closing of London theatre productions during the COVID-19 pandemic in England, the 2022 awards recognise productions that launched anytime from February 2020 to February 2022[3]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Johnson, The Rt Hon Boris, MP (2020-03-23). Prime Minister's statement on coronavirus (COVID-19): 23 March 2020 [transcript] (Speech). Prime Minister's Televised Speech to the United Kingdom. www.gov.uk. London, UK. Archived from the original on 2020-06-09. Retrieved 2022-04-25. From this evening I must give the British people a very simple instruction — you must stay at home.{{cite speech}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ McPhee, Ryan (2021-06-14). "U.K. Postpones Reopening Roadmap; West End Theatres Will No Longer Reopen in Full in June". Playbill. Archived from the original on 2021-06-14. Retrieved 2022-04-25. Step 4 of the roadmap will allow productions to play without capacity restrictions. June 21 was the goal; now, the government is eyeing July 19.
  3. ^ Thomas, Sophie (2022-03-08). "Everything you need to know about the Olivier Awards". londontheatre.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2022-04-11. Retrieved 2022-04-25. Any new production that opened between 19 Feb. 2020 to 22 Feb. 2022 are eligible for categories in the 2022 Olivier Awards. With two years worth of shows set for honours in one year's ceremony, the 2022 Olivier Awards will prove tougher competition than before.
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