About Me

With endless energy, passion and determination I have performed a lifetime on stage as actor & singer; I've co-founded a theatre company, toured Europe with a record deal and am a published songwriter but mainly love to transform myself in an acting role.

Acting

Experience

Accents

Employment History & Experience

STAGE WORK:
1969-70: Actor/Singer/MD in Lindsay Kemp’s A Child’s Christmas in Wales at York Arts Centre
1970: Sir Galahad/MD in Annie Stainer’s Mort d’Arthur at Old St Paul’s Church, Edinburgh Festival
1971: Actor/MD in Annie Stainer’s Of Apes & Kings at Old St Paul’s Church, Edinburgh Festival
1972: Nun/Executioner in Lindsay Kemp’s Flowers at Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh Festival
1973: Gulliver in Goodbye Gulliver for Theatre Workshop at Pool Theatre, Edinburgh Festival
1974-77: Co-founder/actor/writer/MD in many plays/shows for Mad Bongo theatre co., Newcastle
1977: Parliamentarian merchant in Ron Rose’s Rebel Kinsman for Belgrade Theatre TIE (in-house)
1980: Policeman/MD in Len Barras’ Cushy Butterfield for Live Theatre; toured NE & Scottish borders
1982-3: Major Road Theatre, Bradford: Jackie in C P Taylor’s Operation Elvis: toured nationally
1983: Actor/MD for Palace Theatre Redditch in excerpts from plays inc. Gregory’s Girl
1983-4: Actor/singer in Resident company Albany Empire, Deptford Oh What a Night & Beggars
1982, 1984: Actor/MD in Northumberland Theatre Co.: The Selfish Giant & Fair Shares

IMDb Filmography
Actor (9 credits)

1998 The Round Tower (Catherine Cookson TV Series)
Maitre D'

1995 The Dark Knight (Short)
Dreamstealer I

1993 The Man Who Cried (Catherine Cookson TV Movie)
Benbow, a barrister

1993 Harry (TV Series)
Translator
- Episode #1.1 (1993) ... Polish translator

1992 Kappatoo (TV Series)
Sir Walter Raleigh
- It's About Time (1992) ... Sir Walter Raleigh

1991 Spender (BBC TV Series)
Gardner
- The Candidate (1991) ... Gardner, London detective

1990 Byker Grove (BBC TV Series) *
Marshall
- Episode #2.19 (1990) ... Marshall, a supervisor of young detainees

1983 The Machine Gunners (TV Series)
Major Stanislaus Koslowski
- Episode #1.6 (1983) ... Major Stanislaus Koslowski of Polish Free Army

1978 In the Twilight (Short)
Edward, drowning man
Director: Digby Rumsey

Archive footage (1 credit)
2014 Shooting for the Butler (Documentary by Digby Rumsey)
Drowning man
*1989 Acted role as Husband for Byker Grove director Mathew Robinson in week of shooting scenes from his script as camera exercise for future Byker Grove shooting schedules. Cast included Ann-Marie Gascoigne.

Modelling

Experience

Employment History & Experience

1973 Edinburgh College of Art
1975 Newcastle Art College, Bath Lane
1981 Newcastle Polytechnic sculpture Dept

Music

Experience

Vocal Skills

Instruments Played

Employment History & Experience

Single 'Puppet Life' out on Small Wonder Records June 1978 - toured UK; signed to United Artists Records December 1978 - toured Europe. Signed to Screen Gems-EMI Publishing 1979 - 1986

Dancing

Experience

Employment History & Experience

Dec 1983 Danced in 'Oh What a Night' at Albany Empire, Deptford, London

Entertainment

Experience

Employment History & Experience

n/a

Extras Work, Partipant, Contestant

Experience

Employment History & Experience

1980s In 'Supergran, 'Robin Hood' at Alnwick Castle etc.
1983 In the David Agency, London - 'Gentle Touch', Beer commercial etc.

Languages Spoken

Experience & Qualifications

General Experience

Ist stage role: Mistress Quickly in Shakespeare's 'The Merry Wives of Windsor' aged 15 (school production)
As 1st year student at Warwick University took lead role of Clown in dance drama 'Laugh Clown or Die', winning production at New Universities Festival, Bradford in Summer 1968
As 3rd year student at Warwick, worked as Clown actor/singer & Musical Director for Lindsay Kemp in 'A Child's Christmas in Wales' November 1969 - January 1970
Have taught drama in various schools in Birmingham (1972), Newcastle (1974, 1982, 1984-1990) and in Gateshead College (1990-now)
Co-founded small-medium scale theatre company Mad Bongo in Newcastle 1973-1977
Acted at People's Theatre, Newcastle 1974, playing Charley in 'Charley's Aunt' and Bobo in Tennessee Williams' 'Camino Real'
Taught drama & music appreciation in Saughton Prison, Edinburgh 1972, co-directing Victorian music-hall version of 'Sweeney Todd' performed by young offenders
Have directed many drama and musical student productions at Gateshead College 1990-2012 including 'The Snow Queen', 'Little Shop of Horrors', 'Jekyll & Hyde', Sondheim's 'Sweeney Todd', versions of 'Macbeth'(taken to Granada, Spain 2003) '2084' (musical based on '1984' taken to Edinburgh Festival 2004), 'Nosferatu' and 'Frankenstein' (taken to Edinburgh Festival 2006)

Qualifications & Training

MA in Theatre & Performance Studies at Rose Bruford College/Manchester University Summer 2003, ILM Level 5 Coaching & Mentoring Diploma 2018, BA in English & European Literature at Warwick University Summer 1970, RSA Dip in Drama Education 1987, RSA Prep Cert in TEFL 1987, NCFE Level 2 Diploma in Mental Health Awareness 2018
performance training: Commedia dell'Arte 4 week course in Reggio Emilia, Italy led by Antonio Fava in August 1995: awarded honorary role of Brighella

Other Information

Relevant Skills

DRIVING (CAR-OWNER), STRONG SWIMMER, CYCLING, STILT WALKING, MIME, SINGING, GUITAR, PIANO, HARMONICA, HORSE-RIDING, READING FOR AUDIO BOOKS (11 books in total), VOICES, COMPOSING MUSIC FOR FILMS, TEACHING, LIFE COACHING, MENTORING

Interests & Hobbies

Everything - history, music, writing music for films/TV, life!

Miscellaneous Information

As from 04/09/2018 I am a Lead Practitioner/teacher 1.5 days per week at Gateshead College so I am actively seeking work in the acting profession. I was a member of Equity 1975-1998, but when I went into teaching full time my membership lapsed.