Jewish talent was front and centre at the 2025 Olivier Awards last night at the Royal Albert Hall. From fearless new writing to reimagined classics,  Jewish creatives were at the heart of the celebration of the West End’s brightest lights.
Elliot Levey wins second Olivier as Best Supporting Actor in Giant
Among many standout moments, Jewish actor Elliot Levey won Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Tom Maschler, Roald Dahl’s Jewish publisher, in the new play Giant. The production directed by Sir Nicholas Hytner also earned Jewish playwright Mark Rosenblatt the Olivier for Best New Play, while John Lithgow was awarded Best Actor for his commanding performance as Dahl himself. Levey won his first Olivier in 2022 for his role as Herr Schultz in the West End revival of Cabaret.
Fiddler on the Roof at Regents Park
Fiddler on the Roof,  had eleven nominations  and there was an electrifying performance of the bottle dance from the wedding scene before Jewish director Jordan Fein’s Regents Park production won Best Revival of a Musical as well as Best Set Design by Tom Scutt  and  Best Sound Design by Nick Lidster.
Simon Lipkin as Fagin in a kippah with his name in Hebrew
Simon Lipkin, nominated for Best Actor in a Musical for his role as Fagin, wowed the audience with a live performance of Reviewing the Situation from Lionel Bart’s Oliver!. The production was also nominated for Best Revival, serving as a timely and joyful reminder of Bart’s enduring legacy and joining Oliver! in the revival category was Jerry Herman’s Hello, Dolly! , which earned Imelda Staunton the Best Actress in a Musicalaward for her performance as Dolly Levi. The production also marked a reunion between Staunton and Jewish director Dominic Cooke, who previously directed her in the National Theatre’s critically acclaimed revival of Follies in 2017.
The award for Best Director  went to Eline Arbo for The Years, which was produced by Sonia Friedman, who has a long-standing reputation for championing new work as does producer Kenny Wax who brought Why Am I So Single? by Jewish composer Toby Marlow and his co-writer Lucy Moss to the stage, and had the joy of seeing it nominated in the Best New Musical category.
Another emotional high point came with a special performance of Les Misérables, marking the 40th anniversary of the beloved musical created by Jewish composer and lyricist Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil. The Olivier Awards 2025 made one thing resoundingly clear: Jewish talent isn’t just thriving—it’s leading the way.
