The best musical performances from the Olivier Awards

olivier award performances

Celebrate the Olivier Awards with the best musical performances from recent years.

With this year’s ceremony taking place next month, relive some of the top moments from past shows with the performances below.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

The 2019 Olivier Awards saw a special performance celebrating Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, featuring Joe McElderry, Lee Mead, Jason Donovan, Danielle Hope, Linzi Hateley and Preeya Kalidas

 

Hamilton

Watch the original London West End company of Hamilton performing the show’s title song at the 2018 Olivier Awards.

 

Hannah Waddingham’s musical megamix

Opening the 2023 Olivier Awards was host and icon of stage and screen Hannah Waddingham. She was joined by the casts of current West End musicals to perform an original number, penned by Pippa Cleary.

 

Dreamgirls

Amber Riley performed And I Am Telling You from Dreamgirls’ West End production at the Olivier Awards 2017 before going on to win the award for Best Actress In A Musical for her role.

 

SIX

Divorced, beheaded, died – divorced, beheaded, LIVE! The regal stars of Six The Musical lit up the Royal Albert Hall with their fabulous performance at the Olivier Awards 2019. These Queens may have green sleeves but their lipstick is rebellious red.

 

Miss Saigon

Watch as Eva Noblezada performs ‘I’d Give My Life For You’ from Miss Saigon’s West End revival at the Olivier Awards 2015.

 

Disney’s The Lion King

To celebrate its 20th year in the West End, the cast of Disney’s The Lion King opened the Olivier Awards 2019 with a very special performance.

 

Matilda

Four Matildas – Eleanor Worthington-Cox, Cleo Demetriou, Kerry Ingram and Sophia Kiely – performed together for the first and last time at the Olivier Awards in 2012.

 

Kinky Boots

Kinky Boots showcased a specially choreographed performance of Sex is in the Heel at the Olivier Awards 2016, led by Olivier Award winner Matt Henry as Lola with angels Jeremy Batt, Arun Blair-Mangat, Marcus Collins, Callum Francis, Luke Jackson, Robert Jones, Javier Santos, Phillip Town.

 

Mamma Mia

ABBA’s Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus joined the cast of Mamma Mia! London for a special performance of a medley of songs at the 2014 Olivier Awards.

 

Tina – The Tina Turner Musical

The cast of Tina – The Tina Turner Musical perform River Deep, Mountain High at the Olivier Awards 2019 led by Olivier-nominated Adrienne Warren as Tina.

 

Come From Away

The cast of Come From Away performed the opening number from the musical at the 2019 Olivier Awards. The show was nominated for nine Olivier Awards, including; Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical (Clive Carter and Robert Hands), Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical (Rachel Tucker) and Mastercard Best New Musical.

 

Newsies

The cast of Newsies’ premiere London production were on a mission to kill the competition as they brought everything to the stage with their medley at the 2023 ceremony

 

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie

The cast of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie performed the show’s opening number at the 2018 Olivier Awards where the show received five nominations, including Best New Musical.

 

School of Rock The Musical

The cast of School of Rock The Musical performed at The Olivier Awards 2017 where it was nominated for three awards, winning one for Outstanding Achievement in Music.

 

About the author: Josh Darvill

Josh is Stageberry's editor with over five years of experience writing about theatre in the West End and across the UK. Prior to following his passion for musicals, he worked for more than a decade as a TV journalist.