West End hit Hairspray has received a record 11 nominations at the Laurence Olivier Awards.

Its star, Leanne Jones, is a contender for best actress in a musical for her role as Tracy Turnblad.

The 22-year-old from Romford, Essex, had never appeared on the professional stage before landing the part and was working in a Halifax bank call centre this time last year.

Hairspray is adapted from the cult John Waters film and set in Sixties Baltimore, where the teenage Tracy dreams of landing a spot on a local TV dance show.

Its other nominations include best new musical and best actor in a musical for Michael Ball, who is virtually unrecognisable in his role as Tracy's mother, Edna.

The stage version of The Lord Of The Rings is also a best new musical contender, despite mixed reviews.

The JRR Tolkien adaptation - the most expensive West End show in history - also has nominations for best lighting, set design, costume and sound.

In the best actor category, three Shakespearean actors will battle it out. Sir Ian McKellen as King Lear, Patrick Stewart as Macbeth and Chiwetel Ejiofor as Othello have each been nominated, alongside Mark Rylance for Boeing Boeing and John Simm for Elling.

The best actress contenders are Anne-Marie Duff for Saint Joan, Kelly Reilly for Othello, Kristin Scott Thomas for The Seagull, Fiona Shaw for Happy Days and Penelope Wilton for John Gabriel Borkman.

Michael Morpurgo's War Horse and an adaptation of DBC Pierre's Booker Prize-winning novel Vernon God Little are nominated for best new play.

Young Rada graduate Tom Hiddleston has a double nomination in the best newcomer category, for his performances in Cymbeline and Othello.

The 32nd annual Laurence Olivier Awards take place on March 9 at London's Grosvenor House Hotel, presented by actor Richard E Grant.

Full List of Nominations

Best Actress
Anne-Marie Duff - Saint Joan (Olivier Theatre)
Kelly Reilly - Othello (Donmar Warehouse)
Kristin Scott Thomas - The Seagull (Royal Court)
Fiona Shaw - Happy Days (Lyttelton Theatre)
Penelope Wilton - John Gabriel Borkman (Donmar Warehouse)

Best Actor
Chiwetel Ejiofor - Othello (Donmar Warehouse)
Sir Ian McKellen - King lear (New London Theatre)
Mark Rylance - Boeing Boeing (Comedy Theatre)
John Simm - Elling (Trafalgar Studios)
Patrick Stewart - Macbeth (Gielgud Theatre)

Best Performance in a Supporting Role
Michelle Fairley - Othello (Donmar Warehouse)
Pam Ferris - The Entertainer (Old Vic)
Conleth Hill - Philistines (Lyttelton Theatre)
Rory Kinnear - The Man of Mode (Olivier Theatre)

Best Newcomer in a Play
David Dawson - The Life And Adventures Of Nicholas Nickleby (Gielgud Theatre)
Tom Hiddleston - Cymbeline (Barbican Theatre)
Tom Hiddleston - Othello (Donmar Warehouse)
Stephen Wight - Dealer's Choice (Trafalgar Studios)

Best New Play
A Disappearing Number (Barbican Theatre)
The Reporter (Cottesloe Theatre)
Vernon God Little (Young Vic)
War Horse (Olivier Theatre)

Best New Comedy
Absurdia: The Crimson Hotel (Donmar Warehouse)
Elling (Trafalgar Studios)
Rafta Rafta (Lyttelton Theatre)
Whipping It Up (New Ambassadors Theatre)

Best Revival
Boeing Boeing (Comedy Theatre)
Dealer's Choice (Trafalgar Studios)
Macbeth (Gielgud Theatre)
Saint Joan (Olivier Theatre)
The Seagull (Royal Court)

Best New Musical
The Drowsy Chaperone (Novello Theatre)
Hairspray (Shaftesbury Theatre)
The Lord of the Rings (Theatre Royal, Drury Lane)
Parade (Donmar Warehouse)

Best Musical Revival
Fiddler On The Roof (Savoy Theatre)
Little Shop Of Horrors (Duke of York's/Ambassadors Theatre)
The Magic Flute - Impempe Yomlingo (Young Vic)

Best Actress in a Musical
Leanne Jones - Hairspray (Shaftesbury Theatre)
Lara Pulver - Parade (Donmar Warehouse)
Sheridan Smith - Little Shop Of Horrors (Duke of York's/Ambassadors Theatre)
Summer Strallen - The Drowsy Chaperone (Novello Theatre)

Best Actor in a MusicalMichael Ball - Hairspray (Shaftesbury Theatre)
Bertie Carvel - Parade (Donmar Warehouse)
Henry Goodman - Fiddler On The Roof (Savoy Theatre)
Bob Martin - The Drowsy Chaperone (Novello Theatre)

Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical
Tracie Bennett - Hairspray (Shaftesbury Theatre)
Elinor Collett - Hairspray (Shaftesbury Theatre)
Shaun Escoffery - Parade (Donmar Warehouse)
Alistair McGowan - Little Shop Of Horrors (Duke of York's/Ambassadors Theatre)

Best Director
Rob Ashford - Parade (Donmar Warehouse)
Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris - War Horse (Olivier Theatre)
Rupert Goold - Macbeth (Gielgud Theatre)
Jack O'Brien - Hairspray (Shaftesbury Theatre)

Best Theatre Choreographer
Rob Ashford - Parade (Donmar Warehouse)
Jerry Mitchell - Hairspray (Shaftesbury Theatre)
Casey Nicholaw - The Drowsy Chaperone (Novello Theatre)
Toby Sedgwick - War Horse (Olivier Theatre)

Best Lighting Design
Hairspray (Shaftesbury Theatre)
The Lord Of The Rings (Theatre Royal, Drury Lane)
Macbeth (Gielgud Theatre)
War Horse (Olivier Theatre)

Best Set Design
Hairspray (Shaftesbury Theatre)
The Lord Of The Rings (Theatre Royal, Drury Lane)
Macbeth (Gielgud Theatre)
War Horse (Olivier Theatre)

Best Costume Design
The Drowsy Chaperone (Novello Theatre)
Hairspray (Shaftesbury Theatre)
The Lord Of The Rings (Theatre Royal, Drury Lane)
The Man Of Mode (Olivier Theatre)

Best Sound Design
Hairspray (Shaftesbury Theatre)
The Lord of the Rings (Theatre Royal, Drury Lane)
Parade (Donmar Warehouse)
Saint Joan (Olivier Theatre)
War Horse (Olivier Theatre)

Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre
The Brothers Size (Young Vic)
Cinderella (Theatre Royal, Stratford East)
Gone Too Far (Royal Court)
The cast of That Face (Royal Court)

Best New Opera Production
English National Opera - Agrippina (Coliseum)
The Royal Opera - La Fille Du Regiment (Royal Opera House)
The Royal Opera - Pelleas Et Melisande (Royal Opera House)
English National Opera - Turn Of The Screw (Coliseum)

Outstanding Achievement in Opera
Natalie Dessay - La Fille Du Regiment (Royal Opera House)
Gerald Finley - Pelleas Et Melisande (Royal Opera House)
Angelika Kirchschlager - Pelleas Et Melisande (Royal Opera House)
David Mcvicar - Turn Of The Screw/Agrippina (Coliseum)

Best New Dance Production
abulous Beast Dance - The Bull (Barbican Theatre)
The Royal Ballet - Jewels (Royal Opera House)
Mark Morris Dance Group - Mozart Dances (Barbican Theatre)
Northern Ballet Theatre - The Three Musketeers (Sadler's Wells)

Outstanding Achievement in Dance
Savion Glover - Live For London (Sadler's Wells)
Jonathan Goddard - performances with the Richard Alston Dance Company (Sadler's Wells)
The Royal Ballet Company - Jewels (Royal Opera House)
Wendy Whelan - Fool's Paradise (Sadler's Wells)