This year's host, Catherine Tate, is perhaps best known for her roles alongside David Tennant in Doctor Who and in the stage production of Much Ado About Nothing. She has already proven herself more than capable of presenting for a big-time television programme when she co-hosted with Tennant for BBC Two's Shakespeare Live! From the RSC back in 2016.
The actress expressed her excitement on the revelation, quoted as saying, "It's my pleasure to be involved in this exciting and inspiring event."
As for the awards themselves, it's expected to be a very tight race for Best New Musical this year at the UK's most prestigious stage honours, which is set to take place at the Royal Albert Hall on Sunday, 8 April 2018. A strong contender for the award is Everybody's Talking About Jamie, which already snatched three WhatsOnStage awards last week, including Best New Musical, Best Actor in a Musical (John McCrea) and Best Supporting Actress in a Musical (Lucie Shorthouse). This smash hit is currently playing at the Apollo Theatre until 6 October 2018 and is among the most sought-after tickets in London theatre this year.
Another tip for winner of Best New Musical is Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton, which won a Grammy for Best Musical Theater and a Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Rachelle Ann Go has also received critical acclaim for her portrayal of Eliza Schuyler.
Other contenders for Best New Musical include An American in Paris and Mel Brooks' cult classic Young Frankenstein, which is now playing at the Garrick Theatre. Cory English recently took on the role of Igor in place of Ross Noble, who won for Best Supporting Actor at the 18th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards shortly after leaving the production to prepare for his El Hablador standup comedy tour.
Nominees for the 2018 Olivier Awards will be officially announced live through Facebook on Monday, 6 March at 1pm. Stay tuned for more news and updates.