Olivier Awards 2016 Shenton's Picks: Creatives Categories

After looking at all the nominations in both the Best Actress and Best Actor categories, this week Critics' Circle Chairman and LondonTheatre.co.uk reviewer Mark Shenton offers his picks of personal winners and predicted winners in the Creatives categories at the 2016 Olivier Awards. From the best direction to best sound and costume design, Mark offers his thoughts on some of the top London creative talent.

Nominations.....

Best Director
Rob Ashford and Kenneth Branagh - The Winter's Tale at the Garrick
Robert Icke - Oresteia at the Almeida Theatre
Matthew Dunster - Hangmen at the Royal Court and Wyndham's Theatre
Jonathan Kent - Gypsy at the Savoy Theatre

Mark's View: What's interesting here is that they do mix up the musicals and plays so it's apples and oranges sometimes. Jonathan Kent did a wonderful job with Gypsy but it wasn't revolutionary. Robert Icke is the great bright hope of British theatre in terms of re-imagining them from within. He got the Critics' Circle Award, and I can't really see the critics being wrong. It would be lovely vindication for Icke if he won this one as well. I think Michael Longhurst is a brilliant director too and I think it's odd that he's not on this list. There's also not a woman amongst them either, and it's not like women haven't been directing this year. Why isn't Marianne Eliott on there for Husbands and Sons? So if anyone was missing I'd say Marianne Elliott - but you can only put four!

Mark's Winner: Robert Icke (Oresteia)
Predicted Winner: Robert Icke (Oresteia)

Nominations.....

Outstanding Achievement in Music
Bend it Like Beckham at the Phoenix Theatre
In The Heights at the King's Cross Theatre
Farinelli and the King at the Duke of York's Theatre
Kinky Boots at the Adelphi Theatre

Mark's View: I know why they brought this category in - it was all to do with the musical director business that they don't honour at the moment. For me it's got to go to Howard Goodall and Charles Hart for Bend it Like Beckham, because it is the outstanding score of the year. In The Heights of course is a brilliant musical and Lin-Manuel Miranda is a major force now thanks to Hamilton. Bend it Like Beckham is a unique British voice. If it were to go to Cyndi Lauper for Kinky Boots we might as well all give up writing British musicals. It's a mediocre score at best, it's a good show, but it's a mediocre score. Claire van Kampen is also nominated for Best Score and Best Play - that can't have happened before, when does a playwright ever write a score that also gets nominated? It's amazing. I hope there's enough support before Bend it.

Mark's Winner: Bend it Like Beckham
Predicted Winner: Kinky Boots

Nominations.....

Best Theatre Choreographer
Carlos Acosta and Andrew Wright - Guys and Dolls at the Savoy Theatre
Stephen Mear - Gypsy at the Savoy Theatre
Drew McOnie - King's Cross Theatre
Jerry Mitchell - Kinky Boots at the Adelphi Theatre

Mark's View: It's fantastic to see Drew McOnie in this category - he's now come up on the inside track and is going to become huge. I spotted him around three years ago at Arts Ed. I would say his choreography of that show is probably the best choreography of the year. He would be my choice. The more showy choreography is Guys and Dolls - it might get the popular vote, with Acosta's contribution immeasurably enhanced by the sheer theatrical know how of co-choreographer Andrew Wright. Carlos Acosta's name could just push it to the win. Stephen Mear is reliable, he did a great job on Gypsy, and Jerry is also very reliable. They're all very worthy candidates but Drew McOnie is the man of the future.

Mark's Winner: Drew McOnie (In The Heights)
Predicted Winner: Carlos Acosta and Andrew Wright (Guys and Dolls)

Nominations.....

Best Set Design
Hildegard Betchler - Oresteia at the Trafalgar Studios
Jonathan Fensom - Farinelli and the King at the Duke of York's
Es Devlin - Hamlet at the Barbican
Anna Fleische - Hangmen at the Royal Court and Wyndham's

Mark's View: This is probably one of the hardest ones. Es Devlin's set was astonishing - it was a real operatic set. I think that'll be the one that wins it.

Mark's Winner: Es Devlin (Hamlet)
Predicted Winner: Es Devlin (Hamlet)

Nominations.....

Best Lighting Design
Neil Austin - The Winter's Tale at the Garrick
James Farncombe - People, Places and Things at the National
Natasha Chivers - Orestia at the Almeida
Mark Henderson - Gypsy at the Savoy

Mark's View: This is such a technical award and it's impossible to tell. People tend to judge the show more than the lighting. Neil Austin is one of our best lighting designers - I think I'll take a punt on him, but it could be any of them!

Mark's Winner: Neil Austin (The Winter's Tale)
Predicted Winner: Neil Austin (The Winter's Tale)

Nominations.....

Best Costume Design
Gregg Barnes - Kinky Boots at the Adelphi Theatre
Jonathan Fensom - Farinelli and the King at the Duke of York's
Hugh Durrant - Nell Gwynn at the Apollo Theatre
Katrina Lindsay - Bend it Like Beckham at the Phoenix Theatre

Mark's View: Again it's two plays and two musicals thrown in together. I loved the costumes for Bend it Like Beckham, but I also really liked Nell Gwynn. Kinky Boots - it's the boots, I mean who cares. I'm hoping it'll be Bend it Like Beckham but it may be Nell Gwynn.

Mark's Winner: Katrina Lindsay (Bend it Like Beckham)
Predicted Winner: Hugh Durrant (Nell Gwynn)

Nominations.....

Best Sound Design
George Dennis - The Homecoming at the Trafalgar Studios
Christopher Shutt - The Father at the Wyndham's
Tom Gibbons - People, Places and Things at the National
Christopher Shutt - Hamlet at the Barbican

Mark's View: Christopher Shutt is wonderful - he's been nominated here twice, so that may split his vote which is a worry. He's one of the only people to be nominated twice. If I was going to give it anybody it would probably be Hamlet, followed by Tom Gibbons in People Places and Things.

Mark's Winner: Tom Gibbons (People, Places and Things)
Predicted Winner: Christopher Shutt (Hamlet)

Next week we take a look at the other categories in each of the Olivier Award 2016 nominations...