James Corden and Jude Law set for Olivier Awards battle

James Corden in One Man, Two Guvnors at the NT Lyttelton (Getty)

Gavin and Stacey star James Corden is up against Jude Law for a prestigious theatrical award.

The pair are both in the running for the Best Actor gong at this year's Olivier Awards.

Among the other names shortlisted for the award are Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller for their shared roles in the National Theatre production of Frankenstein.

Corden has been widely praised by the critics for his performance in the comedy One Man, Two Guvnors which has been a huge West End hit.

Law was nominated for his role in Anna Christie.

The awards will be handed out on April 15 at a ceremony at the Royal Opera House in London.

There was a strong showing by Matilda the Musical which picked up 10 nominations - the maximum number for a stage musical this year.

Among the nominations for the show - inspired by the Roald Dahl story - were nods for Best Director, Best Actor in a Musical and a collective nomination for Best Actress in a Musical for the four young performers who take the title role.

They are up against performers including former Coronation Street star Sarah Lancashire for the prize.

Among the names nominated for Best Actress are Kristin Scott Thomas, Celia Imrie and Ruth Wilson who was recently romantically linked to her Anna Christie co-star Depp.

Mark Rubinstein, president of the Society of London Theatre, said: "We are thrilled to announce the incredibly talented list of nominees for the Olivier Awards 2012 with MasterCard. It is truly representative of our diverse world-class London theatre across both the commercial and subsidised sectors, which continues to delight thousands of Londoners and visitors every day."

Nancy Carroll and Roger Allam, who won Best Actress and Best Actor respectively at the awards last year, announced the nominations in London today.

The ceremony, properly known as the 2012 Olivier awards with Mastercard, will be hosted by Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton.

The event will be shown on a big screen in Covent Garden, London, and be broadcast on BBC Radio 2 and on BBC television via the red button.

It will also feature a live link-up to New York with British stars performing on Broadway.

The full list of nominees for the 2012 Olivier Awards is as follows:

Best New Play

Collaborators at the NT Cottesloe

Jumpy at the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court

The Ladykillers at the Gielgud

One Man, Two Guvnors at the NT Lyttelton

Best Revival

Anna Christie at the Donmar Warehouse

Flare Path at the Theatre Royal Haymarket

Much Ado About Nothing at the Wyndham’s

Noises Off at the Old Vic

Best Entertainment & Family

Derren Brown – Svengali at the Shaftesbury

Midnight Tango at the Aldwych

Potted Potter at the Garrick

The Tiger Who Came To Tea at the Vaudeville

Best Actress

Celia Imrie for Noises Off at the Old Vic

Lesley Manville for Grief at the Cottesloe

Kristin Scott Thomas for Betrayal at the Harold Pinter

Marcia Warren for The Ladykillers at the Gielgud

Ruth Wilson for Anna Christie at the Donmar Warehouse

Best Actor

James Corden for One Man, Two Guvnors at the NT Lyttelton

Benedict Cumberbatch & Jonny Lee Miller for Frankenstein at the NT Olivier

David Haig for The Madness of George III at the Apollo

Douglas Hodge for Inadmissable Evidence at the Donmar Warehouse

Jude Law for Anna Christie at the Donmar Warehouse

Best Performance in a Supporting Role

Mark Addy for Collaborators at the NT Cottesloe

Oliver Chris for One Man, Two Guvnors at the NT Lyttelton

Johnny Flynn for Jerusalem at the Apollo

Bryony Hannah for The Children’s Hour at the Harold Pinter

Sheridan Smith for Flare Path at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket

Best Actress in a Musical

Kate Fleetwood for London Road at the NT Cottesloe

Sarah Lancashire for Betty Blue Eyes at the Novello

The Matildas for Matilda the Musical at the Cambridge

Scarlett Strallen for Singin’ In The Rain at the Palace

Best Actor in a Musical

Bertie Carvel for Matilda the Musical at the Cambridge

Nigel Lindsay for Shrek the Musical at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane

Reece Shearsmith for Betty Blue Eyes at the Novello

Paulo Szot for South Pacific at the Barbican

Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical

Sharon D Clarke for Ghost the Musical at the Piccadilly

Sophie-Louise Dann for Lend Me A Tenor the Musical at the Gielgud

Nigel Harman for Shrek the Musical at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane

Paul Kaye for Matilda the Musical at the Cambridge

Katherine Kingsley for Singin’ In The Rain at the Palace

Best New Musical

Betty Blue Eyes at the Novello

Ghost the Musical at the Piccadilly

London Road at the NT Cottesloe

Matilda the Musical at the Cambridge

Shrek the Musical at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane

Best Musical Revival

Crazy for You at the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Singin' In The Rain at the Palace

South Pacific at the Barbican

The Wizard of Oz at the London Palladium

Best Director

Sean Foley for The Ladykillers at the Gielgud

Nicholas Hytner for One Man, Two Guvnors at the NT Lyttelton

Rufus Norris for London Road at the NT Cottesloe

Matthew Warchus for Matilda the Musical at the Cambridge

Best Theatre Choreography

Peter Darling for Matilda the Musical at the Cambridge

Javier De Frutos for London Road at the NT Cottesloe

Stephen Mear for Crazy For You at the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Andrew Wright for Singin’ In The Rain at the Palace

Best Lighting Design

Anna Christie designed by Howard Harrison at the Donmar Warehouse

Frankenstein designed by Bruno Poet at the NT Olivier

Ghost the Musical designed by Hugh Vanstone at the Piccadilly

Matilda the Musical designed by Hugh Vanstone at the Cambridge

Best Set Design

Ghost the Musical designed by Rob Howell at the Piccadilly

The Ladykillers designed by Michael Taylor at the Gielgud

Matilda the Musical designed Rob Howell at the Cambridge

One Man, Two Guvnors designed by Mark Thompson at the NT Lyttelton

Best Costume Design

Crazy for You designed by Peter McKintosh at the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Matilda the Musical designed by Rob Howell at the Cambridge

Shrek the Musical designed by Tim Hatley at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane

South Pacific designed by Catherine Zuber at the Barbican

Best Sound Designer

Ghost the Musical designed by Bobby Aitken at the Piccadilly

Frankenstein designed by Underworld and Ed Clarke at the NT Olivier

The Ladykillers designed by Ben Ringham and Max Ringham at the Gielgud

Matilda the Musical designed by Simon Baker at the Cambridge

Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre

The Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester for Mogadishu at the Lyric Hammersmith

Royal, Stratford East in association with the Barbican and Traverse Theatre for Roadkill

The Donmar Warehouse for Salt, Root and Roe at the Trafalgar Studios 2

The Royal Court for The Village Bike at the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs

Best New Opera Production

English National Opera’s Castor and Pollux at the London Coliseum

English National Opera’s A Midsummer Night's Dream at the London Coliseum English

National Opera’s The Passenger at the London Coliseum

ROH2’s Clemency (in association with Scottish Opera) at the Linbury Studio, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden

Outstanding Achievement in Opera

ENO for the breadth and diversity of its artistic programme

Amanda Holden for her translation of Castor and Pollux at the London Coliseum

Richard Jones his direction of Anna Nicole and Il Trittico at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and The Tales of Hoffman at the London Coliseum

Mark-Anthony Turnage for his composition of Anna Nicole at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and Twice Through the Heart at Sadler’s Wells

Outstanding Achievement in Dance

The Deign Team for their work on the Royal Ballet’s Alice's Adventures in Wonderland at the Royal Opera House

Edward Watson for his performance in The Metamorphosis at the Linbury Studio at the Royal Opera House

Sylvie Guillem for her performance in her production of 6000 Miles Away at Sadler’s Wells

Tommy Franzen for his performance in ZooNation’s Some Like It Hip Hop at the Peacock

Best New Dance Production

Desh by Akram Khan Company at Sadler’s Wells, choreographed by Akram Khan

Gardenia by Les Ballets C de la B at Sadler’s Wells, directed by Alain Platel and Frank van Laecke

The Metamorphosis by ROH2 at the Linbury Studio, choreographed by Arthur Pita

Some Like It Hip Hop by ZooNation at the Peacock, choreographed by Kate Prince, Tommy Franzen and Carrie-Anne Ingrouille

PA