Lange in line for Olivier

Jessica Lange plays tortured Mary Tyrone

Oscar-winner Jessica Lange has been nominated for the best actress prize at this year's Laurence Olivier theatre awards.

She is up against Julie Walters, Helen Mirren, Harriet Walter and Julia Ormond for the prize, which recognises achievements in the West End theatre.

Lange is shortlisted for her performance as a morphine-addicted matriarch in Eugene O'Neill's Long Day's Journey Into Night, which is playing at the Lyric theatre.

Best actor nominees include Sean Campion and Conleth Hill, who form the entire cast of Stones In His Pocket.

Musical battle

They face Michael Gambon, Bill Nighy, and Simon Russell Beale - who won best actor in a musical last year for his role in Candide at the National Theatre. This year he is recognised for his part in Hamlet at the same venue.

Lord Lloyd-Webber will battle it out with fellow impresario Cameron Mackintosh for the best new musical prize, with The Beautiful Game shortlisted alongside The Witches of Eastwick.

David Shannon and Josie Walker are also recognised for their roles in The Beautiful Game, while Joanna Riding gets a nod for her part in The Witches of Eastwick.

Arthur Miller's All My Sons has been nominated in six categories, including Howard Davies for best director, and Catherine McCormack for best supporting actress.

The Oliviers started as the Society of West End Theatre Awards in 1976, and became the Olivier Awards in 1984.

This year's awards will be hosted by Clive Anderson, and will take place on 23 February at the Lyceum Theatre.

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Main nominations:

BEST ACTRESS
Jessica Lange - Long Day's Journey Into Night
Helen Mirren - Orpheus Descending
Julia Ormond - My Zinc Bed
Harriet Walter - Life x 3
Julie Walters - All My Sons

BEST ACTOR
Sean Campion - Stones In His Pockets
Michael Gambon -The Caretaker
Conleth Hill - Stones In His Pockets
Bill Nighy - Blue/Orange
Simon Russell Beale - Hamlet

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Gillian Barge - Passion Play
Pauline Flanagan - Dolly West's Kitchen
Catherine McCormack - All My Sons
Marcia Warren - In Flame

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Ben Daniels - All My Sons
Chiwetel Ejiofor - Blue/Orange
Douglas Hodge -The Caretaker
Jason Watkins - A Servant To Two Masters

THE BBC AWARD FOR BEST NEW PLAY
Blue/Orange (by Joe Penhall)
Dolly West's Kitchen (by Frank McGuinness)
Life x 3 (by Yasmina Reza)
My Zinc Bed (by David Hare)

BEST NEW COMEDY
Cooking With Elvis (by Lee Hall)
House/Garden (by Alan Ayckbourn)
Peggy For You (by Alan Plater)
Stones In His Pockets (by Marie Jones)

BEST NEW MUSICAL
The Beautiful Game
Fosse
Merrily We Roll Along
The Witches of Eastwick

OUTSTANDING MUSICAL PRODUCTION
HMS Pinafore
Singin' In The Rain
The King And I
The Mikado
The Pirates of Penzance

BEST ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Daniel Evans - Merrily We Roll Along
Jimmy Johnston - The Pirates of Penzance
Paul Robinson - Singin' In The Rain
David Shannon - The Beautiful Game

BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Nicola Hughes - Fosse
Joanna Riding - The Witches of Eastwick
Samantha Spiro - Merrily We Roll Along
Josie Walker - The Beautiful Game

BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE IN A MUSICAL
Rosemary Ashe - The Witches of Eastwick
Rebecca Thornhill - Singin' In The Rain
Miles Western - Pageant
Taewon Yi Kim - The King And I

BEST DIRECTOR
Howard Davies - All My Sons
Michael Grandage - Passion Play
Nicholas Hytner - Orpheus Descending
Trevor Nunn - The Cherry Orchard
Ian Talbot - The Pirates of Penzance