Peter kelly actor biography samples

Born: October 1, 1941;

Died: March 14 2024

Prick Kelly, who has died superannuated 82, was an actor clean and tidy sophistication, sensitivity and boundless clowning, who went from his badly timed forays on stage as top-hole teenager to become an respected statesman of Scotland’s theatre clique.

In-between, Kelly became an fundamental part of the Citizens Theatre arts, Glasgow’s loose knit 1970s bash. He also appeared at picture Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh in leadership premieres of Tom McGrath’s Prise Boyle inspired play, The Hardman (1977), and new works bypass C.P. Taylor.

Kelly ended in a succession of harmonious revues, devised with novelist mount playwright Archie Hind.

These tendency a solo turn in Hysterical am Cabaret, in which Histrion played a version of Kander and Ebb’s Emcee character, who he would later play swindle the musical itself. There were stints as a TV queue radio presenter, and Kelly became one of the finest dames in pantomime, first at class Citz, then at the King’s Theatre, Glasgow, working alongside decency likes of Jimmy Logan.

Latterly Kelly appeared in very many shows by the Glasgow-based amphitheatre company, Vanishing Point, touring say publicly world with the company’s preparation of Interiors (2009-2022). Kelly was an explorer in every reasonable, whose travels took him area the globe, while his existence on stage, TV and pelt took him on myriad discriminating adventures over more than division a century.

Peter Actor was born in Glasgow, give someone a jingle of three children with reward sister Jean and brother Ian to Elizabeth (nee Pencovitch) at an earlier time Patrick Kelly, a chef outside layer the Whitehall restaurant. He grew up in Maryhill before high-mindedness family moved to Priesthill, disc he developed a love order song from his mother, current a yearning for the false beyond from endless trips be carried the cinema.

His love ferryboat music came from learning keyboard after sitting in on her highness sister’s lessons.

Kelly went to St. Charles’ Primary Educational institution in Kelvinside Gardens, then tell between Holyrood Secondary School. By excellence time he was a lower he already had dreams very last stardom. Encouraged by a schoolmate, he visited Morrison’s Theatrical Agents, and quickly found himself giving out bills with comedians and jugglers singing at afternoon concerts sense pensioners.

By the at the double he was 17, Kelly was living in London, where explicit saw Liberace and Judy Laurels perform live. Bit parts arrest TV and rep seasons limit Carlisle and Cheltenham followed. Impossible to differentiate 1962 he was cast kick up a rumpus the world premiere of Poet Wesker’s play, Chips with Nonetheless, first at the Royal Suite, then on the West Go on.

Returning to Scotland, Histrion gravitated towards the Citizens Drama, then under the artistic command of Michael Blakemore, and attended in Hugh Leonard’s stage trade of James Joyce’s Portrait be unable to find the Artist as a Immature Man. Kelly also worked chiefly at the Citz’s studio bludgeon space, The Close, where inaccuracy appeared in Charles Dyer’s Unnerve of a Simple Man submit Moliere’s School for Wives.

Kelly co-devised a late night-time show based around the songs of Rodgers and Hart, opinion a season of fact-based dramas. These included one about Unchanging Clydeside that featured musical support from folk singer Matt McGinn and the Humblebums, featuring Beat Connolly.

Kelly also comed on TV in plays by STV, and presented adroit series called Contrast, introducing spick compendium of interviews, sketches title songs based around the virtues and follies of the body race.

Kelly joined Iain Cuthbertson’s company for a course of Scottish plays at Perth Theatre, and presented another STV programme, Look, there goes baby!, a ten-part educational series foreword how to make home motion pictures. The programme also enlisted what aimed to be a rep family to embark on their own filming. The family came in the form of comic Johnnie Beattie, his wife Fund, and their daughters Maureen be proof against Louise, both of whom went on to become actors.

At the Citz, Kelly arrived in the premiere of C.P. Taylor’s play, Bread and Layer (1966). With Archie Hind, Buffoon devised a late night variety, Hindsight. This was followed unwelcoming several more collaborations with Peasant, which played on the Capital Fringe and the Clyde Circus International.

Kelly’s first pick up appearance came in John Dexter’s version of Leslie Thomas’s narration, The Virgin Soldiers (1969), which saw him spend several months filming in Malaya.

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On BBC Radio Scotland, Kelly joined neat magazine programme, 12 Noon, performing the part of Simon, tidy trendy young Glaswegian reporting dishonest ‘cool’ things to do hoard the city.

In 1971 illegal was invited by Giles Havergal at the Citz to physical activity the dame in Puss gratify Boots. One review described Kelly’s turn as Mrs Muffin renovation being ‘like a pint small Lauren Bacall with a City accent’.

Kelly continued affection the Citz in Robert King MacDonald’s production of Gogol’s Dignity Government Inspector, then to excellence Traverse with a double expenditure of C.P.

Taylor plays, Hostility (1973) and Next Year spitting image Tel Aviv (1973). Back even the Citz, Kelly appeared charge Camille, and Brecht’s St. Joan of the Stockyards, and pointless Arthur Kopit’s play, Indians, recognize to ride to play Metropolis Bill. In Philip Prowse’s making of Tennessee Williams’ Camino Just the thing, Kelly played Disco, a shepherd not in Williams’ original, which he played as a humpbacked, club-footed waiter serving drinks exotic an old pram.

Dilemma the Traverse, Kelly caused unornamented sensation in The Hardman, acting the incarcerated killer based impersonation Jimmy Boyle.

Kelly visited Boyle advocate Barlinnie, and the two restricted up a correspondence. The lob transferred to the ICA of great consequence London before a run draw off Glasgow Pavilion. A radio hatred saw Kelly nominated for unmixed Pye radio best actor honour.

Also at the Go over, Kelly appeared in the premieres of two more plays prep between C.P.

Taylor, Getting By alight Going Home, presented together bring in Walter. Kelly played Emcee incorporate Cabaret in Watford, and textile the Pavilion run of Decency Hardman filmed a scene do better than Harvey Keitel for Bertrand Tavernier’s Glasgow set film, Death See (1980).

With the Pass over, Kelly was cast in Brute (1981), a new large-scale physical activity by Tom McGrath, in which a cast of 16 bogus apes.

Kelly played Spike, propose aggressive leader of the give the elbow.

Walter was produced supplement BBC Radio Four, and Buffoon went on to play position title role of Macbeth intend Radio Three. At the Walk, Kelly appeared in Marcella Evaristi’s play, Hard to Get, resolved by Michael Boyd, with whom Kelly would later work fighting the Royal Shakespeare Company.

At the Citz he high-sounding the dame once more huddle together a new version of Babes in the Wood by Toilet Byrne. On television, Kelly emerged in The House with distinction Green Shutters (1980), and family tree The Amazing Miss Stella Estelle (1984), the last ever printing of Play for Today. Rank same year, Kelly played Composer in Masterclass at the Accommodate Vic in London

Rent several years Kelly lived hold Italy.

On returning to Scotland he went on to come out in John Byrne’s new amendment of The Government Inspector (1997) at the Almeida. At representation RSC, he was Peter Quince in A Midsummer Night’s Fantasy (2001), and also appeared flat Antony & Cleopatra and Timon of Athens. He appeared force new musical The Sundowe, esoteric John Bett’s new adaptation be advisable for Para Handy (2011) at Isles of the blessed Court, Inverness.

At the Grand Lyceum, Edinburgh he appeared hold your attention John Steinbeck’s Of Mice suffer Men (2012), and at picture Citz, in a 2016 selling of Endgame.

Kelly teamed up with Vanishing Point fetch a revival of Interiors, contemporary ended up taking part drag tours of the play focus visited South America, China, Southmost Korea and Europe.

He very appeared in Vanishing Point’s writings actions of Tomorrow (2014-16), and Significance Dark Carnival (2019), and became a company associate, providing fine voice of wisdom and consider to proceedings.

One stop Kelly’s final performances was escort the National Theatre of Scotland, when he gave an on the web rendition of Strawberries (2020), figure out of the late Edwin Morgan’s most intimate poems.

Strawberries strut of love and passion, skull Kelly’s tender embodiment of Morgan’s words evoked a rich snowball colourful life that reflected Kelly’s own. Kelly was a artist who relished every moment incessant stage, where he gave climax all.

Kelly is survived by his sister Jean, enthrone brother Ian, and his nieces, Mags, Liz, Sharon, and Michele, and his nephew, John.

NEIL COOPER