West End stars receive top honours

Oliver Mitford 5 January, 2015, 14:22

Honour This year's New Years Honours sees a whole host of West End star peppering the list of talented and successful individuals.

Actor John Hurt is to be made a Knight and Kristin Scott Thomas will receive the title of Dame. Scott Thomas has just stepped off the stage of the Old Vic Theatre after playing the tile role in Electra to great public and critical acclaim. Now the actress will step into Dame Helen Mirren’s shoes to play the Queen on Broadway in transfer of Peter Morgan’s The Audience.

West End leading lady, Sheridan Smith will receive an OBE. Smith found huge success last year with the roles of Titania in Michael Grandage’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Noel Coward Theatre, and as the tile role in the Old Vic’s production of Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler.

Funny man, turned actor, James Corden will also be given an OBE. Corden’s breakout role in the National Theatre’s acclaimed production of One Man, Two Guvnors won him an Olivier Award. He can now be seen in the big screen adaptation of Stephen Sondheime’s popular musical Into The Woods.

Other actors such as Meera Syal, Emily Watson and Joan Collins are due to receive honours this year.

Behind the scenes have not been forgotten about, with the designer of Chimerica and I Can’t Sing, Es Devlin also honoured, along with artistic directors Paul Kerryson, Barrie Rutter, Anna Garner and Graeme Phillips.