Stars eye Laurence Olivier Awards (From News Shopper)

Stars eye Laurence Olivier Awards

3:07am Sunday 21st March 2010 in

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Jude Law, Keira Knightley and a host of other Hollywood stars are vying to pick up prestigious theatre gongs at the Laurence Olivier Awards.

The best actor category sees Law and James McAvoy locked in battle with Darth Vader actor James Earl Jones.

The 79-year-old star, who voiced Vader in the Star Wars movies, has been nominated for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.

Law is up for best actor for Hamlet, an award-winning role which went down a storm on Broadway as well as in London.

McAvoy said previously that he was "absolutely delighted" with his nomination, which he received for Three Days of Rain.

Mark Rylance, Ken Stott and Samuel West round off the list, which is one of several to have been lengthened due to an "outstanding" year for drama in London theatre.

Knightley has received a supporting actress nomination for her debut West End stage performance in The Misanthrope, a category which includes Hayley Atwell for A View from the Bridge.

Meanwhile, Melanie C - aka Sporty Spice - has a best actress in a musical nod for Blood Brothers and Rowan Atkinson is in the running for best actor in a musical for his portrayal of Fagin in Oliver!.

The best actress section sees Gillian Anderson recognised for her role in A Doll's House, alongside Lorraine Burroughs for The Mountaintop, Imelda Staunton for Entertaining Mr Sloane at Trafalgar, Juliet Stevenson for Duet for One, and Oscar winner Rachel Weisz for playing fading beauty Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire.