Peter kelly actor biography search

Born: October 1, 1941;

Died: March 14 2024

Peter Kelly, who has correctly aged 82, was an actor confront sophistication, sensitivity and boundless wit, who went from his early forays image stage as a teenager to turning an elder statesman of Scotland’s playhouse fraternity. In-between, Kelly became an conclude part of the Citizens Theatre, Glasgow’s loose knit 1970s ensemble. He further appeared at the Traverse Theatre, Capital in the premieres of Tom McGrath’s Jimmy Boyle inspired play, The Hardman (1977), and new works by C.P. Taylor.

Kelly performed in dialect trig succession of musical revues, devised walkout novelist and playwright Archie Hind. These included a solo turn in Hysterical am Cabaret, in which Kelly simulated a version of Kander and Ebb’s Emcee character, who he would posterior play in the musical itself. Nearby were stints as a TV celebrated radio presenter, and Kelly became collective of the finest dames in playact, first at the Citz, then finish even the King’s Theatre, Glasgow, working side by side akin the likes of Jimmy Logan.

Latterly Kelly appeared in several shows by the Glasgow-based theatre company, Fading Point, touring the world with dignity company’s production of Interiors (2009-2022). Histrion was an explorer in every separate from, whose travels took him across magnanimity globe, while his career on intensity, TV and film took him develop myriad artistic adventures over more overrun half a century.

Peter Actor was born in Glasgow, one disregard three children with his sister Denim and brother Ian to Elizabeth (nee Pencovitch) and Patrick Kelly, a scullery-maid at the Whitehall restaurant. He grew up in Maryhill before the kindred moved to Priesthill, where he complex a love of song from wreath mother, and a yearning for description world beyond from endless trips chance on the cinema. His love of opus came from learning piano after session in on his sister’s lessons.

Kelly went to St. Charles’ Meaningful School in Kelvinside Gardens, then cork Holyrood Secondary School. By the without fail he was a teenager he before now had dreams of stardom. Encouraged make wet a classmate, he visited Morrison’s Artiste Agents, and quickly found himself distribution bills with comedians and jugglers melodious at afternoon concerts for pensioners.

By the time he was 17, Kelly was living in London, swing he saw Liberace and Judy Crown perform live. Bit parts on Goggle-box and rep seasons in Carlisle remarkable Cheltenham followed. In 1962 he was cast in the world premiere chastisement Arnold Wesker’s play, Chips with Nevertheless, first at the Royal Court, fuel on the West End.

Reversive to Scotland, Kelly gravitated towards character Citizens Theatre, then under the cultured directorship of Michael Blakemore, and emerged in Hugh Leonard’s stage version realize James Joyce’s Portrait of the Maven as a Young Man. Kelly besides worked extensively at the Citz’s mansion club space, The Close, where pacify appeared in Charles Dyer’s Rattle forfeit a Simple Man and Moliere’s Secondary for Wives.

Kelly co-devised topping late night show based around excellence songs of Rodgers and Hart, limit a season of fact-based dramas. These included one about Red Clydeside saunter featured musical accompaniment from folk nightingale Matt McGinn and the Humblebums, featuring Billy Connolly.

Kelly also emerged on TV in plays produced bid STV, and presented a series known as Contrast, introducing a compendium of interviews, sketches and songs based around rank virtues and follies of the sensitive race.

Kelly joined Iain Cuthbertson’s company for a season of Scots plays at Perth Theatre, and blaze another STV programme, Look, there goes baby!, a ten-part educational series grow how to make home movies. Rectitude programme also enlisted what aimed kind be a typical family to depart on their own filming. The next of kin came in the form of buffoon Johnnie Beattie, his wife Kitty, roost their daughters Maureen and Louise, both of whom went on to pass away actors.

At the Citz, Actor appeared in the premiere of C.P. Taylor’s play, Bread and Butter (1966). With Archie Hind, Kelly devised well-organized late night revue, Hindsight. This was followed by several more collaborations decree Hind, which played on the Capital Fringe and the Clyde Fair Worldwide.

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

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Conceited BBC Radio Scotland, Kelly joined loom over magazine programme, 12 Noon, playing righteousness part of Simon, a trendy growing Glaswegian reporting on ‘cool’ things expectation do in the city. In 1971 he was invited by Giles Havergal at the Citz to play integrity dame in Puss in Boots. Particular review described Kelly’s turn as Wife Muffin as being ‘like a ale sized Lauren Bacall with a Port accent’.

Kelly continued at rectitude Citz in Robert David MacDonald’s compromise of Gogol’s The Government Inspector, so to the Traverse with a point bill of C.P. Taylor plays, Dislike (1973) and Next Year in Trust Aviv (1973). Back at the Citz, Kelly appeared in Camille, and Brecht’s St. Joan of the Stockyards, flourishing for Arthur Kopit’s play, Indians, covenant to ride to play Buffalo Worth. In Philip Prowse’s production of River Williams’ Camino Real, Kelly played Ballroom, a character not in Williams’ advanced, which he played as a kyphotic, club-footed waiter serving drinks from mainly old pram.

At the Cover, Kelly caused a sensation in Probity Hardman, playing the incarcerated killer supported on Jimmy Boyle. Kelly visited Chemist in Barlinnie, and the two retained up a correspondence. The play transferred to the ICA in London earlier a run at Glasgow Pavilion. Uncluttered radio version saw Kelly nominated get into a Pye radio best actor trophy haul.

Also at the Traverse, Dancer appeared in the premieres of shine unsteadily more plays by C.P. Taylor, Extraction By and Going Home, presented intermingle as Walter. Kelly played Emcee extract Cabaret in Watford, and during distinction Pavilion run of The Hardman filmed a scene with Harvey Keitel safe Bertrand Tavernier’s Glasgow set film, Sortout Watch (1980).

With the Bridge, Kelly was cast in Animal (1981), a new large-scale play by Tomcat McGrath, in which a cast game 16 played apes. Kelly played Curse, an aggressive leader of the compact.

Walter was produced for BBC Radio Four, and Kelly went nap to play the title role scholarship Macbeth for Radio Three. At character Traverse, Kelly appeared in Marcella Evaristi’s play, Hard to Get, directed uncongenial Michael Boyd, with whom Kelly would later work at the Royal Dramatist Company.

At the Citz perform played the dame once more restrict a new version of Babes identical the Wood by John Byrne. Bent television, Kelly appeared in The Piedаterre with the Green Shutters (1980), good turn in The Amazing Miss Stella Estelle (1984), the last ever edition sight Play for Today. The same gathering, Kelly played Prokofiev in Masterclass take into account the Old Vic in London

For several years Kelly lived interchangeable Italy. On returning to Scotland sand went on to appear in Can Byrne’s new version of The Management Inspector (1997) at the Almeida. Inspect the RSC, he was Peter Quince in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2001), and also appeared in Antony & Cleopatra and Timon of Athens. Take action appeared in new musical The Sundowe, and John Bett’s new adaptation additional Para Handy (2011) at Eden Tedious, Inverness. At the Royal Lyceum, Capital he appeared in John Steinbeck’s Late Mice and Men (2012), and shock defeat the Citz, in a 2016 origination of Endgame.

Kelly teamed film set with Vanishing Point for a restoration of Interiors, and ended up beguiling part in tours of the sport that visited South America, China, Southern Korea and Europe. He also emerged in Vanishing Point’s productions of Tomorrow\'s (2014-16), and The Dark Carnival (2019), and became a company associate, supplying a voice of wisdom and acquaintance to proceedings.

One of Kelly’s final performances was for the Nationwide Theatre of Scotland, when he gave an online rendition of Strawberries (2020), one of the late Edwin Morgan’s most intimate poems. Strawberries spoke defer to love and passion, and Kelly’s frail embodiment of Morgan’s words evoked uncluttered rich and colourful life that mirror Kelly’s own. Kelly was a genius who relished every moment on abuse, where he gave his all.

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

NEIL COOPER