The History of Production of the Works of Harold Pinter
Colin Blakely (1930 - 1987)
Mr Colin Blakely (Male)
Nationality: Northern Irish
Born: 23 September 1930 Confidence Level
Died: 7 May 1987 Confidence Level
Actor. Blakely's varied career spanned stage and screen, often appearing alongside leading figures such as Laurence Olivier, Paul Scofield, Alec Guinness and John Gielgud. Following stage work in Belfast and Wales, Blakely made his London debut in 1959 in Sean O'Casey's Cock-a-Doodle-Dandy at the Royal Court Theatre. Following several roles at the Royal Court, Blakely joined the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) in 1961 where he appeared in As You Like It, Richard III, and Othello. In 1963 he joined the National Theatre - then based at the Old Vic theatre - working alongside Olivier in multiple productions including Boyle in Sean O'Casey's Juno and the Paycock in 1966 and the title role in Valpone in 1968. In 1970 he appeared as Astrov in the Royal Court's revival of Uncle Vanya before originating the role of Deeley in the RSC's production of Pinter's Old Times in 1971. Alongside his work on stage, Blakely appeared in a range of seminal films including Saturday Night, Sunday Morning (1960), This Sporting Life (1963), A Man for All Season's (1966), as Dr John Watson in The Private Lives of Sherlock Holmes (1970), Murder on the Orient Express (1974) and as Kent in Olivier's celebrated television production of King Lear (1983). Blakely's career was cut short by leukemia aged 56 years old.
Training and Education
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Other Names
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Productions
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Appears In
Old Times (Premiere: Aldwych Theatre) (1971)
Deeley (Age: early forties, Male)
Performer
Landscape (1983)
Duff (Age: early fifties, Male)
Performer
One for the Road (Brighton-Bath-Croydon-London) (1985)
Nicolas (Age: forties, Male)
Performer
A Kind of Alaska (Brighton - Bath - Croydon - London) (1985)
Hornby (Age: early sixties, Male)
Performer
Victoria Station (Brighton - Bath - Croydon - London) (1985)
Controller (Age: Not specified, Male)
Source: Harold Pinter: Plays 4 [2005], p. 192
Performer
The Dumb Waiter (1985)
Ben (Age: Not specified, Male)
Performer
The Birthday Party (1987)
McCann (Age: 30, Male)
Performer
Linked People
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Linked Awards
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Resources
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Sources
The New York Times
URL
Obituary by Wilborn Hampton for The New York Times, 9/5/1987
Simon Trowbridge's The Company
Simon Trowbridge, The Company: a Biographical Dictionary of the Royal Shakespeare Company, 3rd ed. (Oxford: Editions Albert Creed, 2013)
Biography
This source provides a comprehensive index and brief biographies for key actors, directors, designers and writers who have worked regularly with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Blakely's entry can be found on pp. 50-52. An entry for Harold Pinter can be found on pp. 375-377.
BFI Screen Online
http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/468542/index.html
URL
Includes brief biography and selected filmography for Colin Blakely.
The Encyclopedia of British Film (Fourth Edition)
The Encyclopedia of British Film: Fourth Edition, ed. by Brian McFarlane, Anthony Slide (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2013)
Academic book
Blakely’s entry can be found on pp. 1887-1888.