2011 Olivier Awards Set for March 13, 2011

The 35th Laurence Olivier Awards, the most prestigious event in Britain's theatrical calendar, will be presented at the iconic Theatre Royal, Drury Lane on Sunday 13 March 2011 and will receive extensive coverage on BBC News on TV, radio and online.

The Society of London Theatre is seizing a rare opportunity to stage the Awards in London's biggest and oldest playhouse and promises a glamorous and spectacular night to celebrate the world-class talent of London's theatre. International stars of stage and screen will present the Awards during a ceremony which will comprise unique theatrical entertainment especially created for the 2011 Oliviers, backed by the BBC Concert Orchestra performing live on stage.

Building on this year's successful collaboration with BBC Radio 2, the 2011 Awards will see the return of the Audience Award for the Most Popular Show, for which the public will be invited to vote in early 2011. The full nominations for all the Awards will be announced in early February.

Commenting on the return of the Oliviers to the heart of Theatreland, Nica Burns, President of the Society of London Theatre, said:

"We are thrilled that the Oliviers are back in such a beautiful and historic theatre, which is symbolic of the central part that theatre has played in the life of the capital since Shakespeare's day. When all seems doom and gloom, London's theatre goes from strength to strength. I am delighted that the BBC is giving the Awards the major coverage they truly deserve. British theatre is the envy of the world and we expect the 2011 Awards to be a triumph!"

Today is also the closing deadline for applications to join the professional judges on the 2012 Laurence Olivier Awards Panel. For nearly 35 years, ten members of the public have traditionally been selected for a place on one of the independent judging panels, reviewing theatre, opera or dance. Further application details are available at www.olivierawards.co.uk, or via email awards@solttma.co.uk.

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