Audrey Hepburn and Mark Bolan to get blue plaques in London

Hollywood film star Audrey Hepburn and T. Rex frontman Marc Bolan are among those to be recognised with blue plaques in London, English Heritage has announced.

People whose creative achievements have helped shape the capital were the focus of the charity’s awards this year.

Others to be honoured include novelist Barbara Pym, artist Graham Sutherland, ballerina Alicia Markova and poet, playwright, broadcaster, and campaigner Una Marson.

English Heritage said the plaques would celebrate their impact on London’s cultural landscape.

English Heritage’s curatorial director Matt Thompson said: “From literature and art to dance and music, these figures helped shape the London we know today.

“Their contributions not only had a profound impact on their fields but also continue to inspire generations.”

Bolan helped spearhead the Glam Rock movement of the 1970s and was known for his flamboyant style and fusion of rock, folk, and glittering theatrics, making hits like Get It On and Ride a White Swan.

English Heritage said his “iconic look, featuring sequins, feather boas, and platform boots” defined Glam Rock’s aesthetic and “challenged traditional notions of masculinity”.

He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2020 and English Heritage said his plaque would hopefully be installed at one of his west London addresses.

Hepburn’s early years in London, during which she transitioned from ballet to acting, will be commemorated with a blue plaque in Mayfair.

During her time in the capital she gained her first film and stage roles including her Broadway debut in Gigi and secured an Oscar for her portrayal of Princess Ann in Roman Holiday, while she also became known for her style and fashion influence.

Renowned 20th Century ballerina Markova, a co-founder of the English National Ballet and an influential figure in the Royal Ballet, will also be celebrated with a blue plaque at her childhood home in Muswell Hill.

Jamaican poet, playwright, broadcaster and campaigner for racial and gender equality Marson will also be recognised.

As the first black woman to be employed as a programme assistant, and later as the first black producer at the BBC, Marson spearheaded a wave of change in British broadcasting.

Meanwhile the London childhood home of Sutherland, who once painted Sir Winston Churchill, will be the location for his plaque as English Heritage said it played a formative role in his artistic development.

Novelist Pym’s Pimlico home, from where her novel Excellent Women draws its inspiration and setting, will also be marked with a plaque.

English Heritage said all blue plaques were subject to full owner approval and it was working with the property owners.