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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