The Olivier Awards are the biggest and most prestigious in British theatre, recognising and celebrating the best in the industry. Every year, nominees can earn a prize like no other.
We want to discuss the winners of this year’s Industry Recognition Award at the Olivier Awards to highlight their achievements and contributions to the stage across the West End when they may have gone unsung before.
Sylvia Addison
Orchestral Contracting
Sylvia Addison is integral to organising the logistics for all the musical personnel within the West End. She deals with all the biggest names in the industry and has a plethora of performances that she has contributed to, such as:
- The Little Big Things
- A Strange Loop
- The Wizard Of Oz
- Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends
- We Will Rock You
- Guys & Dolls
- Doubtfire
- The Great British Bake Off Musical
- Only Fools And Horses
- Fun Home
- Five Guys Named Moe
- Dreamgirls
- Rent
- School Of Rock
- Elf The Musical
- Mrs Henderson Presents
- Bend It Like Beckham
- Barnum
- Miss Saigon
- The Scottsboro Boys
- Merrily We Roll Along
- Top Hat
- Charlie And The Chocolate Factory
- My Fair Lady
- Strictly Ballroom
- The Phantom Of The Opera
- The Drifter’s Girl
- Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella
- Les Misérables
- Mary Poppins
- Back To The Future
- White Christmas
- The Lion King
- Sleepless
- Big The Musical
- Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
- Beautiful – The Carole King Musical
- Blues In The Night
- The Secret Diary Of Adrian Mole Aged 13 ¾
- Fiddler On The Roof
Vereen Irving
Ticketing and Box Office Management
Vereen Irving is now the Group Inventory Manager at LW Theatres, having previously worked at the Adelphi Theatre since 1978, working her way up from telephonist to Box Office Manager, conducting her work brilliantly. She controlled the box office for the following shows:
- My Fair Lady
- Me And My Girl
- Beyond The Rainbow
- The American Dream Machine
- Annie
- Marilyn! The Musical
- Poppy
- Lena Horne: The Lady And Her Music
- The Jungle Book
- Sunset Boulevard
- Damn Yankees
- Irene
- Chicago
- Evita
- Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
- Derren Brown: Enigma
- The Rat Pack
- Love Never Dies
- Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street
- The Bodyguard
- Made In Dagenham
- Kinky Boots
- Waitress
- One Man, Two Guvnors
Theatre Tokens are among the best ways to buy your box office seats for a show.
Robert Israel
Theatre Insurance
Robert Israel comes from a theatre background, as his mother was an agent for stars in the industry. His company, Gordon & Co., is a family enterprise that has been operating for nearly 100 years. His work has seen him include small and big theatre productions, and he had the opportunity to travel the country as a child, seeing all kinds of shows, before becoming a household name in the field of theatre insurance.
Richard Walton
Theatre Insurance
Richard Walton’s CV is varied and impressive. Before setting up his own theatre insurance company in 1969, he spent time doing National Service, became a Producer and General Manager for theatres, and worked with Laurence Olivier at the Chichester Festival Theatre before finding his passion in broking and insurance. Even though he has officially retired, he occasionally dabbles in theatre production and has rightly been recognised for all his achievements.
Susan Whiddington
Theatre Education and Audience Development
Youngsters with disabilities or limited opportunities to get into theatre don’t find a breakthrough easily. Susan Whiddington helps these people get a chance in the industry through her foundation of Go Live Theatre Projects, of which she has been the Chief Executive until she announced she is stepping down. Her services to young people earned her a CBE, and she holds titles for many inspirational operations up and down the country.
Next time you book theatre tickets, consider the people behind the scenes that keep the wheels turning.