UK Theatre Awards: Mark Gatiss wins outstanding contribution to British theatre

Actor, writer and director Mark Gatiss has won the UK Theatre Awards’ accolade for outstanding contribution to British theatre. 

Gatiss will be presented with the award at the ceremony for the UK Theatre Awards 2023, which will take place at London’s Guildhall on October 8. 

The UK Theatre Awards celebrate achievements in theatre in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. 

Gatiss’ directing credits include The Unfriend at Chichester Festival Theatre and The Way Old Friends Do at Birmingham Rep, and his acting credits include The Madness of King George III and his own adaptation of A Christmas Carol at Nottingham Playhouse, Coriolanus at Donmar Warehouse and The Boys in the Band at the Park and Vaudeville theatres in London.

On screen, he is known for starring in The League of Gentlemen and as the co-creator and executive producer of BBC series Sherlock. 

Gatiss said: “I’m very flattered and delighted to receive this unexpected honour. The theatre holds a very special place in my blackened old heart, and it’s been a delight to have been so thoroughly immersed in it in recent years."

Claire Walker, co-chief executive of the Society of London Theatre and UK Theatre, said: "We would like to offer congratulations to the recipient of this year’s outstanding contribution to British theatre award, Mark Gatiss. 

"The impact he has made on national theatre is immeasurable – from his Olivier award-winning performances on stage as an actor, to his work in regional and West End productions as a director."