Here are the nominees for the 1996 Laurence Olivier Awards, given for excellence in London theatre. The awards were bestowed in a ceremony Feb. 18 (see separate story).

"The Glass Menagerie" led the field with six nominations; "Skylight" has five. Judi Dench was nominated in two categories: Best Actress ("Absolute Hell") and Best Actress in a Musical ("A Little Night Music").

AMERICAN EXPRESS AWARD FOR BEST MUSICAL
"Fame: the Musical" by David de Silva, Jose Fernandez, Jacques Levy and Steve Margoshes
"The Hot Mikado" by Gilbert & Sullivan, with David H. Bell and Rob Bowman
"Jolson: the Musical" by Francis Essex and Rob Bettinson
"Mack & Mabel" by Jerry Herman and Michael Stewart

BBC AWARD for BEST PLAY
"Pentecost" by David Edgar
"Skylight" by David Hare
"The Steward of Christendom" by Sebastian Barry
"Taking Sides" by Ronald Harwood

BEST NEW COMEDY
"Communicating Doors" by Alan Ayckbourn
"Funny Money" by Ray Cooney
"Mojo" by Jez Butterworth

BEST ACTOR
Michael Gambon for "Skylight"
Alex Jennings for "Peer Gynt"
Daniel Massey for "Taking Sides"
Donal McCann for "The Steward of Christendom"

BEST ACTRESS
Judi Dench for "Absolute Hell"
Diana Rigg for "Mother Courage and Her Children"
Zoe Wanamaker for "The Glass Menagerie"
Lia Williams for "Skylight"

BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Judi Dench for "A Little Night Music"
Elizabeth Mansfield for "Marie"
Caroline O'Connor for "Mack & Mabel"
Elaine Paige for "Sunset Boulevard"

BEST ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Brian Conley for "Jolson: the Musical"
Ross Lehman for "Hot Mikado"
Adrian Lester for "Company"
Clarke Peters for "Unforgettable"

BEST DIRECTOR
Richard Eyre for "Skylight" and "La Grande Magia"
Sam Mendes for "Company" and "The Glass Menagerie"
Adrian Noble for "A Midsummer Night's Dream"
Matthew Warchus for "Volpone" and "Henry V"

BEST SET DESIGNER
John Gunter for "Absolute Hell," "Skylight" and "Twelfth Night"
Rob Howell for "The Glass Menagerie"
John Napier for "Burning Blue"
Anthony Ward for "A Midsummer Night's Dream," "La Grande Magia" and "The Way of the World"

BEST CHOREOGRAPHER
Lars Bethke for "Fame: the Musical"
Wayne MacGregor for "A Little Night Music"
Dein Perry for "Tap Dogs"

BEST COSTUME DESIGNER
Deirdre Clancy for "Absolute Hell" and "Twelfth Night"
Nicky Gillibrand for "A Little Night Music"
Richard Hudson for "Volpone"
Anthony Ward for "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and others

BEST LIGHTING DESIGNER
Mark Henderson for "Absolute Hell" and others
David Hersey for "Burning Blue" and others
Peter Mumford for "Richard II" and others
Chris Parry for "Midsummer Night's Dream" and others

BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE IN A MUSICAL
John Bennett in "Jolson: the Musical"
Sheila Gish in "Company"
Sian Phillips in "A Little Night Music"
Sophie Thompson in "Company"

BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE IN A PLAY
Ben Chaplin for "The Glass Menagerie"
Geraldine McEwan for "The Way of the World"
Simon Russell Beale for "Volpone"
Claire Skinner for "The Glass Menagerie"

Productions at the Royal National Theatre earned 28 nominations; those at the Royal Shakespeare Company earned 10.