On Friday 10 March at Rosewood London, The Society of London Theatre, organisers of the Olivier Awards with Mastercard, presented four highly-respected industry figures – Victor and Lilian Hochhauser (joint recipients), Richard Bullimore and Frank Dunlop – with Special Recognition Awards.
These commend the outstanding contributions made to British theatre by these individuals.
Victor and Lilian Hochhauser’s influential careers as Musical Promoters of international performers have seen the impresario duo establish the work of numerous companies on British shores over the course of six decades, often against a turbulent political backdrop. They have introduced Western audiences to the likes of the Bolshoi and Mariinsky Opera and Ballet companies, who now play regular London seasons, as well as the likes of the Borodin Quartet, Richter and Rostropovich.
Richard Bullimore‘s decades-spanning career in Production Management incorporated numerous touring shows, at one point joining the production department of the National Theatre Company at The Old Vic, working under the Artistic Directorshop of Laurence Olivier himself. His company The Production Office continues to offer esteemed production management services to producers, with a recent salient credit the UK production of Wicked.
Frank Dunlop is a prolific Director with an inspirational legacy on both sides of the Atlantic, leading an expansive career which saw him become Associate Director at the Bristol Old Vic by the tender age of 29, and, a decade later, Associate Director of the National Theatre, where he worked for four years. During this time he founded the Young Vic in 1969, before serving triumphantly as Director of the Edinburgh International Festival from 1983 to 1991. His productions are greeted with regular acclaim on the West End, Broadway and in mainland Europe.