The awards are named in memory of the British actor Ian Charleson, and are run by the Sunday Times newspaper and the National Theatre.
Sunday Times theatre critic John Peter (1938–2020) initiated the creation of the awards, particularly in memory of Charleson's extraordinary Hamlet,[1] which he had performed shortly before his death.
[5] The Sunday Times chief drama critic John Peter saw and reviewed Ian Charleson's extraordinary Hamlet at the National Theatre in late 1989.
It is classical acting, with its twin demands of psychological perception and formal excellence, which truly tests and proves the actor's ability and stamina, both physical and mental.
There is no filming and no outside press, and there are no acceptance speeches; the awards are attended however by Britain's theatre royalty, who take great interest in preserving the foundations of their profession.