Olivier Awards: Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812

Olivier Awards: Natasha Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812

At the 2025 Olivier Awards, Maimuna Memon won Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical for her performance in “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812,” . While the musical itself received six nominations.

An exciting and stimulating show it is amazing to watch with a talented team of performers on stage.

The pithy, one-line character summaries in the opening song of Dave Malloy’s compressed musical of War and Peace. This takes some serious creative liberties with Leo Tolstoy’s four-volume, 15-book, doorstop of a story about love. Also friendship and life during the Napoleonic wars.

Tim Sheader directs this dynamic new production, which has stratospheric levels of energy.

The music is strong, with wavering accordion and violins, along with deep-throated cellos, and the musicians blasting it out seem key to the excitement and drama.

The emotion, when it comes late in the day, brings back a cresting brilliance. It may not quite be up there with Hamilton or Six but this is a terrific creation and at its best it soars.

At the Donmar Warehouse, London between December 2024 and February 2025.