Eileen Atkins wins The Gielgud Award at the UK Theatre Awards

Eileen Atkins has been announced as the recipient of The Gielgud Award at the UK Theatre Awards 2015. She is to receive The Gielgud Award for Excellence in the Dramatic Arts.

Atkins is an award-winning actress whose career has spanned seven decades. She has performed in numerous West End and Broadway productions and has won three Olivier Awards. Following a CBE in 1990, she was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2001 for Services to Drama.

The Gielgud Award for Excellence in the Dramatic Arts was established by The Shakespeare Guild in 1994 and previous recipients include Kenneth Branagh, Judi Dench, Derek Jacobi, Ian McKellen, Christopher Plummer and Patrick Stewart.

The ceremony, which will take place on Sunday 18 October at the Guildhall, London, will be compered by Michael Xavier.