The University of Sunderland is set to honour an acclaimed playwright and the writer of Billy Elliot, with an award for his contribution to North East arts and culture. Lee Hall will be presented with the award at the university's London graduation ceremony on Thursday, at the historic Southwark Cathedral.
Originally from Newcastle, Lee has been closely involved in the region's theatre and culture for several decades, especially with the Live Theatre. Many of his works, including the aforementioned Billy Elliot and The Pitmen Painters, draw on the region's rich cultural heritage and its industrial history.
Speaking of his delight at receiving the award, Lee said: “The honorary award is a recognition of what I’ve done in my career, but also recognition of the work, community, and aspiration of north-east culture. In this way, the award is both individual and collective.
Read more: Sunderland children's author releases second book - and aims to make it an Amazon bestseller
Keep up to date with all the latest local news from Sunderland with our free newsletter
"I want to celebrate this region as a fountain of cultural inspiration and I am a strong believer in art being a central part of civic life. I am thrilled and humbled to receive this honorary doctorate."
Lee Hall's most popular work, Billy Elliot: The Musical, is the story of a working-class boy from the industrial North East who aspires to be a ballet dancer. It premiered in 2005 at London's Victoria Palace Theatre and went onto receive global acclaim, being seen by an audience of over 12 million across five different continents.
It has been commended with over 80 accolades, which include multiple Tony Awards and a Laurence Olivier Award. His other works include writing the script for the play Shakespeare in Love, the screenplay for the Elton John biographical film Rocketman, and The Pitmen Painters, which alongside Billy Elliot, draws on his childhood experience of growing up in an industry heavy, working-class area.
It is appropriate that he will receive the award at the Southwark Cathedral, given its proximity to the Glove Theatre, where the works of William Shakespeare are performed. The Autumn 2023 University of Sunderland in London graduation ceremonies are taking place on the 8th and 9th of November, with Lee to be given his award on the second day.
Join our WhatsApp communities
ChronicleLive is now on WhatsApp and we want you to join our communities.
We have a number of communities to join, so you can choose which one you want to be part of and we'll send you the latest news direct to your phone. You could even join them all!
To join you need to have WhatsApp on your device. All you need to do is choose which community you want to join, click on the link and press 'join community'.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the ChronicleLive team.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners.
If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
If you’re curious, you can read our privacy notice.
Join the ChronicleLive Breaking News and Top Stories community
Join our Christmas and New Year in the North East community
Join our I'm A Celebrity community for all the latest updates from the jungle
Join the Things to do in Newcastle and the North East community
Join our Northumberland community
