See Olivier Awards for more information about the awards and a full list of categories and winners.
The Laurence Olivier Awards are a series of awards presented annually by The Society of London Theatre. They are presented in recognition of achievements in commercial British theatre, most notably plays and musicals in the West End of London, an area commonly referred to as "Theatreland". The awards were established as the Society of West End Theatre Awards in 1976 and, in 1984 they were renamed in honour of the renowned British actor Lord Olivier. The Olivier Awards are the most prestigious theatrical awards in the United Kingdom and are the UK equivalent of the Tony Awards.
This list comprises the winners and nominees of the now obsolete Best Comedy Performance category.
1970s
Vorlage:Col-begin Vorlage:Col-break 1976[1] Penelope Keith for Donkey's Years
- Peter Barkworth for Crown Matrimonial
- Richard Beckinsale for Funny Peculiar
- Geraldine McEwan for Oh Coward
1977 Denis Quilley for Privates on Parade
- Jane Carr for Once a Catholic
- Joan Hickson for Bedroom Farce
- Leslie Phillips for Sextet
Vorlage:Col-break 1978 Ian McKellen for The Alchemist
- Sheila Hancock for Annie
- Geraldine McEwan for Look after Lulu
- Donald Sinden for Shut Your Eyes and Think of England
1979 Barry Humphries for A Night with Dame Edna
- Richard Griffiths for Once in a Lifetime
- Oscar James for Gloo Joo
- Maureen Lipman for Outside Edge
1980s
Vorlage:Col-begin Vorlage:Col-break 1980 Beryl Reid for Born in the Gardens
- Edward Duke for Jeeves Takes Charge
- Ben Kingsley for The Merry Wives of Windsor
- Julie Walters for Educating Rita
1981 Rowan Atkinson for Rowan Atkinson in Revue
- Georgina Hale for Steaming
- Donald Sinden for Present Laughter
- Angela Thorne for Anyone for Denis?
1982 Geoffrey Hutchings for Poppy
- Jane Carr for A Midsummer Night's Dream
- Paul Eddington for Noises Off
- Bill Paterson for Schweyk
1983 Griff Rhys Jones for Charley's Aunt
- Susan Colverd for The Provok'd Wife
- Michael Hordern for The Rivals
- Peter Ustinov for Beethoven's Tenth
1984 Maureen Lipman for See How They Run
- Lavinia Bertram for Intimate Exchanges
- Leonard Rossiter for Loot
- Michael Williams for Two Into One
Vorlage:Col-break 1985 Michael Gambon for A Chorus of Disapproval
- Roger Rees for Love's Labours Lost
- Griff Rhys Jones for Trumpets and Raspberries
- Maggie Smith for The Way of the World
1986 Bil Fraser for When We Are Married
- Brian Cox for Misalliance
- Nigel Hawthorne for The Magistrate
- Paul Scofield for I'm Not Rappaport
1987 John Woodvine for The Henry's
- Frank Ferrante for Groucho
- Geoffrey Hutchings for Three Men on a Horse
- Lee Marsden for Groucho
1988 Alex Jennings for Two Clever By Half
- Kenneth Branagh for As You Like it
- Lesley Sharp for A Family Affair
- Sian Thomas for Countrymania
1989/90 Michael Gambon for Man of the Moment
- Alex Jennings for The Liar
- Alfred Molina for Speed-the-Plow
- Peter O'Toole for Jeffrey Bernard is Unwell
1990s
Vorlage:Col-begin Vorlage:Col-break 1991 Alan Cumming for Accidental Death of an Anarchist
- Richard Briers for The Wind in the Willows
- Griff Rhys Jones for The Wind in the Willows
- Joseph Maher for What the Butler Saw
1992 Desmond Barrit for The Comedy of Errors
- Robin Bailey for Black Snow
- Alan Cumming for La Bete
- Lia Williams for The Revengers
1993 Simon Cadell for Travels With My Aunt
- Sara Crowe for Hay Fever
- Guy Henry for The Alchemist
- Robert Lindsay for Cyrano de Bergerac
Vorlage:Col-break 1994 Griff Rhys Jones for An Absolute Turkey
- Ken Campbell for Jamais Vu
- Nicholas Le Prevost for An Absolute Turkey
- Maggie Smith for The Importance of Being Earnest
1995 Niall Buggy for Deaf Funny
- Nigel Hawthorne for The Clandestine Marriage
- Tony Slattery for Neville's Island
- Debra Gillett for The Country Wife