Sir Paul McCartney awards university honour to Sunset Boulevard theatre director

Sir Paul McCartney has honoured theatre director Jamie Lloyd with a companionship at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA).

Lloyd, who won seven Olivier Awards for his West End revival of Sunset Boulevard, received the accolade from Sir Paul, 82, who is a co-founder of the LIPA and its founding patron, in a ceremony on Tuesday.

The university is located on the site of the former Liverpool Institute, which was attended by Sir Paul and late fellow Beatles George Harrison and John Lennon.

Sir Paul is a co-founder of the LIPA and also its founding patron (Owen Humphreys/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Owen Humphreys

Lloyd, 43, became the first LIPA graduate to be made a companion, and was honoured alongside music equality campaigner Vick Bain, Olivier Award-winning actor Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, and Tony Award-winning theatre designer Rae Smith.

Lloyd is one of the UK’s most acclaimed theatre directors, having worked in the industry since 2006 on dozens of performances, including Macbeth, Evita and Cyrano de Bergerac.

He won the Sir Peter Hall award for best director for his work on Sunset Boulevard.

The ceremony, held at ACC Liverpool, was attended by 320 students from 31 different countries.

LIPA principal Sean McNamara said of the awards: “The dedication, resilience and determination our students have displayed is an inspiration.

“We are immensely proud of them and today we celebrate their achievements and the transformative power that resides within them.

“In the realm of the performing arts, creativity knows no bounds, whether it be through music, dance, theatre, or any other form of expression.

“The performing arts provide us with a unique and vital platform to communicate, and to serve as a mirror to society, reflecting our collective joys, sorrows, hopes, and struggles.

“As artists, creatives, change makers, and cultural entrepreneurs, the graduating class of 2024 possess all these qualities.”

Dr Andreas Sennheiser and Daniel Sennheiser, the chief executives of audio manufacturer Sennheiser, were also made honoured friends of the LIPA.