Sir Derek Jacobi and Dame Arlene Phillips are to be honoured for their illustrious stage careers at the Olivier awards in London in April.
Jacobi, who was one of the first actors to appear with Laurence Olivier’s fledgling National Theatre company in the 1960s, is to receive the lifetime achievement award. He has won the best actor Olivier award twice, for his performances in Cyrano de Bergerac in 1983 and Twelfth Night in 2009. The 84-year-old star, whose career has included TV roles in I, Claudius and Last Tango in Halifax, was last on stage in the West End in 2016 as Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet directed by Kenneth Branagh. Jacobi told the Guardian last year: “I’ve got a feeling I won’t be on stage again. It’s not stage fright exactly. But I’m not comfortable like I used to be.”
Phillips will receive the special award for her work as a choreographer and theatre director. She has twice been nominated for the award for best theatre choreographer, for Grease in 1994 and Saturday Night Fever in 1999. She has also had a long television career including as a judge on Strictly Come Dancing. Her choreography will be seen in the new immersive version of Guys and Dolls, opening at the Bridge theatre in London next month, and she is the director of the musical The Cher Show which is currently on a UK tour.
Claire Walker and Hannah Essex, co-CEOs of the Society of London Theatre which organises the awards, said: “This year’s honourees have inspired generations with their work, and it is a privilege to be able to publicly recognise them in this year’s awards.”
The Olivier awards will take place on 2 April at the Royal Albert Hall, hosted by Hannah Waddingham. The full list of nominees will be announced on 28 February. Last year’s awards were dominated by Rebecca Frecknall’s production of Cabaret which won in seven categories.
