Theatre News

Daniel Day-Lewis, Damian Lewis and John Barrowman in Queen's Birthday Honours

Other theatre names recognised today include Young Vic artistic director David Lan and Fringe chief executive Kath Mainland

Damian Lewis
Damian Lewis is made an OBE
© Dan Wooller for WhatsOnStage

Angelina Jolie's Damehood may grab most of the headlines, but there are no shortage of stage luminaries on this year's Queen's Birthday Honours list, which was announced today.

Among them, three-time Oscar winner Daniel Day-Lewis receives a knighthood, while Damian Lewis is made an OBE.

"I decided to do the very un-British thing of accepting the compliment," said Lewis, who stars in US drama Homeland. "It's easy to feel a bit of a fraud in some respects, it's quite a thing to have to live up to."

Elsewhere, Dame Maggie Smith has been upgraded to a Companion of Honour, while musical theatre stalwart John Barrowman is appointed an MBE.

Scottish actress Phyllida Law, who was in the original London cast of La Cage aux Folles, is made OBE.

And it's not just talent on stage that's represented in today's list. Young Vic artistic director David Lan is awarded a CBE for services to theatre, as is Edinburgh Fringe chief executive Kath Mainland.

Mainland, who recently launched the 2014 Fringe programme, said: "People who are honoured in this way often talk about how it is an award not just for them but for all their colleagues. In my case, that is absolutely true. This is great recognition of the importance of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe."

Other theatre names recognised include wig designer Angela Cobbin, who receives an MBE, and Complicite producer Judith Dimant. She tweeted: "Twenty-one years of this amazing theatre company. And today an MBE. It's for everyone at Complicite. Thanks to all the fab people I've worked with."

Hilary Mantel, whose award-winning historical epics Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies were recently brought to the stage by the RSC, is made a Dame. And choreographer Michael Clark receis a CBE, as does ENO artistic director John Berry and opera singer Susan Bullock.

View the full 2014 Birthday Honours list here