ARTS

The Play’s the Thing: British actor Sir Ian McKellen won the Laurence Olivier actor of the year award at a gala in London on Sunday for his performance in Shakespeare’s “Richard III.” Veteran actress Dame Peggy Ashcroft, 83, received a special award for a lifetime’s achievement in theater at the event held at the Olivier Theatre. Ashcroft, a Shakespearean actress who has also appeared in films including “A Passage to India,” and McKellen, 51, both made pleas for funding for British theater when receiving their awards.