The Noël Coward Award for Best Entertainment or Comedy Play is an annual award presented by the Society of London Theatre in recognition of the "world-class status of London theatre." The awards were established as the Society of West End Theatre Awards in 1976, and renamed in 1984 in honour of English actor and director Laurence Olivier.
The award was titled Comedy of the Year from its establishment in 1976 until 1990, was renamed to Best Comedy starting in 1991, Best New Comedy starting in 1999, then retitled to its current name for the 2020 Olivier Awards – when "Entertainment" was moved to join Best Comedy Play from the Best Entertainment and Family award, which was renamed Best Family Show at that same time.
Winners and nominees 1970s Year Play Writer 1976 Donkeys' Years Michael Frayn The Bed Before Yesterday Ben Travers Confusions Alan Ayckbourn Funny Peculiar Mike Stott 1977 Privates on Parade Peter Nichols Bedroom Farce Alan Ayckbourn Once a Catholic Mary O'Malley The Kingfisher William Douglas-Home 1978 Filumena Eduardo De Filippo, Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall Shut Your Eyes and Think of England John Chapman and Anthony Marriott Ten Times Table Alan Ayckbourn 1979 Middle-Age Spread Roger Hall Clouds Michael Frayn Outside Edge Richard Harris
1980s Year Play Writer 1980 Educating Rita Willy Russell Born in the Gardens Peter Nichols Make and Break Michael Frayn Sisterly Feelings Alan Ayckbourn 1981 Steaming Nell Dunn Anyone for Denis? John Wells Can't Pay? Won't Pay! Dario Fo On the Razzle Tom Stoppard 1982 Noises Off Michael Frayn Key for Two John Chapman and Dave Freeman Season's Greetings Alan Ayckbourn Trafford Tanzi Claire Luckham 1983 Daisy Pulls It Off Denise Deegan Beethoven's Tenth Peter Ustinov Run for Your Wife Ray Cooney Woza Albert! Barney Simon, Percy Mtwa and Mbongeni Ngema 1984 Up 'n' Under John Godber Gymslip Vicar Cliff Hanger Intimate Exchanges Alan Ayckbourn Two into One Ray Cooney 1985 A Chorus of Disapproval Alan Ayckbourn Bouncers John Godber Love's Labours Lost William Shakespeare Pravda Howard Brenton and David Hare 1986 When We Are Married J.B. Priestley Lend Me a Tenor Ken Ludwig The Merry Wives of Windsor William Shakespeare A Midsummer Night's Dream William Shakespeare 1987 Three Men on a Horse John Cecil Holm and George Abbott Groucho: A Life in Revue Arthur Marx and Robert Fisher A Midsummer Night's Dream William Shakespeare Twelfth Night William Shakespeare 1988 Shirley Valentine Willy Russell Henceforward... Alan Ayckbourn Separation Tom Kempinski The Common Pursuit Simon Gray 1989/90 Single Spies Alan Bennett Jeffrey Bernard is Unwell Keith Waterhouse Some Americans Abroad Richard Nelson Steel Magnolias Robert Harling
1990s Year Play Writer 1991 Out of Order Ray Cooney Gasping Ben Elton 1992 La Bête David Hirson An Evening with Gary Lineker Arthur Smith and Chris England It's Ralph Hugh Whitemore 1993 The Rise and Fall of Little Voice Jim Cartwright Lost in Yonkers Neil Simon On the Piste John Godber 1994 Hysteria Terry Johnson April in Paris John Godber The Life of Stuff Simon Donald Time of My Life Alan Ayckbourn 1995 My Night with Reg Kevin Elyot Beautiful Thing Jonathan Harvey Dead Funny Terry Johnson Neville's Island Tim Firth 1996 Mojo Jez Butterworth Communicating Doors Alan Ayckbourn Funny Money Ray Cooney 1997 'Art' Yasmina Reza The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield Laughter on the 23rd Floor Neil Simon 1998 Popcorn Ben Elton East is East Ayub Khan-Din A Skull in Connemara Martin McDonagh 1999 Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle and Dick Terry Johnson Alarms and Excursions Michael Frayn Love Upon the Throne Patrick Barlow, Martin Duncan and John Ramm Things We Do for Love Alan Ayckbourn
2000s Year Play Writer 2000 The Memory of Water Shelagh Stephenson Comic Potential Alan Ayckbourn Quartet Ronald Harwood 2001 Stones in His Pockets Marie Jones Cooking with Elvis Lee Hall House/Garden Alan Ayckbourn Peggy for You Alan Plater 2002 The Play What I Wrote Hamish McColl, Sean Foley and Eddie Braben Boston Marriage David Mamet Caught in the Net Ray Cooney Feelgood Alistair Beaton 2003 The Lieutenant of Inishmore Martin McDonagh RolePlay Alan Ayckbourn Dinner Moira Buffini Lobby Hero Kenneth Lonergan 2006 Heroes Gérald Sibleyras and Tom Stoppard Glorious! Peter Quilter Shoot the Crow Owen McCafferty 2007 The 39 Steps Patrick Barlow, Simon Corble and Nobby Dimon Don Juan in Soho Patrick Marber Love Song John Kolvenbach 2008 Rafta, Rafta... Bill Naughton and Ayub Khan-Din Absurdia: The Crimson Hotel Michael Frayn Elling Simon Bent Whipping It Up Stephen Thompson 2009 God of Carnage Yasmina Reza Fat Pig Neil LaBute The Female of the Species Joanna Murray-Smith
2010s Year Play Writer 2010 The Priory Michael Wynne Calendar Girls Tim Firth England People Very Nice Richard Bean Parlour Song Jez Butterworth 2014 Jeeves and Wooster in Perfect Nonsense Robert Goodale and David Goodale The Duck House Dan Patterson and Colin Swash The Full Monty Simon Beaufoy The Same Deep Water as Me Nick Payne 2015 The Play That Goes Wrong Henry Shields, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Lewis Handbagged Moira Buffini Shakespeare in Love Marc Norman, Tom Stoppard and Lee Hall 2016 Nell Gwynn Jessica Swale A Christmas Carol Patrick Barlow Hand to God Robert Askins Peter Pan Goes Wrong Henry Shields, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Lewis 2017Our Ladies of Perpetual SuccourLee HallThe Comedy About a Bank Robbery Henry Shields, Jonathan Sayer and Henry LewisNice FishMark Rylance and Louis JenkinsThe TruthFlorian Zeller in a version by Christopher Hampton2018Labour of LoveJames GrahamDry PowderSarah BurgessMischief Movie NightMischief TheatreThe MiserMolière in an adaptation by Sean Foley and Phil Porter 2019Home, I'm DarlingLaura WadeNine NightNatasha GordonQuizJames Graham
2020s Year Play Writer2020EmiliaMorgan Lloyd MalcolmFleabagPhoebe Waller-BridgeMagic Goes Wrong Henry Shields, Jonathan Sayer and Henry LewisThe Upstart CrowBen Elton 2021 Not presented due to extended closing of theatre productions during COVID-19 pandemic2022Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of)Isobel McArthurThe Choir of ManNic Doodson, Andrew Kay, Jack Blume, Ben Norris, Freddie HuddlestonPantoland at the PalladiumMichael HarrisonThe Shark Is BrokenJoseph Nixon and Ian Shaw2023My Neighbour TotoroTom Morton-SmithJack and the BeanstalkMichael HarrisonMy Son's a Queer (But What Can You Do?)Rob MadgeOne Woman ShowLiz Kingsman2024Stranger Things: The First ShadowKate TrefryAccidental Death of an AnarchistDario Fo & Franca Rame, adapted by Tom BasdenStephen Sondheim's Old FriendsStephen SondheimVardy V Rooney: The Wagatha Christie Trialadapted by Liv Hennessy2025TitaniqueTye Blue, Marla Mindelle, & Constantine RousouliBallet Shoesadapted by Kendall FeaverInside No. 9 Stage/FrightSteve Pemberton & Reece ShearsmithSpirited Awayadapted by John Caird & co-adapted by Maoko Imai2026Oh, Mary!Cole EscolaThe Comedy about SpiesHenry Lewis and Henry ShieldsEvery Brilliant ThingDuncan Macmillan with Jonny DonahoeParanormal ActivityOren Peli, adapted by Levi Holloway
See also Critics' Circle Theatre Award for Best New Play Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Play Tony Award for Best Play
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