Former artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, Gregory Doran, has expressed his "delight" following his receipt of knighthood in the recently released annual New Year Honours list, as reported by the PA news agency.
Sir Doran, who is currently 65, is given the honor for his decades-worth of contribution to the arts, especially after taking over the late Sir Michael Boyd for his former directorate position in the RSC in September 2012.
In a statement to the publication, he said: "Shakespeare has been a passport through my life, and I have been privileged to be able to spend so much of my career working with the very greatest company dedicated to his work, the Royal Shakespeare Company, and sharing his genius with as many as possible around the world."
The then-emeritus artistic director maintained his position in the RSC for over 10 years until September 2021, when he formally announced that he would take a compassionate leave from his post to properly care for and attend to his late husband Sir Antony Sher.
Sir Sher, widely renowned as one of Britain's best contemporary classical actors, also had a long-standing relationship with the RSC.
In December 2021, the theatre actor passed away due to cancer at the age of 72, ahead of Doran's eventual stepping down from his RSC position in April of the following year.
Career Achievements of Sir Gregory Doran
Back in 2002, Sir Doran led five scarcely performed Jacobean and Elizabethan plays spanning a whole season. He also directed John Fletcher's "The Island Princess" which was held at the Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon.
In the same year, Doran won the prestigious Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement for that particular production's run at London's Gielgud Theatre.
His renown extends beyond this with his directorial role in the "Richard II" play that starred David Tennant, as it was RSC's first production to have been played live to cinemas all across the world in November 2013. Tennant and Doran have worked before that, however, in a 2008 play called "Twelfth Night."
In addition to all this, Doran also helmed "Shakespeare Live!" which marked the 400th anniversary of the legendary English playwright's death in April 2016.
Doran held on to his role as the emeritus artistic director of the RSC up until Dec. 31 of last year.
