The University of Warwick has announced the names of two more people who will be awarded honorary degrees by the University at its degree ceremonies in July - acclaimed classical actor Simon Russell Beale and renowned artist Liliane Lijn. The times and details for interview and photo opportunities on the day of ceremonies will be issued nearer the time but short biographies of both honorary graduands now follow:


Simon Russell Beale Hon DLitt (Doctor of Letters) A much acclaimed classical actor who has become a constant presence on the British stage. His many theatre credits include, at the National, Mosca in Volpone (1996 Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actor), Guildenstern in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, Iago in Othello, Pangloss in Candide (1999 Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical), the title role in Hamlet (Evening Standard Best Actor Award and Critics' Circle Best Shakespearean Performance Award). He has also spent many seasons with the RSC where his credits include title roles in Edward II and Richard III, The King in Love's Labour?s Lost, The Seagull, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Ghosts, Edgar in King Lear and Ariel in The Tempest.
His many other award winning roles include Vanya in Uncle Vanya (2003 Olivier Award for Best Actor) and Malvolio in Twelfth Night at the Donmar, directed by Sam Mendes, for both of which he won the 2002 Evening Standard Award and the 2003 Critics Circle Award for Best Actor, and which also played at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (2003 OBIE Award). He has numerous TV and film credits including his award wining role as Widmerpool in A Dance to the Music of Time (1997 Royal Television Society Programme Award for Best Actor and 1997 BAFTA Best Actor Award) in He was made CBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List 2003.

Liliane Lijn Hon DLitt (Doctor of Letters) Liliane Lijn studied archaeology at the Sorbonne and art history at the Ecole du Louvre in Paris (1958). She became an artist in residence in a plastics factory, experimenting with fire and acids and working with light, poetry, movement and liquids rapidly establishing herself as a leading international kinetic artist.
She has featured in numerous group exhibitions in Britain, Europe and Japan, and is represented in important public and private collections in Britain, France, Australia and the United States. Some of most important public works are White Koan, University of Warwick (1972); Circle of Light, Milton Keynes (1979); Split Spiral Spin, Birchwood Science Park, Warrington (1980); Carbon Black, Laboratory of the Government Chemist, Teddington (1988); Argo, Poole, Dorset (1988); Inner Light, Prudential Insurance, Reading (1993), Dragon's Dance, Marks and Spencer, Culverhouse Cross, Cardiff (1994); and Earth Sea Light Koan, Saint Mary's Hospital, Isle of Wight (1997), Inner Light III St Thomas' Hospital London (2003) and Starslide, Evelina Children's hospital (2004). This year the University of Warwick's Mead Gallery is currently staging a major exhibition of her work.


For further information please contact:

Peter Dunn, Press and Media Relations Manager
University of Warwick Tel: 024 76 523708 or 07767 655860
p.j.dunn@warwick.ac.uk

PR43 7th June 2005