We were delighted when Sir Simon Russell Beale CBE agreed to be our first Patron in 2020. The critically acclaimed actor of stage and screen, who was knighted in October 2019, now lives locally. He has visited the Festival a number of times, appearing in 2016 prior to playing Prospero in the RSC’s production of The Tempest at Stratford.
Simon Russell Beale said: “I’ve watched from the outside as Marlborough LitFest has grown over the years into the vibrant event it is today. I’m very pleased to be involved with this gem of a local festival in the heart of Wiltshire which attracts internationally renowned authors.”
Russell Beale features in our video of 2021 festival highlights and recorded several readings for us from the work of local Victorian nature writer Richard Jefferies in 2020.