Simon Trewin presenting award-winner Hayley Atwell with the Trewin family coin at the 2026 Drama Section Awards (credit Flavia Fraser-Cannon)
The Critics’ Circle Drama Section expresses deep sadness and warm memories following the death of Simon Trewin, a kind and bright literary agent and artist, whose family name is given to the Trewin Award For Best Shakespeare Performance at our annual theatre awards.
On 26 March, Simon presented the 2026 prize – which included, in latter years, a medal designed by himself – to Hayley Atwell for her dazzling Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing at Theatre Royal Drury Lane. Her evident and declared delight in the prize again showed the importance in the acting community of an award that also particularly engages our voting critics.
Soon after the ceremony, Simon received a terminal diagnosis and was cared for at home where he died, aged 60, on 25 June, among his family, including his wife, Helen, and their son, Jack.
The Trewin award already honoured two brilliant generations of the family: Simon’s grandparents, J.C (John) and Wendy, both distinguished theatre critics, and his father, Ion, an esteemed editor and literary prize administrator.
In due course, when his deeply grieving family feel able to discuss it, my hope is that the Trewin Award can continue, with the presentation and citation making clear that it is now also given in honour of Simon and his own love of theatre and Shakespeare.
Mark Lawson, Chair, Critics’ Circle Drama Section