Director Richard Eyre is to be this year’s recipient of the Gielgud Award for Excellence in the Dramatic Arts. The award will be presented by Ian McKellen at the UK Theatre Awards on Sunday 14 October 2018.
The Gielgud Award for Excellence in the Dramatic Arts was established by The Shakespeare Guild in 1994. Previous recipients include F. Murray Abraham, Kenneth Branagh, Judi Dench, Derek Jacobi, Kevin Kline, Christopher Plummer, Lynn Redgrave, Patrick Stewart, Eileen Atkins and Vanessa Redgrave.
The UK Theatre Awards ceremony will be hosted by Olivier-nominated musical theatre performer Tyrone Huntley, whose work includes Jesus Christ Superstar, Dreamgirls, and Homos, Or Everyone In America.
Amongst the awards presenters will be Wendi Peters (currently starring in a UK tour of Salad Days), Sharon Duncan-Brewster (2017 UK Theatre Award winner for Best Supporting Performance), Ria Jones (who recently toured the UK as the lead role in Sunset Boulevard), Matt Cardle (currently starring in Strictly Ballroom The Musical), Emma Williams (part of the recent UK tour of An Officer And A Gentleman) and Michael Ellis MP (Minister for Arts, Heritage and Tourism).
It has already been announced that Maxine Peake will be honoured with an Outstanding Contribution to British Theatre award, to be presented at the ceremony by Conrad Lynch (an award-winning producer) and Sarah Frankcom (Artistic Director of Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre).
The full list of nominations for this year’s UK Theatre Awards can be viewed here.