David Weston (born 28 July 1938) is an English actor, director and author. Since graduating from the

Royal Academy of Dramatic Art The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, also known by its abbreviation RADA (), is a drama school in London, England, which provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in Bloomsbury, Central London ...

(RADA) in 1961 (having won its Silver Medal for that year) he has acted in numerous film, television and stage productions, including twenty-seven

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

plays and prominent guest roles in two ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...

'' serials. With Michael Croft, he was a founder member of the

National Youth Theatre The National Youth Theatre of Great Britain (NYT) is a youth theatre and charity in London, created with the aim of developing young people's artistic skills via theatrical productions and other creative endeavours. Founded in 1956 as the world ...

. Much of his directing work has been for that organisation; he has directed also at the

Regent's Park Regent's Park (officially The Regent's Park) is one of the Royal Parks of London. It occupies in north-west Inner London, administratively split between the City of Westminster and the London Borough of Camden, Borough of Camden (and historical ...

Open Air Theatre and a number of other theatres in London. He wrote and narrated a series of non-fiction audio books, including ''Shakespeare His Life and Work'', which won the 2001 Benjamin Franklin Award for best audio non-fiction book.

Early career

Weston was born in London and educated at Dulwich Prep & Senior before attending

Alleyn's School Alleyn's School is a 4–18 Mixed-sex education, co-educational, independent, day school and sixth form in Dulwich, London, England. It is a registered charity and was originally part of Edward Alleyn's College of God's Gift charitable foundatio ...

, during the time that Michael Croft, founder of the

(NYT), worked there. In 1956, Croft directed a school production of

's ''

Henry IV, Part 2 ''Henry IV, Part 2'' is a history play by William Shakespeare believed to have been written between 1596 and 1599. It is the third part of a tetralogy, preceded by '' Richard II'' and ''Henry IV, Part 1'' and succeeded by '' Henry V''. The p ...

'' which, when revived as a NYT production at the

Toynbee Hall Toynbee Hall is a charitable institution that works to address the causes and impacts of poverty in the East End of London and elsewhere. Established in 1884, it is based in Commercial Street, Spitalfields, and was the first university-affili ...

Theatre the following year, attracted the attention of the national press. Weston played

Falstaff Sir John Falstaff is a fictional character who appears in three plays by William Shakespeare and is eulogised in a fourth. His significance as a fully developed character is primarily formed in the plays ''Henry IV, Part 1'' and '' Part 2'', w ...

, a character singled out by ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...

'' in its praise of the play's comedy. In August 1960, Weston played Mark Antony in Shakespeare's ''

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caesar's civil wa ...

'' at the Queen's Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue. Directed by Croft and given in modern dress, this was only the second appearance by the company of the NYT in London's West End.

John Shrapnel John Morley Shrapnel (27 April 1942 – 14 February 2020) was an English actor. He is known mainly for his stage work with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre in the United Kingdom and for his many television appearances. On ...

played Caesar, Neil Stacy Brutus, and Alan Allkins Cassius. The play was judged a "youthful success" by the theatre critic of ''The Times''; Weston's performance was said to have successfully caught an opportunist spirit effectually hidden by a rough charm. ''The Times'' was more muted in its praise of the ''

Electra Electra, also spelt Elektra (; ; ), is one of the most popular Greek mythology, mythological characters in tragedies.Evans (1970), p. 79 She is the main character in two Greek tragedies, ''Electra (Sophocles play), Electra'' by Sophocles and ''Ele ...

'' and ''

Oedipus Rex ''Oedipus Rex'', also known by its Greek title, ''Oedipus Tyrannus'' (, ), or ''Oedipus the King'', is an Athenian tragedy by Sophocles. While some scholars have argued that the play was first performed , this is highly uncertain. Originally, to ...

'' of

Sophocles Sophocles ( 497/496 – winter 406/405 BC)Sommerstein (2002), p. 41. was an ancient Greek tragedian known as one of three from whom at least two plays have survived in full. His first plays were written later than, or contemporary with, those ...

in a double bill put on by the

(RADA) at its Vanbrugh Theatre in

Bloomsbury Bloomsbury is a district in the West End of London, part of the London Borough of Camden in England. It is considered a fashionable residential area, and is the location of numerous cultural institution, cultural, intellectual, and educational ...

in February 1961. Weston played Creon in ''Oedipus Rex''; his bluff characterisation was described as strongly supportive. His first television appearance was as Romeo in a production for schools of Shakespeare's ''

Romeo and Juliet ''The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet'', often shortened to ''Romeo and Juliet'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare about the romance between two young Italians from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's ...

'';

Jane Asher Jane Asher (born 5 April 1946)''The International Who's Who of Women'', 3rd edition, ed. Elizabeth Sleeman, Europa Publications, 2002, p. 29 is an English actress and author. She achieved early fame as a child actress and through her associatio ...

played Juliet. Weston later appeared in the serial '' Warriors' Gate'' in the 1981 season of ''

'' in the pivotal role of the time-sensitive Biroc.

Writing

In 2011 Weston published ''Covering McKellen: An Understudy's Tale'', a memoir of the year he spent as

Ian McKellen Sir Ian Murray McKellen (born 25 May 1939) is an English actor. He has played roles on the screen and stage in genres ranging from Shakespearean dramas and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction. He is regarded as a British cu ...

's understudy in 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 opens around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, Stratf ...

's tour of ''

King Lear ''The Tragedy of King Lear'', often shortened to ''King Lear'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is loosely based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his ...

'' directed by Sir

Trevor Nunn Sir Trevor Robert Nunn (born 14 January 1940) is an English theatre director and lyricist. He has been the artistic director for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal National Theatre, and, currently, the Theatre Royal Haymarket. He has dir ...

. In 2014 Weston published ''Covering Shakespeare: An Actor's Saga of Near Misses and Dogged Endurance'', a memoir of his experiences performing in productions of Shakespeare's plays.

Filmography

* ''They Hanged My Saintly Billy'' (1962) – Timmis * '' That Kind of Girl'' (1963) – Keith Murray * '' Doctor In Distress'' (1963) – Dr Stewart * '' 80,000 Suspects'' (1963) – Brian Davis (uncredited) * '' The Informers'' (1963) – Young constable (uncredited) * ''

Witchcraft Witchcraft is the use of Magic (supernatural), magic by a person called a witch. Traditionally, "witchcraft" means the use of magic to inflict supernatural harm or misfortune on others, and this remains the most common and widespread meanin ...

'' (1964) – Todd Lanier * '' Becket'' (1964) – Brother John * '' The Masque of The Red Death'' (1964) – Gino * '' The Beauty Jungle'' (1964) – Harry * '' The Heroes of Telemark'' (1965) – Arne * ''The Legend of Young Dick Turpin'' (1966) –

Dick Turpin Richard Turpin (bapt. 21 September 1705 – 7 April 1739) was an English highwayman whose exploits were romanticised following his execution in York for horse theft. Turpin may have followed his father's trade as a butcher ear ...

* ''The Winter's Tale'' (1968) – Florizel / Archidamas * '' The Red Baron'' (1971) – Murphy * '' Quest for Love'' (1971) – Johnny Prescott * '' Nobody Ordered Love'' (1972) – Jacques Legrand * ''King Lear'' (TV film) 1982 –

Duke of Burgundy Duke of Burgundy () was a title used by the rulers of the Duchy of Burgundy, from its establishment in 843 to its annexation by the Crown lands of France, French crown in 1477, and later by members of the House of Habsburg, including Holy Roman E ...

* ''

'' (2008) – Gentleman * ''Masterpiece'' (2010) – Suit on TV 1

References

External links

David Weston's website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Weston, David English male film actors English male stage actors English male television actors English male Shakespearean actors 1938 births Living people Male actors from London Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art Actors educated at Alleyn's School National Youth Theatre members