Laurence Olivier Awards To Be Broadcast Live On BBC Radio 2

For the first time, the prestigious Laurence Olivier Awards will be broadcast live on BBC Radio 2.  The awards celebrate the very best of London theatre and are the highlight of the theatrical year.
 
A special two hour programme, hosted by BBC Radio 2 presenter Paul Gambaccini, will be broadcast from 8pm - 10pm on Sunday 21 March, live from the Grosvenor House Hotel, London.
 
Radio 2 listeners will be treated to exclusive interviews and reactions from the winners plus behind the scenes insights from the awards' host, actor Anthony Head, and special guests.  West End star Jodie Prenger will also meet the nominees as they arrive on the red carpet.
 
2009 was an outstanding year for drama in London theatre and new plays and revivals of classics lead the pack in the nominations for the 2010 Laurence Olivier Awards.  Lucy Prebble's Enron and Jez Butterworth's Jerusalem have six nominations each and an unprecedented six productions being nominated for the Best Revival category including Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Misanthrope and A Streetcar Named Desire.
 
The 25 categories span theatre, dance and opera and each award will be hotly contested.  Nominees include: Melanie C, Mackenzie Crook, James Earl Jones, Keira Knightley, Jude Law, James McAvoy, Mark Rylance, Rachel Stirling, Rachel Weisz, Samuel West and Ruth Wilson.
 
In another first, the awards will be streamed live via the Laurence Olivier Awards website.  Theatre, dance and opera lovers will be able to watch the winners and performances as and when they happen by logging on to www.olivierawards.co.uk from 6.30pm on 21 March.
 
Voting for the Audience Award for Most Popular Show, the only award voted entirely by the public, will close on 17 March.  The five shows on the shortlist can be voted for at www.olivierawards.co.uk