Writer, manager, director and actor Kenneth Alan Taylor has been awarded the British Empire Medal in the Queen’s Birthday honours for services to theatre and pantomime.
Eighty-four-year-old Taylor who was born in London was artistic director of Nottingham Playhouse for seven years and was responsible for starting panto there. He played the dame for 30 years in Nottingham and also appeared and directed at Oldham Coliseum, where he was Artistic Director for four years and later Chief Executive for six years. He started writing pantos in 1962, directing as well as performing in those shows.
In 2019, Nottingham City Transport named one of its buses after him to mark his 36th Nottingham Playhouse panto.
Taylor appeared in Coronation Street from 1987 until 1990 as Cecil Newton, boss of the Newton and Ridley brewery.
Nottingham Playhouse tweeted that all of its team sent huge congratulations “to the wonderful Kenneth Alan Taylor. A truly well-deserved accolade.”