Sweeney Todd Stars Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton to Host 2012 Olivier Awards

Michael Ball and Imedla Staunton, who co-star in the West End-bound revival of Sweeney Todd, will host the 2012 Olivier Awards at the Royal Opera House in London on April 15. Established in 1976, the Laurence Olivier Awards celebrate the world-class status of London’s theatre and are Britain’s most prestigious stage honors. Nominees for the 36th Olivier Awards will be announced on March 15.

Ball won the 2008 Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his role as Edna Turnblad in Hairspray. His other major credits include Les Miserables, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Aspects of Love and The Woman in White. Staunton is best known for her film and television roles including Up the Garden Path, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and her Oscar-nominated turn in Vera Drake. She received Olivier Awards for The Corn is Green and Into the Woods. Ball and Staunton also co-hosted the 2011 Olivier ceremony. 

The live show will air on the BBC as well be broadcast at an Olivier celebration in New York, attended by British stars currently on Broadway as well as high-profile industry figures. In addition to the New York and London events, the awards will host a public celebration in Covent Garden piazza which will feature live performances from some of the West End’s biggest hits. The Covent Garden event will be hosted by Neil Fox and Louise Dearman.