Paddington Bear was the big winner at the Olivier Awards in London on Sunday (12 April), with a stage adaptation of the beloved children's books picking up seven prizes at Britain's top theatre honours.
'Paddington The Musical', based on author Michael Bond's books and the 2014 film adaptation, brings to life the marmalade-sandwich-loving bear, a refugee from Peru who is named after the London train station where he is found.
The show, with music and lyrics by musician Tom Fletcher, won prizes including best new musical, best director and best actor in a musical for the duo who portray the title character together.
"With everything that is happening in this world there will be further displaced people, please be welcoming, accepting and helpful to those people and treat them as you would if you were Paddington himself," James Hameed, who voices Paddington off-stage while co-winner Arti Shah performs on stage, said.
It had led nominations alongside 'Into the Woods', a production of Stephen Sondheim's musical featuring Brothers Grimm characters that won best musical revival, with 11 nods each.
'Punch', based on a real-life story of one man's fatal punch, won best new play.
'Snow White' star Rachel Zegler won best actress in a musical for her portrayal of Argentine first lady Eva Peron in 'Evita', which saw her performing the show's big number 'Don't Cry For Me Argentina' live from a balcony outside the theatre.
"Thank you so much to the city of London for making me feel so welcome here. I never could have imagined it," Zegler said.
'Gone Girl' star Rosamund Pike won best actress for legal drama 'Inter Alia', while Jack Holden beat the likes of 'Loki' actor Tom Hiddleston, and 'Breaking Bad' star Bryan Cranston to win best actor for true-crime thriller play 'Kenrex'.
A new production of Arthur Miller's 'All My Sons' won best revival and best supporting actor for Paapa Essiedu, who plays Professor Snape in the upcoming 'Harry Potter' television series.
Named after actor Laurence Olivier and first handed out in 1976, the awards are Britain's most prestigious theatrical honours.
As well as celebrating their 50th anniversary, the awards marked other major theatre milestones: 40 years of 'Phantom of the Opera' and 20 years of 'Wicked', with special performances for both.
Maritime traffic in and out of Iran will be controlled by the U.S. military Washington said. Iran warns of harsh response to the blockade. A two-we...
The Iranian President, Masoud Pezeshkian, said that the U.S. hegemonic approach has been the main obstacle to r...
Hungary’s veteran nationalist leader Viktor Orbán has lost power to the centre-right Tisza party in Sunday’s national election a...
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk agreed on Monday to upgrade bilateral relations to a “comprehensiv...
Pope Leo XIV is set to make history this April, becoming the first pontiff ever to visit Algeria. The trip forms part of a wider African tour, taki...
Millions of Orthodox Christians across the globe celebrated Easter, known as Holy Pascha, on Sunday (12 April) with midnight liturgies, candlelight processions and deeply rooted local traditions reflecting centuries of faith.
Britain’s plan to transfer the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, which host a strategic U.K.-U.S. military base, has been put on indefinite hold after the Trump administration withdrew its support.
Afghanistan and Pakistan have agreed to continue dialogue and avoid steps that could worsen tensions after China-hosted talks in Urumqi, with Kabul and Beijing saying the meetings focused on easing differences and improving relations.
Three Russian submarines were detected near British waters, the UK Defence Secretary, John Healey MP, announced on Thursday (9 April). Speaking at a press briefing in Downing Street, he said an attack submarine and two specialist vessels were being monitored by the Ministry of Defence.
Hungarians vote in elections on Sunday that could see the end of hard right nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s more than 15 year rule. Opinion polls show Orbán’s Fidesz party trailing 45-year-old Péter Magyar’s centre-right opposition Tisza party.
U.S. and Iranian negotiators held their highest-level talks in half a century in Pakistan on Saturday in an effort to end their six-week war, as President Donald Trump said the U.S. military had begun the process of clearing the Strait of Hormuz.
At least 30 people were killed on Saturday in a stampede at Haiti’s Laferrière Citadel World Heritage Site, with authorities warning that the death toll could rise.
Israel has reprimanded Spain’s most senior diplomat in Tel Aviv after a giant effigy of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was blown up in a Spanish town.
Nine suspects were arrested on Saturday (11 April) in connection with a terror attack targeting a police post in Istanbul’s Beşiktaş district.
Asha Bhosle, the legendary Indian playback singer whose voice defined generations of Bollywood music, has died at the age of 92 in Mumbai, prompting an outpouring of tributes from across India and beyond.
Rising living and fuel costs are dampening spending during Thailand’s Songkran festival, traditionally one of the country’s busiest holiday periods, as consumers and vendors scale back celebrations.
This summer’s Wireless Festival - a major London music event showcasing global hip-hop and R&B artists - has been cancelled after the UK government blocked headliner Kanye West from entering the country.
Kanye West has been banned from entering the UK by the British government, following a backlash over his planned headline performance at London's Wireless Festival in July. It comes after the festival attacted criticism for booking the U.S. rapper, who had previously made antisemitic remarks.
Grammy-winning rapper Megan Thee Stallion was hospitalised in New York City after she fell ill mid-performance during a Broadway production of 'Moulin Rouge! The Musical'.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment