Actress Sarah Lancashire has been appointed the first Honorary Patron of the Dukes Theatre in Lancaster.
Sarah, who rose to fame as Coronation Street barmaid Raquel in the 1990s, has been seen most recently in Last Tango In Halifax for which she has been nominated for a BAFTA Television Award.
She has appeared on the West End stage as well as in many popular TV dramas including Where The Heart Is, Clocking Off, Rose and Maloney and The Paradise. Recently she has been filming a new BBC drama, Happy Valley, which starts next week.
She was a special guest at a Charity Gala Performance of The Life And Times Of Mitchell & Kenyon at the Dukes when her appointment was officially announced.
Ahead of the event, Dukes director Joe Sumsion said: “I am delighted and thrilled Sarah has agreed to become the first Honorary Patron of The Dukes. It’s an exciting role and a challenge that I am confident she will be wonderful in fulfilling.
“The Dukes is the only professional producing theatre within a 50 mile radius and Sarah recognises the importance of our ambition in creating new theatre, especially as its work has such a strong ‘local’ resonance for people in the county.
"She has pledged to help in any way that she can to make sure The Dukes remains a beacon of creative excellence in Lancashire.”
She will be an ambassador for the theatre and attend special events.