Olivier Awards highlights

New musical Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and the revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along lead the list with seven nominations.

The Book of Mormon and The Scottsboro Boys each received six nominations.

In the coveted categories of Best Actor and Best Actress, Jude Law and Judi Dench receive nominations for their performances in 'Henry V' and 'Peter and Alice' respectively, both part of the successful Michael Grandage Season at the Noël Coward Theatre, which receives four acting nominations in total.

'Peter and Alice' is based on a meeting between Alice Liddell Hargreaves (the inspiration behind Alice in Wonderland) and Peter Llewellyn Davies (a protege of J M Barrie and who gave the name for the character Peter Pan) at the opening of a Lewis Carroll exhibition in London in 1932.

They compete with Tom Hiddleston, Henry Goodman and Rory Kinnear for Best Actor, and Anna Chancellor, Lesley Manville and Hayley Atwell for Best Actress.