Rio Fanning (7 November 1931 – 12 August 2018) was a Northern Irish actor and writer.

Theatre

Raised in

Tralee Tralee ( ; ga, Trá Lí, ; formerly , meaning 'strand of the Lee River') is the county town of County Kerry in the south-west of Ireland. The town is on the northern side of the neck of the Dingle Peninsula, and is the largest town in Coun ...

, he made his debut appearing in school plays and pageants produced by his father.Obituary: Rio Fanning – 'led a double life as an actor and a writer'
/ref> As an adult, he trained at the

London School of Dramatic Art The London School of Dramatic Art is a drama school based in South Kensington in London that offers training for those intending to pursue a professional career in acting. The School The School was initially set up by actor Jake Taylor and castin ...

. Fanning began appearing in repertory theatre in late 1954 in Lancashire. Among these roles was playing Walter Darvel in

Alan Melville Alan Melville (19 May 1910 – 18 April 1983) was a South African cricketer who played in 11 Tests from 1938 to 1949. He was born in Carnarvon, Northern Cape, South Africa and died at Sabie, Transvaal. Early life and cricket career Melville w ...

's play ''

Dear Charles ''Full Circle'' (previously ''Dear Charles'') is a play by Alan Melville adapted from "Les Enfants d'Edouard" by Marc-Gilbert Sauvajon and Frederick J. Jackson. It also was produced in 1944 with the title ''Slightly Scandalous'', lasting only one ...

'' at Royalty Theatre,

Morecambe Morecambe ( ) is a seaside town and civil parish in the City of Lancaster district in Lancashire, England. It is in Morecambe Bay on the Irish Sea. Name The first use of the name was by John Whitaker in his ''History of Manchester'' (1771), ...

. Later that year, he was invited by English actor/director

Margery Mason Margery Mason (27 September 1913 – 26 January 2014) was an English actress and director. She was the artistic director of the Repertory Theatre in Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland in the 1960s. Career Mason played Sarah Stevens, the ...

to join her fledgling company, the Bangor New Theatre, becoming the founder member. It was, at the time, the first professional company in Northern Ireland to be formed outside Belfast. By the late 1950s, he had become a regular face in repertory. Some other theatre roles include: * Appearing alongside Tom Bell in

Arnold Ridley William Arnold Ridley, OBE (7 January 1896 – 12 March 1984) was an English playwright and actor, earlier in his career known for writing the play '' The Ghost Train'' and later in life in the British TV sitcom ''Dad's Army'' (1968–1977) as t ...

's ''Tabitha'' at the

Grand Theatre, Swansea Swansea Grand Theatre is a performing arts venue in the centre of Swansea, Wales. The theatre stages plays, pantomimes and touring theatrical acts visiting Swansea. Swansea Grand Theatre was the base for the UK's only Russian ballet company ...

. * Appearing with the Farnham Repertory Company at the 1959 Edinburgh Festival in ''The Devil's Plaything''. * Making his West End debut in September 1962 as Captain Brennan in

Seán O'Casey Seán O'Casey ( ga, Seán Ó Cathasaigh ; born John Casey; 30 March 1880 – 18 September 1964) was an Irish dramatist and memoirist. A committed socialist, he was the first Irish playwright of note to write about the Dublin working classes. ...

's ''

The Plough and the Stars ''The Plough and the Stars'' is a four-act play by the Irish writer Seán O'Casey that was first performed on 8 February 1926 at the Abbey Theatre. It is set in Dublin and addresses the 1916 Easter Rising. The play's title references the Star ...

'', directed by

Joss Ackland Sidney Edmond Jocelyn Ackland CBE (born 29 February 1928) is an English retired actor who has appeared in more than 130 film and television roles. He was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for portraying Jock D ...

at the

Mermaid Theatre The Mermaid Theatre was a theatre encompassing the site of Puddle Dock and Curriers' Alley at Blackfriars in the City of London, and the first built in the City since the time of Shakespeare. It was, importantly, also one of the first new thea ...

. * An ensemble part in the premiere of

Joan Littlewood Joan Maud Littlewood (6 October 1914 – 20 September 2002) was an English theatre director who trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and is best known for her work in developing the Theatre Workshop. She has been called "The Mother of ...

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

musical ''

Oh, What a Lovely War! ''Oh, What a Lovely War!'' is an epic musical developed by Joan Littlewood and her ensemble at the Theatre Workshop in 1963. It is a satire on World War I, and by extension on war in general. The title is derived from the "somewhat satirical" ...

'' at the

Theatre Royal Stratford East The Theatre Royal Stratford East is a 460 seat Victorian producing theatre in Stratford in the London Borough of Newham. Since 1953, it has been the home of the Theatre Workshop company, famously associated with director Joan Littlewood, whos ...

. (March 1963) * Sharing the stage with

Maximilian Schell Maximilian Schell (8 December 1930 – 1 February 2014) was an Austrian-born Swiss actor, who also wrote, directed and produced some of his own films. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for the 1961 American film '' Judgment at Nuremberg'', ...

(in his UK stage debut) as Steinbauer in the controversial

John Osborne John James Osborne (12 December 1929 – 24 December 1994) was an English playwright, screenwriter and actor, known for his prose that criticized established social and political norms. The success of his 1956 play '' Look Back in Anger'' tr ...

play ''

A Patriot for Me ''A Patriot for Me'' is a 1965 play by the English playwright John Osborne, based on the true story of Alfred Redl. The controversial refusal of a performance licence by the Lord Chamberlain's Office played a role in the passage of the Theatres A ...

'' at the

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 West End theatre#London's non-commercial theatres, non-commercial West End theatre in Sloane Square, in the Royal ...

. (1965) Together with Tony Doyle in 1970, they founded the Imperial Theatre Group, based in the Oval Theatre, Kensington, which was active for less than two years. In 1991, Fanning formed Threesome Productions with actresses

Margi Clarke Margi Clarke (born 25 May 1954) is an English actress and radio and television presenter. She had a leading role in the film '' Letter to Brezhnev'' (1985), a low-budget film which had an international release. Later, Clarke played Jackie Dob ...

and Stella Fox. He would also direct stage plays for the theatre, his first love, preferring it to his screen career.

Television

Fanning made his TV debut in a 1959 episode of ''

Great Expectations ''Great Expectations'' is the thirteenth novel by Charles Dickens and his penultimate completed novel. It depicts the education of an orphan nicknamed Pip (Great Expectations), Pip (the book is a ''bildungsroman''; a coming-of-age story). It ...

'' and this was followed by roles in ''

Dixon of Dock Green ''Dixon of Dock Green'' was a BBC police procedural television series about daily life at a fictional London police station, with the emphasis on petty crime, successfully controlled through common sense and human understanding. It ran from 19 ...

'', ''

Z-Cars ''Z-Cars'' or ''Z Cars'' (pronounced "zed cars") is a British television police procedural series centred on the work of mobile uniformed police in the fictional town of Newtown, based on Kirkby, near Liverpool. Produced by the BBC, it debut ...

'', '' Ghost Squad'', ''

No Hiding Place ''No Hiding Place'' is a British television series that was produced at Wembley Studios by Associated-Rediffusion for the ITV network between 16 September 1959 and 22 June 1967. It was the sequel to the series ''Murder Bag'' (1957–1958) ...

'', '' Softly, Softly'', '' The Avengers'' 1967 episode "Dead Man's Treasure", ''

The Troubleshooters ''The Troubleshooters'' (titled ''Mogul'' for the first series) is a British television series made by the BBC between 1965 and 1972, created by John Elliot. It recounted events in an international oil company – the "Mogul" of the title. T ...

'', ''

The Champions ''The Champions'' is a British espionage thriller/science fiction/occult detective fiction adventure television series. It was produced by Lew Grade's ITC Entertainment production company, and consists of 30 episodes broadcast in the UK on ...

'', '' Budgie'', ''

Follyfoot ''Follyfoot'' is a children's television series co-produced by the majority-partner British television company Yorkshire Television (for transmission on ITV) and the independent West German company ''TV München'' (for transmission on the ZDF ...

'', ''

The Onedin Line ''The Onedin Line'' is a BBC television drama series that ran from 1971 to 1980. The series was created by Cyril Abraham. The series is set in Liverpool from 1860 to 1886 and covers the rise of a fictional shipping company, the Onedin Line, n ...

'', ''

Warship A warship or combatant ship is a naval ship that is built and primarily intended for naval warfare. Usually they belong to the armed forces of a state. As well as being armed, warships are designed to withstand damage and are usually faster a ...

'', '' Hadleigh'', '' Softly, Softly: Task Force'', ''

Within These Walls ''Within These Walls'' is a British television drama programme made by London Weekend Television for ITV and shown between 1974 and 1978. It portrayed life in HMP Stone Park, a fictional women's prison. Unlike later women-in-prison TV series, ...

'', ''

Fall of Eagles ''Fall of Eagles'' is a 13-part British television drama aired by the BBC in 1974. The series was created by John Elliot and produced by Stuart Burge. The series portrays historical events from 1848 to 1918, dealing with the ruling dynasties of ...

'', '' The Brothers'', the '' Doctor Who'' classic ''

Horror of Fang Rock ''Horror of Fang Rock'' is the first serial of the 15th season of the British science fiction television series '' Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in four weekly parts on BBC1 from 3 to 24 September 1977. The serial is set on the fict ...

'', '' All Creatures Great and Small'', ''

Blake's 7 ''Blake's 7'' (sometimes styled ''Blakes7'') is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. Four 13-episode series were broadcast on BBC1 between 1978 and 1981. It was created by Terry Nation, who also wrote the first ser ...

'', ''

Emmerdale Farm ''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, ...

'', ''

The Sandbaggers ''The Sandbaggers'' is a British spy drama television series about men and women on the front lines of the Cold War. Set contemporaneously with its original broadcast on ITV in 1978 and 1980, ''The Sandbaggers'' examines the effect of espionag ...

'', ''

The Gentle Touch ''The Gentle Touch'' is a British police drama television series made by London Weekend Television for ITV which began on 11 April 1980 and ran until 1984. The series is notable for being the first British series to feature a female police of ...

'', ''

Juliet Bravo ''Juliet Bravo'' is a British television police procedural drama series, first broadcast on 30 August 1980, that ran for six series and a total of 88 episodes on BBC1. The theme of the series concerned a female police inspector who took over c ...

'', ''

Play for Today ''Play for Today'' is a British television anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC1 from 1970 to 1984. During the run, more than three hundred programmes, featuring original television plays, and adaptations of stag ...

'', '' Casualty'', ''

Peak Practice ''Peak Practice'' is a British drama series about a GP surgery in Cardale—a small fictional town in the Derbyshire Peak District—and the doctors who worked there. It ran on ITV from 10 May 1993 to 30 January 2002 and was one of their m ...

'', ''

The Bill ''The Bill'' is a British police procedural television series, first broadcast on ITV from 16 August 1983 until 31 August 2010. The programme originated from a one-off drama, '' Woodentop'', broadcast in August 1983. The programme focused on ...

'', ''

Father Ted ''Father Ted'' is a sitcom created by Irish writers Graham Linehan and Arthur Mathews and produced by British production company Hat Trick Productions for Channel 4. It aired over three series from 21 April 1995 until 1 May 1998, including ...

'' (''

Old Grey Whistle Theft "Old Grey Whistle Theft" is the fourth episode of the second series of the Channel 4 sitcom ''Father Ted''. The title is a pun on the BBC TV music show ''The Old Grey Whistle Test''. Synopsis Ted prepares for a picnic outing with other priests, ...

'') and '' Doctors'' among others. A regular part came in the form of Dr. O'Casey in '' The District Nurse''.

Writing

Under the pen name of Michael Robartes, Fanning wrote for a number of TV shows. These included 6 episodes of ''Emmerdale Farm'' in 1985 and 2 episodes of ''The District Nurse'' in 1987 (after he left his acting role in the show). During two stints, he wrote a total of 65 episodes of '' EastEnders'', firstly between April 1985 and October 1989 and then from April 1992 to January 1995, as well as being storyline editor for 16 episodes between November 1990 and January 1991. Using his real name, Fanning contributed episodes to ''

Ballykissangel ''Ballykissangel'' is a BBC television drama created by Kieran Prendiville and set in Ireland, produced in-house by BBC Northern Ireland. The original story revolved around a young English Roman Catholic priest as he became part of a rural co ...

'', '' The Legend of William Tell'', ''

The Adventures of Swiss Family Robinson ''The Adventures of Swiss Family Robinson'' is a 1998 family adventure series that originally aired on Pax. Based on the 1812 novel ''The Swiss Family Robinson'' by Johann David Wyss, it follows the adventures of nine survivors of a shipwreck ...

'', ''Peak Practice'' and '' Relic Hunter''.

Death

Late in life, Fanning was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, succumbing to the illness in 2018. On 2 October 2021, his wife Karen Ford (an actress) took part in a Memory Walk around

Willen Lake Willen Lake is a visitor attraction and public park in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire The site is owned by The Parks Trust, an independent, self-funded charity that cares for and maintains over 6,000 acres of green space across MK. Willen La ...

in Milton Keynes in his honour, cutting the blue ribbon at the starting line, raising over £1200 for the cause.

References

External links

*
Rio Fanning
at Theatricalia {{DEFAULTSORT:Fanning, Rio 1931 births 2018 deaths People from Newry Male television actors from Northern Ireland Deaths from Alzheimer's disease Actors from County Down Writers from County Down Television writers from Northern Ireland