WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE AWARD FOR CLASSICAL ACTING

INDIRA VARMA

Indira Varma is an Olivier Award-winning actress having won ‘Best Actress in a Supporting Role’ for her performance as ‘Liz Essendine’ in Present Laughter (Old Vic) alongside Andrew Scott. Notable theatre highlights include Man and Superman (The National) with Ralph Fiennes, Jamie Lloyd’s production of Chekhov's The Seagull (Harold Pinter Theatre), Eugène Ionesco’s Exit the King (The National) opposite Rhys Ifans; Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus (Globe Theatre); The Vortex, Dance of Death, Privates on Parade (all at the Donmar Warehouse), The Vertical Hour, The Country, Ingredient X (all at the Royal Court), and Celebration (on Broadway).

For screen, credits include ‘Gita Mishra’ in AppleTV’s Extrapolations, ‘Ingrid’ in Obsession (Netflix), ‘Tala’ in Obi-Wan Kenobi (Disney+), ‘Khadija Khan’ in the 2nd series of The Capture (BBC/AMC), ‘Ellaria Sand’ in the multi award-winning Game of Thrones (HBO/SkyAtlantic), Luther alongside Idris Elba (BBC/Netflix), the Emmy nominated drama Patrick Melrose (HBO/Sky Atlantic) starring Benedict Cumberbatch and the critically acclaimed comedy series This Way Up (Channel 4/Hulu) written by and starring Aisling Bea.

SHAKESPEARE THEATRE COMPANY LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

JUDITH LIGHT

Judith Light is known for her extensive body of work onstage, as well as in television and film, recently receiving a star on the Hollywood walk of fame.

Her recent projects include Peter Hedge’s film The Same Storm, “Julia,” HBO Max’s drama series on Julia Child, Starz’ horror comedy “Shining Vale” and Searchlight’s dark comedy The Menu, alongside Anya Taylor-Joy and Ralph Fiennes. Second seasons of both “Shining Vale” and “Julia” are currently available for streaming. Light wrapped production on The Young Wife and Down Low for FilmNation, both of which premiered at SXSW, and Out of My Mind for Disney+ which just premiered at Sundance. Her 2019 film Ms. White Light also premiered at SXSW. She can also be seen in the second season of “American Horror Stories” and Rian Johnson’s series “Poker Face” for Peacock, for which she won the Guest Actress in a Comedy Series Primetime Emmy.

Next up she stars in the Apple TV+ series “Before” alongside Billy Crystal.

Additionally, she is working on a series of producing projects with her production company and Brillstein Creative Partners.

Light also co-starred in...(read more)

SHAKESPEARE THEATRE COMPANY LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

JOHN LITHGOW

John Lithgow’s roots are in the theater.  In 1973, he won a Tony Award two weeks after his Broadway debut, in David Storey’s “The Changing Room.” Since then, he has appeared on Broadway twenty-five times, earning five more Tony nominations, a second Tony, four Drama Desk Awards, and induction into the Theatre Hall of Fame. His Broadway performances have included major roles in “My Fat Friend,” “Trelawney of the ‘Wells,’” “Comedians,” “Anna Christie,” “Bedroom Farce,” “Beyond Therapy,” “M. Butterfly,” “The Front Page,” “Retreat from Moscow,” “All My Sons,” “The Columnist,” “Hillary and Clinton,” and the musicals “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” “Sweet Smell of Success” (his second Tony).  In England, he has played Malvolio with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the title role in Arthur Wing Pinero’s “The Magistrate” with the National Theatre.  In 2014, he played another title role, “King Lear,” for The New York Public Theater at the Delacorte Theater in New York’s Central Park. 

In 2008, Lithgow devised a one-man show “John Lithgow: Stories by Heart” for the Lincoln Center Theater Company.  Over the next ten years, he performed it in 35 cities around the country, finally arriving on Broadway in 2018 for a triumphant run at the Roundabout Theater. Most recently, Lithgow directed the off-Broadway play “Everything’s Fine,” written and performed by Douglas McGrath. The show opened on...(read more)