Voted for entirely by the public, the new award for 2010 is for the country’s favourite long-running London show of 2009. Members of the public can now choose their favourite by clicking onto the organisers of the Laurence Olivier Awards website.

This new category is for shows which opened before 1 January 2009 and ran throughout 2009. For all other categories, only shows that opened during 2009 are eligible for the 2010 awards. The eligible productions for the Laurence Olivier Audience Award 2010 are:

  • Blood Brothers
  • Hairspray
  • Jersey Boys
  • Mamma Mia
  • La Cage Aux Folles
  • War Horse
  • Les Misérables
  • The 39 Steps
  • Dirty Dancing - The Classic Story On Stage
  • The Woman in Black
  • The Mousetrap
  • Avenue Q
  • Grease
  • Stomp
  • Billy Elliot - The Musical
  • The Phantom of the Opera
  • Wicked
  • The Lion King
  • Chicago
  • We Will Rock You

Voters will have until 12 noon on Monday 1 February to make their choice. The list of 20 eligible shows will then be whittled down to a shortlist. The nominated productions in the category will be announced alongside the other eagerly anticipated Laurence Olivier Award nominations in the week commencing Monday 8 February. A second stage of voting, which will open once the nominations have been announced, will give theatregoers the chance to choose the overall winner.

Anyone who votes on the first round will automatically be entered into a prize draw to win a pair of money-can’t-buy tickets to the star-studded Laurence Olivier Award ceremony, which will be held at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London, on Sunday 21 March 2010.

Laurence Olivier Awards: key dates for 2010
Nominations: w/c 8 February 2010
Nominees’ lunch: 2 March 2010
Winner ceremony: Sunday 21 March 2010

The Laurence Olivier Awards were created in 1976 as The Society of West End Theatre Awards to recognise excellence on the London stage, and became The Laurence Olivier Awards in 1984 when Lord Olivier agreed to have his name associated with them. Since then, winners have included a roll-call of legendary names and the awards event attracts high profile and extensive media coverage

The awards now include 24 categories, although they are not all given each year: 18 for theatre, two for opera, two for dance, one for productions presented by SOLT’s (Society of London Theatre) affiliate members and the new Laurence Olivier Audience Award in 2010