British Ambassador Nigel Sheinwald honored patrons of the Harman Center for the Arts as part of their Annual Gala aimed at making Shakespeare more accessible to a 21st century audience.

Sir Nigel Sheinwald hosted a reception at the British Embassy on Sunday 26th October to thank patrons for bringing Shakespeare to a wider audience.

The Harman Center for the Arts, which opened in 2007, is a 21st-century performing arts center for the Shakespeare Theatre Company and Washington's performing arts community. Its Gala features the presentation of the William Shakespeare Award for Classical Theatre and the Sidney Harman Award for Philanthropy in the Arts to benefit the Free for All and the artistic programs of the Shakespeare Theatre Company.

In his remarks, Sir Nigel Sheinwald praised the Harman Center for their work:

"It is wonderful that the Free for All programme continues to reach new and diverse audiences, some of whom have never seen a play before, let alone one by Shakespeare. The Free for All also provides opportunities for public high school students, many already involved in the Shakespeare Theatre Company's education programs, to attend such performances."

The reception comes just days after a stolen first folio edition of a collection of the works of William Shakespeare was returned to the UK.

The priceless book, published in 1623, was stolen from Durham University ten years ago. Earlier this year a man asked the American Folger Library in Washington DC to verify that it was genuine, claiming to have discovered the book in Cuba. Experts at the Library recognised that it was the stolen folio and informed the British Embassy. An arrest followed.

The British Ambassador expressed delight that the book had been returned to the UK:

"I was pleased to learn that the folio is now back where it belongs, and wish to express my thanks to the Folger Library for all their assistance."

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