The Legends of British Theatre Revealed

The Legends of British Theatre Revealed

LONDON, August 16/PRNewswire/ -- Sir Anthony Hopkins has been hailed as the greatest British actor of all time, according to a major new poll. The Welsh star, who has made a career out of playing misfits and oddballs, beat a host of legends to the title.

Runner-up was legendary actor, director and producer Lord Laurence Olivier. Best known for his Shakespearean roles, he was nominated for a massive 11 Oscars. In 1962, he became the first director of the newly-formed National Theatre at The Old Vic in London.

More than 6,000 people took part in the poll conducted by Mouton Cadet, the Bordeaux wine brand and associate wine sponsors of The Old Vic Theatre.

Another Bond star, Dame Judi Dench, was voted the greatest British Actress of all time.

The survey also showed that wine is the public's overwhelming choice of alcoholic drink at interval time, beating beer and spirits (as well as complete abstinence) and reflecting wine's ascent of the cultural barometer with nearly. This choice seems particularly popular with people in the North West, where nearly a third opt for wine. Whereas in Scotland only a quarter of people choose wine during the interval, with as many plumping for spirits (whisky perhaps?).

The poll went on to identify cultural trends around the country. When it comes to educating their palates, nearly a third of people from Yorkshire confess to a fondness for wine tasting, while East Anglians seem happy as they are, with fewer than a fifth enjoying the activity.

Culturally speaking, it seems the North East is on the up, with a whopping 52% people considering themselves more cultured than their parents. Compare this to the East Midlands, where people tended to think it was the other way round and their parents were more cultured than them. Not so the West Midlanders, who are second only to Londoners in their theatre consumption.

A spokesman for Mouton Cadet said: "These results reveal the cream of British actors, many of whom started their glittering careers on the stage.

"West End box offices are booming thanks to record numbers of visitors this year. Audiences for musicals have risen to over 3.2 million (more than a six per cent rise on last year) and audiences for plays have risen similarly to over 800,000.

"Big names definitely pull in the audiences and more and more Hollywood actors are coming to productions in the UK. 'The Philadelphia Story' at The Old Vic, starring Kevin Spacey, has the second highest advance sales (1.2 million) of any play in West End history. We're proud to be supporting British theatre, which is going from strength to strength."

Top 20 British Actors

1) Sir Anthony Hopkins 2) Lord Laurence Olivier 3) Sir Sean Connery 4) Sir Alec Guinness 5) Sir Michael Caine 6) Richard Burton 7) Sir David Jason 8) Cary Grant 9) Sir John Mills 10) Sir Ian McKellen 11) Oliver Reed 12) John Thaw 13) Ewan McGregor 14) Peter Sellers 15) Sir John Gielgud 16) Ray Winston 17) Robert Carlyle 18) Kenneth Branagh 19) David Niven 20) Peter O'Toole

Top 20 Female British Actresses

1) Dame Judi Dench 2) Julie Walters 3) Dame Elizabeth Taylor 4) Dame Maggie Smith 5) Dame Julie Andrews 6) Dame Helen Mirren 7) Emma Thompson 8) Vanessa Redgrave 9) Joan Collins 10) Dame Thora Hird 11) Julie Christie 12) Diana Dors 13) Kathy Burke 14) Dame Margaret Rutherford 15) Samantha Morton 16) Victoria Wood 17) Kristen Scott-Thomas 18) Helena Bonham-Carter 19) Juliet Stevenson 20) Kate Winslet

Notes to Editors

- The Old Vic is one of the oldest theatres in London and famous throughout the English speaking world. Long known as "the actors' theatre", many of the greatest performers of the last century have played on its stage, including Laurence Olivier, John Gielgud, Sybil Thorndyke, Edith Evans, Peggy Ashcroft, Alec Guinness, Vivien Leigh, Ralph Richardson, Michael Redgrave, Peter O'Toole, Judi Dench, Maggie Smith and Kevin Spacey. www.oldvictheatre.com

- Mouton Cadet is widely available through major multiples, leading independent merchants and on-trade wholesalers with a RRP of GBP5.99 for the white and GBP6.99 for the red.

- Mouton Cadet was launched in 1930 with first exports to the UK in the 1950s.

- Mouton Cadet Blanc was introduced in the 1970s.

- Today, Mouton Cadet sells 15 million bottles in 150 countries.

- Following consumer research in key markets, a revamped Mouton Cadet was launched in September 2004, delivering a more fruit driven and rounder style of wine whilst retaining the heritage of the brand and the unique style of Bordeaux.

- The wine was also repackaged to meet the preferences of today's consumer, with an elegant new label design for greater stand-out on shelf and to provide consumers with a readily understood brand proposition. Research showed that the new logo, a rams head with a bunch of grapes, conveyed a sense of conviviality while reaffirming the brand's heritage - the ram was a feature of the original Mouton Cadet labels for thirty years.

- Packaging changes extended to the glass with a bespoke, heavy glass bottle with the Rothschild logo engraved in the punt.

Source: Mouton Cadet

Rhona Hurcombe, Tel: +44-207-759-7426, rhona.hurcombe@phippspr.co.uk

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