Eileen Atkins will be honoured at this year’s UK Theatre Awards when she is awarded the prestigious Gielgud Award for Excellence in the Dramatic Arts.
The multi award-winning actor will be presented with the prize at this year’s ceremony to be held at London’s Guildhall on 18 October.
Established by The Shakespeare Guild in 1994, the Gielgud Award for Excellence in the Dramatic Arts boasts an illustrious list of previous recipients including Sir Kenneth Branagh, Dame Judi Dench, Sir Derek Jacobi, Kevin Kline, Sir Ian McKellen, Christopher Plummer, Lynn Redgrave OBE and Sir Patrick Stewart.
One of Britain’s best loved actors, Atkins’ staggering career has spanned seven decades and her work has crossed the mediums of television, film and screen.
Since beginning her theatrical career at the Royal Shakespeare Company, Atkins has has garnered critical and public acclaim for a wide variety of roles over the course of her career, spanning everything from new plays to Shakespeare. Most recently Atkins was seen in Trevor Nunn’s All That Fall opposite Michael Gambon and The Female Of The Species in the West End.
Prolific on both sides of the Atlantic, the actor is a four-time Tony Award nominee and the winner of three Olivier Awards, which include two Best Actress Awards for her performances in Honour and The Unexpected Man. After receiving a CBE in 1990, Atkins was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2001 for services to drama.
The UK Theatre Awards are the only annual theatrical prize to celebrate achievement at venues throughout the UK, both on and off the stage. 2015’s event will see more than 15 awards presented, with performers including Imelda Staunton, Laura Pitt-Pulford and Alex Hassell in the running.
View the full list of nominations here.