Old Vic's Vivien Wallace Among 2019 Olivier Award Special Recognition Recipients

Ahead of the 2019 Olivier Awards, four Special Recognition Awards were presented to celebrated contributors to the London theater scene on March 8. The newly anointed honorees include Vivien Wallace, The Old Vic's former Executive Director of Development; Bendy Ashfield, Royal Opera House Apprenticeships Manager; Linford Hudson, long-serving London Palladium Follow Spot Operator; and the late Bob Thomas, a renowned theater accountant who died in 2018.

"Theater is about so much more than what happens on stage," said Julian Bird, Chief Executive of Society of London Theatre and Executive Producer of the Olivier Awards. "The Society of London Theatre is proud to recognize these four inspirational individuals, who, in the course of their incredible careers, have all changed the industry for the better in very different ways."

The awards were presented during an Olivier Awards nominees celebration at The May Fair Hotel in London. Producer and Society of London Theatre President Kenny Wax presented Ashfield's award, Wallace received hers from Old Vic Executive Director Kate Varah and composer Andrew Lloyd Webber presented Hudson's. Thomas' posthumous award was given to family members by producer Peter Wilson.

The Olivier Awards celebration will take place on April 7 at the Royal Albert Hall, in a ceremony to be hosted by Jason Manford. The full list of nominations for competitive categories can be found here.