Reece Dinsdale (born 6 August 1959) is an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

actor and director of stage, film and television. He is a Huddersfield Town fan. In 2017 he became a patron of the Square Chapel, an arts centre in Halifax. He is also an honorary patron of The Old Courts multi-arts centre in

Wigan Wigan ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, on the River Douglas. The town is midway between the two cities of Manchester, to the south-east, and Liverpool, to the south-west. Bolton lies to the north-east and Warrington ...

Acting career

Dinsdale trained at the

Guildhall School of Music and Drama The Guildhall School of Music and Drama is a conservatoire and drama school located in the City of London, United Kingdom. Established in 1880, the school offers undergraduate and postgraduate training in all aspects of classical music and jazz ...

from 1977 until 1980. After initially working in theatre in

Exeter Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...

Nottingham Nottingham ( , locally ) is a city and unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located north-west of London, south-east of Sheffield and north-east of Birmingham. Nottingham has links to the legend of Robi ...

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the We ...

and at the

Edinburgh Festival __NOTOC__ This is a list of arts and cultural festivals regularly taking place in Edinburgh, Scotland. The city has become known for its festivals since the establishment in 1947 of the Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh F ...

, Dinsdale got his first TV role in the Granada thriller ''Knife Edge'' in 1981. He followed this up by appearing in ''Out on the Floor'' a single drama for the BBC in 1982. This led to him being cast as Albert in ''

Agatha Christie's Partners in Crime ''Agatha Christie's Partners in Crime'' is a 1983 British television series based on the short stories of the same name by Agatha Christie. It was directed by John A. Davis and Tony Wharmby and starred Francesca Annis and James Warwick in t ...

'' series for ITV in 1982. More theatre followed with ''Beethoven's Tenth'' with

Peter Ustinov Sir Peter Alexander Ustinov (born Peter Alexander Freiherr von Ustinov ; 16 April 192128 March 2004) was a British actor, filmmaker and writer. An internationally known raconteur, he was a fixture on television talk shows and lecture circuits ...

at the Vaudeville Theatre, London and the highly acclaimed ''Red Saturday'' at the

Royal Court A royal court, often called simply a court when the royal context is clear, is an extended royal household in a monarchy, including all those who regularly attend on a monarch, or another central figure. Hence, the word "court" may also be appl ...

. He played Jimmy Kemp in '' Threads'' (1984), a-soon-to-be-father and husband caught up in a nuclear attack on

Sheffield Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire ...

. 1984 also saw Dinsdale appearing in one of his first feature films,

Alan Bennett Alan Bennett (born 9 May 1934) is an English actor, author, playwright and screenwriter. Over his distinguished entertainment career he has received numerous awards and honours including two BAFTA Awards, four Laurence Olivier Awards, and two ...

's ''

A Private Function ''A Private Function'' is a 1984 British comedy film starring Michael Palin and Maggie Smith. The film was predominantly filmed in Ilkley, and Ben Rhydding in West Yorkshire. The film was also screened in the section of Un Certain Regard a ...

'', and the TV movie ''

Winter Flight ''Winter Flight'' is a 1984 British TV movie directed by Roy Battersby, and starring Reece Dinsdale, Nicola Cowper and Sean Bean. Production Goldcrest Films invested £581,000 and received £388,000. They had a loss of £193,000. Another accoun ...

'' opposite Nicola Cowper. ''Glamour Night'', another single drama for the BBC followed in 1984 before Dinsdale was cast as Matthew Willows in the British sitcom '' Home to Roost'' written by Eric Chappell and co-starring

John Thaw John Edward Thaw, (3 January 1942 – 21 February 2002) was an English actor who appeared in a range of television, stage, and cinema roles. He starred in the television series '' Inspector Morse'' as title character Detective Chief Inspector ...

. Dinsdale played Thaw's unruly teenaged son Matthew who comes to live with his estranged father after his mother throws him out. The show ran for four series between 1985 and 1990. Interspersed with this were many appearances on stage, including the award-winning play '' Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme'' at the Hampstead Theatre, London, in 1986, ''Woundings'' and ''

Don Carlos ''Don Carlos'' is a five-act grand opera composed by Giuseppe Verdi to a French-language libretto by Joseph Méry and Camille du Locle, based on the dramatic play '' Don Carlos, Infant von Spanien'' (''Don Carlos, Infante of Spain'') by Fried ...

'' at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, and ''Old Year's Eve'' at the

Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and produces around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, St ...

. On television he had leading roles in the three-part series ''Take Me Home'', and '' The Attractions'', and the single drama ''Coppers'' opposite Tim Roth. He also played Fearnot in Jim Henson's "The Storyteller" which aired 26 October 1987. Dinsdale played the leading role of Jack Rover in ''Wild Oats'' in the inaugural production at the newly built

West Yorkshire Playhouse Leeds Playhouse is a theatre in the city centre of Leeds, West Yorkshire. Having originally opened in 1970 in a different location in Leeds, it reopened as West Yorkshire Playhouse, on Quarry Hill, in March 1990. After a refurbishment in 2018-20 ...

in 1990. He then appeared in '' Young Catherine'', a miniseries in which he played the Grand Duke Peter. He then appeared at the National Theatre in David Hare's '' Racing Demon''. From 1990 to 1992 he co-starred in ''

Haggard Haggard may refer to an adjective reflecting exhaustion or poverty. Haggard may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Haggard (band), a German symphonic metal group * ''Haggard'' (TV series), a British comedy television series * '' ...

'', a comedy set in the late 18th century. In 1994, he played the leading role in '' ID'', a British feature film charting the demise of a police officer who goes undercover to root out a firm of football hooligans. Based on a true story, Dinsdale won the International Critics Award for best actor at the

Geneva Film Festival The Geneva Film Festival is an annual event that takes place in Geneva, Illinois. The festival shows films from around the world and puts on a workshop for those interested in the technical aspects of the film making process. Official selec ...

. Dinsdale has continued to play leading roles on both stage and screen. Highlights include two series of '' Thief Takers'' in which he played the central role of Charlie Scott, and

Kenneth Branagh Sir Kenneth Charles Branagh (; born 10 December 1960) is a British actor and filmmaker. Branagh trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and has served as its president since 2015. He has won an Academy Award, four BAFTAs (plus ...

's film of ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

'' in which he played Guildenstern opposite

Timothy Spall Timothy Leonard Spall (born 27 February 1957) is an English actor and presenter. He became a household name in the UK after appearing as Barry Spencer Taylor in the 1983 ITV comedy-drama series '' Auf Wiedersehen, Pet''. Spall performed in '' ...

's Rosencrantz. He guested in '' Spooks'', ''

Life on Mars The possibility of life on Mars is a subject of interest in astrobiology due to the planet's proximity and similarities to Earth. To date, no proof of past or present life has been found on Mars. Cumulative evidence suggests that during the ...

'', '' Murder in Mind'', ''

Silent Witness ''Silent Witness'' is a British crime drama television series produced by the BBC, which focuses on a team of forensic pathology experts and their investigations into various crimes. First broadcast in 1996, the series was created by Nigel ...

'', and many others. Dinsdale starred opposite

Julie Walters Dame Julia Mary Walters (born 22 February 1950), known professionally as Julie Walters, is an English actress. She is the recipient of four British Academy Television Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, two International Emmy Awards, a B ...

in the ITV drama ''

Ahead of the Class ''Ahead of the Class'' is a single British television drama film, based on the book of the same name by Marie Stubbs, that first broadcast on ITV1 on 30 January 2005. Adapted for television by Robert Jones and directed by Adrian Shergold, the f ...

'' and played Robert in '' Conviction'' for the BBC (directed by Marc Munden). He starred in two series of '' The Chase'' (also for the BBC) and in two thrillers for ITV, '' Love Lies Bleeding'' and '' Midnight Man''. In 2008, he joined the cast of ''

Coronation Street ''Coronation Street'' is an English soap opera created by Granada Television and shown on ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres around a cobbled, terraced street in Weatherfield, a fictional town based on inner-city Salford. Orig ...

'' to play the ill-fated Joe McIntyre, leaving of his own volition in February 2010. Since then he filmed leading guest roles in '' Waterloo Road'', '' Taggart'' and '' Moving On''. He played Doctor Wengel in Ibsen's ''The Lady From the Sea'' at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester. In 2012 he appeared in the feature film ''The Knife That Killed Me''. In 2013, Dinsdale played the role of Walter Harrison in James Graham's smash hit play ''This House'' on the Olivier stage at the National Theatre - directed by Jeremy Herrin. In 2014, he played

in Bennett's autobiographical play ''Untold Stories'' at the West Yorkshire Playhouse. In 2015 Dinsdale played the central role of George Jones in Headlong's national tour of Sir David Hare's play ''The Absence of War'', once again directed by Jeremy Herrin. In October 2015 Dinsdale played the title role in Shakespeare's ''

Richard III Richard III (2 October 145222 August 1485) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat and death at the Bat ...

'' at The West Yorkshire Playhouse for director Mark Rosenblatt. He has an extensive list of BBC Radio Drama credits and, in 2014, he was awarded a Yorkshire Award for Services to Arts and Entertainment. In 2015, he became the first actor to be named Associate Artist at The West Yorkshire Playhouse. In 2017, Dinsdale was made a patron of the Square Chapel Arts Centre in Halifax. In 2020, Dinsdale joined the ITV

soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio drama ...

Emmerdale ''Emmerdale'' (known as ''Emmerdale Farm'' until 1989) is a British soap opera that is broadcast on ITV1. The show is set in Emmerdale (known as Beckindale until 1994), a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, ...

playing the villainous Paul Ashdale. Dinsdale left the soap after just a year in 2021 when his character was killed off in an explosion.

Directing

In January 2012 Dinsdale directed his first drama for television; a 45-minute single drama called "The Crossing" starring

Lee Boardman Lee Boardman (born 2 July 1972) is an English actor and narrator. He has appeared in the films '' Jack the Giant Slayer'' and '' Love's Kitchen'', and the television series ''Rome''. Career Boardman played Murray Priestman in '' Drop Dead Gor ...

, Ramona Marquez and Susie Blake, in the ''Secrets and Words'' series for BBC1. In July and August 2014 he directed the episode "Madge" in the ''Moving On'' series starring

Hayley Mills Hayley Catherine Rose Vivien Mills (born 18 April 1946) is an English actress. The daughter of Sir John Mills and Mary Hayley Bell, and younger sister of actress Juliet Mills, she began her acting career as a child and was hailed as a promising ...

, Kenneth Cranham and Peter Egan, again for BBC1. In May 2015, Dinsdale completed his third drama for BBC Television, "Scratch", starring Will Ash and Chris Coghill, once again for the ''Moving On'' series. Dinsdale thereafter directed a fourth TV drama, again in the ''Moving On'' series, for Jimmy McGovern: "Eighteen", a story about the attempted deportation of an Afghan youth back to his native Kabul, starring

Antonio Aakeel Antonio Aakeel is an English actor, known for his leading role in the 2018 comedy film '' Eaten by Lions'', for which he was named a Screen International Star of Tomorrow by Screen Daily. He also appeared in ''Tomb Raider'' and the BAFTA award- ...

and Rosie Cavaliero. The series was aired in November 2016. In 2017, Dinsdale directed Sue Johnston in "Lost" by Shaun Duggan for the ''Moving On'' series. He has directed several episodes of Emmerdale and announced in spring 2022 that he is to direct episodes of Coronation Street.

Writing

In 2009, Dinsdale wrote the short film ''Imaginary Friend'' which was subsequently filmed and stars Maxine Peake and Zara Turner. The film premiered on 8 May 2010 at the 360/365 Film Festival in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

Credits (incomplete)

* 2020–2021 ''

'' (ITV) * 2017 "The Fall of the Master Builder" (

) * 2015 "

" (

) * 2015 ''

The Absence of War ''The Absence of War'' is a play by English playwright David Hare, the final installment of his trilogy about contemporary Britain. The play premiered in 1993 at the Royal National Theatre, London, England. The play is based on his behind the s ...

'' ( Headlong theatre tour) * 2014 ''Untold Stories'' (

) * 2013 ''This House'' ( National Theatre) * 2012 '' The Knife That Killed Me'' (Green Screen Productions feature film) * 2011 " Moving On" (LA Productions for BBC1) * 2011 '' Waterloo Road'' (

BBC TV BBC Television is a service of the BBC. The corporation has operated a public broadcast television service in the United Kingdom, under the terms of a royal charter, since 1927. It produced television programmes from its own studios from 193 ...

) * 2010 ''The Lady From The Sea'' (Theatre at the

Royal Exchange, Manchester The Royal Exchange is a grade II listed building in Manchester, England. It is located in the city centre on the land bounded by St Ann's Square, Exchange Street, Market Street, Cross Street and Old Bank Street. The complex includes the Royal ...

)
'' Taggart'' ( STV ITV) * 2009 ''Acid Burn'' (Red Productions short film) * 2008–2010 ''

'' (ITV) * 2008 ''

'' (BBC TV)
'' Midnight Man'' (ITV) * 2007 '' The Chase'' (BBC) * 2006 ''

'' (BBC TV)
'' Dalziel and Pascoe'' episode " The Cave Woman" (BBC TV)
'' The Chase'' (BBC TV) * 2006 '' Love Lies Bleeding'' (ITV) * 2004 ''

'' (ITV)
''The Trouble with George'' (BBC)
'' Conviction'' (BBC TV)
''Rabbit on the Moon'' (Headgear Films feature film) * 2003 '' Spooks'' (BBC TV) * 2002 '' Born and Bred'' (BBC TV) * 2001 ''The Investigation'' (Canadian TV/BBC) * 2000 '' Murder in Mind'' (BBC TV)
''In Deep'' (BBC)
''

Visiting Mr. Green ''Visiting Mr. Green'' is a stage play by American author Jeff Baron that has been performed around the world. Storyline Eighty-six-year-old widower Mr. Green is almost hit by a car driven by young corporate executive Ross Gardiner. Found guil ...

'' (West Yorkshire Playhouse) * 1999 '' Family Fortunes'' (

King's Head Theatre The King's Head Theatre, founded in 1970 by Dan Crawford, is an off-West End venue in London. It is the second oldest operating pub theatre in the UK. In 2021, Mark Ravenhill became Artistic Director and the theatre focusses on producing LGBT ...

) * 1998 ''Love You, Too'' (

Bush Theatre The Bush Theatre is located in the Passmore Edwards Public Library, Shepherd's Bush, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. It was established in 1972 as a showcase for the work of new writers. The Bush Theatre strives to create a s ...

) * 1997 ''Romance and Rejection'', Feature Film * 1996 '' Thief Takers'' (second series) (ITV)
''

'' (Fishmonger Films feature film)
''

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...

'' (

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...

short film) * 1995 '' Bliss'' (ITV)
''Thief Takers'' (ITV) * 1994 ''Morning and Evening'' ( Hampstead Theatre)
''

Mirandolina ''Mirandolina'' ( H. 346) is a comic opera in three acts by Bohuslav Martinů, with a libretto (in Italian) by the composer after Carlo Goldoni's 1751 comedy ''La locandiera'' (''The Mistress of the Inn''). Salieri had an opera (''dramma giocoso' ...

'' ( Lyric Hammersmith theatre)
'' ID'' (Parallax Pictures feature film) * 1993 ''A Going Concern'' (Hampstead Theatre)
''Report Writing'' (Video Arts Ltd. instructional video) * 1992 ''

Full Stretch ''Full Stretch'' is a British comedy television series which first aired on ITV in 1993.Newcomb p.1303 It portrays a limousine rental company owned by an ex-footballer. David Bowie has a cameo as himself in one episode. Main cast * Kevin McNall ...

'' (ITV)
''

Revengers Tragedy ''Revengers Tragedy'' is a 2002 film adaptation of the 1606 play ''The Revenger's Tragedy'' (attributed to Thomas Middleton in the credits, following the scholarly consensus). It was directed by Alex Cox and adapted for the screen by Cox's fello ...

'' (

) * 1991 '' Racing Demon'' (National Theatre)
'' Playboy of the Western World'' (West Yorkshire Playhouse)
'' Young Catherine'' (American/Canadian TV mini-series) * 1990 ''

'' (ITV)
'' Wild Oats'' (West Yorkshire Playhouse) * 1989 ''Boys Mean Business'' (Bush Theatre)
''Home to Roost'' (series 4) (ITV)
'' The Attractions'' (BBC) * 1988 ''

Rhinoceros A rhinoceros (; ; ), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. (It can also refer to a member of any of the extinct specie ...

'' (

Nuffield Theatre, Southampton , mottoeng = The Heights Yield to Endeavour , type = Public research university , established = 1862 – Hartley Institution1902 – Hartley University College1913 – Southampton University Coll ...

)
'' Take Me Home'' (BBC TV) * 1987 ''Old Years Eve'' (

)
''

'' (Theatre at the Royal Exchange, Manchester)
''Coppers'' (BBC)
''Home to Roost'' (series 3) (ITV) * 1986 '' Woundings'' (Theatre at the Royal Exchange, Manchester)
'' The Storyteller'' (Channel 4)
'' Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme'' (Hampstead Theatre)
''Home to Roost'' (series 2) (ITV) * 1985 '' Bergerac'' (S4E7 "The Tennis Racket" BBC TV)
''

Robin of Sherwood ''Robin of Sherwood'' is a British television series, based on the legend of Robin Hood. Created by Richard Carpenter, it was produced by HTV in association with Goldcrest, and ran from 28 April 1984 to 28 June 1986 on the ITV network. In t ...

'' (ITV)
'' Home To Roost'' (ITV) * 1984 ''Glamour Night'' (BBC)
'' Minder Series 4, Ep 9, Willesden Suite.'' (ITV)
''

'' ( Handmade Films feature film)
''Winter Flight'' (Channel 4)
'' Threads'' (BBC TV) * 1983–1984 ''Red Saturday'' (

Royal Court Theatre The Royal Court Theatre, at different times known as the Court Theatre, the New Chelsea Theatre, and the Belgravia Theatre, is a non-commercial West End theatre in Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England ...

) * 1983 ''Beethoven's Tenth'' ( Vaudeville Theatre) * 1982 ''

The Secret Adversary ''The Secret Adversary'' is the second published detective fiction novel by British writer Agatha Christie, first published in January 1922 in the United Kingdom by The Bodley Head and in the United States by Dodd, Mead and Company later in th ...

'' (ITV)
''

'' (ITV)
''Out on the Floor'' (BBC) * 1981 '' Knife Edge'' (ITV) * 1980–1981 Exeter

Northcott Theatre The Northcott Theatre is a theatre situated on the Streatham Campus of the University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon, England. It opened in 1967 and was run until 2010 by the Northcott Theatre Foundation, when the company ceased operating after a ...

Nottingham Playhouse Nottingham Playhouse is a theatre in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England. It was first established as a repertory theatre in 1948 when it operated from a former cinema in Goldsmith Street. Directors during this period included Val May and F ...

Birmingham Repertory Theatre

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Dinsdale, Reece 1959 births Living people People from Normanton, West Yorkshire Actors from Wakefield English male stage actors English male soap opera actors English television directors English soap opera writers Alumni of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama Male actors from Yorkshire