The Queen's New Year Honours, amongst the inevitable awards for both organisers and athletes from the London Olympics, has recognised achievements in drama and the theatre at all levels.
The bigger theatrical names include actors Ewan McGregor and Adrian Lester, who each receive an OBE, and Siobhan Redmond, who receives an MBE, plus choreographer Arlene Phillips, who becomes a CBE. Former Eastenders actor Michael Cashman, now an MEP, also receives a CBE. Actress Caroline Parker receives an MBE for services to deaf theatre.
Guardian head theatre critic Michael Billington is one of two newspaper critics to receive an OBE, the other being Philip French, film critic for the Observer.
Several theatre leaders and founders have received honours, including OBEs for theatre producer Nica Burns and chief executive at Newcastle's Northern Stage Erica Whyman. There are also MBEs for Ovalhouse director Deborah Bestwick, Talawa artistic director Patricia Cumper, general manager of Bristol's Travelling Light Theatre Company Catherine Greig, Brick Lane Music Hall founder Vincent Hayes and founder of Side by Side Theatre Company in Stourbridge Susan Lidington for services to people with intellectual disabilities. Former Manchester International Festival general director and Chichester Festival Theatre artistic director Ruth Mackenzie receives an OBE for her work as director of the Cultural Olympiad.
Aside from Phillips, the world of dance has received a few honours, including an OBE for choreographer and director Eleanor Fazan and an MBE for Ballet Black artistic director and founder Cassa Pancho, plus an MBE for Gillian Quinn, founder of the Gillian Quinn School of Theatre in North Shields, and for Mark Suffolk, managing director of Suffolk Pointe Shoe Company, plus a British Empire Medal for Hazel Rayson, founder of Tyneside's Hazel Rayson Theatre Dance School.
The world of theatre education is represented by an OBE for former executive director of Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance Derek Aviss and a British Empire Medal for Douglas Currie for services to drama and teaching in Edinburgh, plus an OBE for RADA registrar Patricia Myers.
There are some more general honours in the field of drama and theatre including an MBE for Dennis McKeever for services to drama and music in Northern Ireland and for Angela O'Brien for services to drama in the south west.