In an unusual step, the panel of the 2014 Olivier Awards chose to jointly award both the Best Sound Design and the Best Lighting gongs. The awards, managed by the Society of London Theatre and representing for the most part London's West End, were presented at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden last night.

Chimerica, produced by the Almeida Theatre at both its home in Islington and in the West End at the Harold Pinter, held joint honours in both categories, with Carolyn Downing taking the Best Sound Design title, while Tim Lutkin & Finn Ross (right, with presenters Ed Watson and Samantha Barks) bagged the White Light Award for Best Lighting Design.

Lutkin & Ross shared the lighting design recognition with Paul Pyant & Jon Driscoll's work on Charlie & The Chocolate Factory at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, while Downing shared sound honors with Merrily We Roll Along's Gareth Owen.

Other technical awards presented at the event included Mark Thompson's prize for Best Costume for Charlie & The Chocolate Factory, and Es Devlin 's XL Video Award for Best Set Design win, again for Chimerica.

Nicks Hytner and Starr were recognised for their ten-year partnership at the National Theatre with a Special Award, which has seen hits such as War Horse, The History Boys and One Man, Two Guv'nors receive international acclaim. Other initiatives such as the hugely successful NT Live strand - showing National productions in regional and local cinemas  - and work on the NT's refurbishment have seen the pair preside over a period of enormous change at the organisation.

One of the other notable technical achievements of the evening was the recognition of lighting designer Michael Hulls's body of work in the form of the Outstanding Achievement in Dance Award, which includes Ballet Boyz - The Talent at Sadler's Wells.

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Photo: Society of London Theatre