DOCTOR WHO - TENNANT SHINES AT CRITICS' CIRCLE THEATRE AWARDS

TENNANT SHINES AT CRITICS' CIRCLE THEATRE AWARDS

DOCTOR WHO star DAVID TENNANT has received a best Shakespearean performance honour for his turn as Hamlet at the prestigious Critics' Circle Theatre Awards. The actor was forced to axe his West End run in the Bard's classic in December (08) after suffering a slipped disc and subsequently undergoing surgery to correct the condition.
He managed to recover in time to return to the stage at London's Novello Theatre to perform for one week of shows.
And the live performances were recognised at the prestigious ceremony - celebrating the critics' picks of the best of British drama - at London's Prince of Wales Theatre on Tuesday (27Jan09).
The prize was shared with Sir Derek Jacobi, honoured for his portrayal of Malvolio in a production of the Twelfth Night.
Tennant acknowledged Jacobi in accepting the prize, saying: "When I was at drama school, I waited at the stage door of Glasgow Theatre Royal to get Derek Jacobi's autograph, after his breathtaking Richard II.
"I was utterly inspired by that night, so to be sharing a prize for Shakespeare with such an amazing actor means more than I can say."
Meanwhile, actor Kenneth Branagh also was recognised for his theatre work at the ceremony in London's Prince of Wales Theatre on Tuesday (27Jan09).
The Valkyrie star took home the award for best male performance for his role in classic Anton Chekhov play Ivanov.