Old Vic Somme Theatre project wins Lottery award

The National Lottery Awards – now in their fourth year – aim to recognise the difference that Lottery-funded projects make to local communities and celebrate the achievements of the people behind them.

Somme Theatre was a collaboration between The Old Vic and the Imperial War Museum which saw a cast of locals perform a play – On the Middle Day – about the Battle of the Somme.

The play, staged last year to mark the 90th anniversary of the battle in which the British Army lost 58,000 troops, included a cameo appearance by the Waterloo theatre's artistic director Kevin Spacey as the voice of King George V.

Somme Theatre was funded by a £46,100 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The final awards were chosen by the public from a shortlist announced last month.

Saturday night's glitzy ceremony was attended by a number of celebrities including Gary Lineker, Elaine Paige and Tess Daly. Hosted by Dale Winton and Jenni Falconer, the event was broadcast live on BBC One.