West End theatres to dim their lights in honour of Dame Joan Plowright

West End theatres will dim their lights in honour of Dame Joan Plowright, after her death at the age of 95.

Scunthorpe’s Plowright Theatre, named in her honour, has also paid tribute to the “distinguished” actress.

Venues in London’s theatreland will dim their lights for two minutes at 7pm on Tuesday, January 21.

UK Theatre and Society Of London Theatre co-chief executive Hannah Essex said: “Dame Joan Plowright was an iconic and deeply respected figure in the world of theatre, leaving an indelible mark on the industry she shaped with her talent and dedication.

“We are honoured to contribute to the celebration of her extraordinary career and extend our heartfelt condolences to her family and loved ones.”

Dame Joan was married to Lord Laurence Olivier, and best known for her Golden Globe award-winning performances in TV biopic Stalin and Enchanted April, for which she was also nominated for an Academy Award.

She was a prominent figure at the National Theatre and a star of the West End and Broadway before her international movie success, having initially performed as a member of Lord Olivier’s acclaimed acting company.

She attended Scunthorpe Grammar School and won a scholarship to the Old Vic Theatre School at the age of 17.

The Lincolnshire town’s theatre, Scunthorpe Civic Centre, was renamed after her in the 1990s, in honour of her achievements.

A tribute to Dame Joan from Scunthorpe Theatres, which runs the Plowright Theatre, read: “We are saddened to hear that Dame Joan Plowright, the esteemed British actress whose career spanned over six decades, has passed away at the age of 95.

“Born in Brigg, she became one of the most distinguished actors of her generation.

“Our Plowright Theatre, once known as Scunthorpe Civic Theatre, was renamed in the 1990s in recognition of the achievements of Joan and it was her father, Bill Plowright, who founded Scunthorpe Little Theatre Club, who continue to perform there today.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with her family at this time.”

Her first stage appearance was in If Four Walls Told, at the Croydon Repertory Theatre in 1948, and she later joined the English Theatre Company at the Royal Court.

In 1961 Dame Joan won a Tony Award for the role of Jo in Shelagh Delaney’s A Taste of Honey, on Broadway, in which she starred opposite the late Dame Angela Lansbury playing her mother.

She won the Olivier award for best actress in 1978 for the play Filumena.

She met Lord Olivier in 1957 when he was still married to Gone With The Wind star Vivien Leigh, and they fell in love while co-starring in the stage version of John Osborne’s The Entertainer.

Their wedding in 1961 was the sensation of the year, and their marriage was an enduring one until the theatre great’s death in 1989 at the age of 82.