History
Commonly referred to simply as the Olivier Awards, awards are presented annually across a range of categories covering plays, musicals, dance, opera and affiliate theatre. The majority of the awards are presented for the high profile commercial productions seen in the large theatres of London's West End, which is commonly known as Theatreland.
The awards were first established in 1976 as The Society of West End Theatre Awards, however in 1984, the renowned British actor Lord Olivier gave consent for the awards to be renamed in his honour and they became known as the Laurence Olivier Awards. The awards are managed and financed by The Society of London Theatre. In Broadway theatre, the equivalent of the Olivier Award is the Tony Award.
Read more about this topic: Laurence Olivier Award
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