Kenyon, Squire and Lewis receive New Year Honours

Published Monday 31 December 2007 at 14:15 by Alistair Smith

Ambassador Theatre Group joint chief executive Rosemary Squire, Barbican Centre managing director Nicholas Kenyon and English Youth Ballet director Janet Lewis, who in 2006 won The Stage Award for Special Achievement in Regional Theatre, were among those recognised by The Queen in the New Year Honours List.

Lewis told The Stage she was “thrilled” to have been awarded an MBE, while Squire - who co-founded ATG with partner Howard Panter and is currently president of the Society of London Theatre - was recognised with a OBE. Kenyon received a knighthood, following in the steps of his predecessor at the Barbican, John Tusa.

Squire commented: “I feel tremendously honoured to be recognised in The Queen’s New Year Honours List, this is a real privilege and I am absolutely delighted. I’m extremely proud of the pioneering work that ATG has achieved over the past 15 years and it is wonderful that the company and the industry have been recognised in this way.”

Elsewhere in the list, presenter Michael Parkinson is knighted and Ian McKellen, already a knight, joins the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH), which is limited to just 65 members alongside the Queen. He was recognised for services “to drama and to equality”.

Fellow actor Richard Griffiths received an OBE, while comic actress Julie Walters picked up a CBE, as did Carry On regular Leslie Phillips. Former Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre artistic director Ian Talbot received an OBE, as did jazz musician Trevor Romeo.

Nola Rae, one of Britain’s most celebrated clown/mime acts, was rewarded with an MBE, as was Euton Daley, artistic director of the Oxford-based Pegasus Theatre company. Graham Pullen, concert promoter and director of special projects at Live Nation was awarded the Member of the Royal Victorian Order (MVO) for ‘Services to The Queen’ in producing royal charity concerts.

Also recognised were children’s author Jacqueline Wilson (DBE), former RAJAR chair and former Really Useful Group chairman John Whitney, author Hanif Kureishi and pianist Stan Tracey (all CBE), actor Roy Dotrice, film producer Barbara Broccoli and pop singer Kylie Minogue (all OBE), Jethro Tull singer Ian Anderson, former City of Edinburgh Council culture director Herbert Coutts, former director of Guildhall School of Music and Drama Damian Cranmer, jazz musician Andy Hamilton, Culture East Midlands chief executive Sukhbinder Johal, Artsadmin director Judith Knight, founding director of York Guilds’ Mystery Plays Jane Oakshott-Rastall, Bhangra singer Malkit Singh and Asia House programme director Betty Yao (all MBE).