Emrys James
Encyclopedia
Emrys James was a Welsh
Shakespearean actor. He also performed in many theatre and TV parts between 1960 and 1989, and was an Associate Artist of the Royal Shakespeare Company
. He was born in Machynlleth
, the son of a railwayman, and attended the University of Wales, Aberystwyth
.
, in 1953 James joined Peter Hall and John Barton
's Oxford Playhouse-based Elizabethan Theatre Company. In 1956 he played his first season at Stratford
, taking the roles of Guildernstern, Salerio in The Merchant of Venice and Claudio in Measure for Measure. Seasons at the Bristol Old Vic
and the Old Vic
, London, followed.
Notable roles at the RSC included Sir Hugh Evans in The Merry Wives of Windsor
, 1968; Gower in Pericles
, 1969; Feste in Twelfth Night, 1969; The Boss in Günter Grass
' The Plebeians Rehearse the Uprising, 1970; The Cardinal in John Webster
's The Duchess of Malfi
, 1971; Shylock
in The Merchant of Venice
, 1971; Iago
in Othello
, 1971; the title role
in King John, 1974; Mephistopheles
in Christopher Marlowe
's Doctor Faustus, 1974; Chorus in Henry V
, 1975; the title role
in Henry IV, Parts 1
and 2
, 1975–76; York in Henry VI, parts I
, II
and III
, 1977–78; Jaques in As You Like It
, 1977; Edgar in Strindberg
's The Dance of Death, 1978; Cassius in Julius Caesar
, 1983; Malvolio
in Twelfth Night, 1984; and Sir Giles Overreach in Philip Massinger
's A New Way to Pay Old Debts, 1984.
In 1981, he played Lopakhin in The Cherry Orchard at Chichester Festival Theatre
.
, whom he had met while they were both students at the University of Wales. The couple set up home, firstly in London then in Warwickshire
, when James began his lasting association with the RSC at Stratford
. They had four children.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
Shakespearean actor. He also performed in many theatre and TV parts between 1960 and 1989, and was an Associate Artist of the Royal Shakespeare Company
Royal Shakespeare Company
The Royal Shakespeare Company is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs 700 staff and produces around 20 productions a year from its home in Stratford-upon-Avon and plays regularly in London, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and on tour across...
. He was born in Machynlleth
Machynlleth
Machynlleth is a market town in Powys, Wales. It is in the Dyfi Valley at the intersection of the A487 and the A489 roads.Machynlleth was the seat of Owain Glyndŵr's Welsh Parliament in 1404, and as such claims to be the "ancient capital of Wales". However, it has never held any official...
, the son of a railwayman, and attended the University of Wales, Aberystwyth
University of Wales, Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth University is a university located in Aberystwyth, Wales. Aberystwyth was a founding Member Institution of the former federal University of Wales. As of late 2006, the university had over 12,000 students spread across seventeen academic departments.The university was founded in 1872 as...
.
Selected theatre work
After training at RADARada
Rada is the term for "council" or "assembly"borrowed by Polish from the Low Franconian "Rad" and later passed into the Czech, Ukrainian, and Belarusian languages....
, in 1953 James joined Peter Hall and John Barton
John Barton (director)
John Bernard Adie Barton CBE is a theatrical director. He is the son of Sir Harold Montagu and Lady Joyce Barton. He married Anne Righter, a university lecturer, in 1968....
's Oxford Playhouse-based Elizabethan Theatre Company. In 1956 he played his first season at Stratford
Royal Shakespeare Theatre
The Royal Shakespeare Theatre is a 1,040+ seat thrust stage theatre owned by the Royal Shakespeare Company dedicated to the British playwright and poet William Shakespeare. It is located in the town of Stratford-upon-Avon - Shakespeare's birthplace - in the English Midlands, beside the River Avon...
, taking the roles of Guildernstern, Salerio in The Merchant of Venice and Claudio in Measure for Measure. Seasons at the Bristol Old Vic
Bristol Old Vic
The Bristol Old Vic is a theatre company based at the Theatre Royal, King Street, in Bristol, England. The theatre complex includes the 1766 Theatre Royal, which claims to be the oldest continually-operating theatre in England, along with a 1970s studio theatre , offices and backstage facilities...
and the Old Vic
Old Vic
The Old Vic is a theatre located just south-east of Waterloo Station in London on the corner of The Cut and Waterloo Road. Established in 1818 as the Royal Coburg Theatre, it was taken over by Emma Cons in 1880 when it was known formally as the Royal Victoria Hall. In 1898, a niece of Cons, Lilian...
, London, followed.
Notable roles at the RSC included Sir Hugh Evans in The Merry Wives of Windsor
The Merry Wives of Windsor
The Merry Wives of Windsor is a comedy by William Shakespeare, first published in 1602, though believed to have been written prior to 1597. It features the fat knight Sir John Falstaff, and is Shakespeare's only play to deal exclusively with contemporary Elizabethan era English middle class life...
, 1968; Gower in Pericles
Pericles
Pericles was a prominent and influential statesman, orator, and general of Athens during the city's Golden Age—specifically, the time between the Persian and Peloponnesian wars...
, 1969; Feste in Twelfth Night, 1969; The Boss in Günter Grass
Günter Grass
Günter Wilhelm Grass is a Nobel Prize-winning German author, poet, playwright, sculptor and artist.He was born in the Free City of Danzig...
' The Plebeians Rehearse the Uprising, 1970; The Cardinal in John Webster
John Webster
John Webster was an English Jacobean dramatist best known for his tragedies The White Devil and The Duchess of Malfi, which are often regarded as masterpieces of the early 17th-century English stage. He was a contemporary of William Shakespeare.- Biography :Webster's life is obscure, and the dates...
's The Duchess of Malfi
The Duchess of Malfi
The Duchess of Malfi is a macabre, tragic play written by the English dramatist John Webster in 1612–13. It was first performed privately at the Blackfriars Theatre, then before a more general audience at The Globe, in 1613-14...
, 1971; Shylock
Shylock
Shylock is a fictional character in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice.-In the play:In The Merchant of Venice, Shylock is a Jewish moneylender who lends money to his Christian rival, Antonio, setting the security at a pound of Antonio's flesh...
in The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice is a tragic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. Though classified as a comedy in the First Folio and sharing certain aspects with Shakespeare's other romantic comedies, the play is perhaps most remembered for its dramatic...
, 1971; Iago
Iago
Iago is a fictional character in Shakespeare's Othello . The character's source is traced to Giovanni Battista Giraldi Cinthio's tale "Un Capitano Moro" in Gli Hecatommithi . There, the character is simply "the ensign". Iago is a soldier and Othello's ancient . He is the husband of Emilia,...
in Othello
Othello
The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in approximately 1603, and based on the Italian short story "Un Capitano Moro" by Cinthio, a disciple of Boccaccio, first published in 1565...
, 1971; the title role
John of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
in King John, 1974; Mephistopheles
Mephistopheles
Mephistopheles is a demon featured in German folklore...
in Christopher Marlowe
Christopher Marlowe
Christopher Marlowe was an English dramatist, poet and translator of the Elizabethan era. As the foremost Elizabethan tragedian, next to William Shakespeare, he is known for his blank verse, his overreaching protagonists, and his mysterious death.A warrant was issued for Marlowe's arrest on 18 May...
's Doctor Faustus, 1974; Chorus in Henry V
Henry V (play)
Henry V is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to be written in approximately 1599. Its full titles are The Cronicle History of Henry the Fifth and The Life of Henry the Fifth...
, 1975; the title role
Henry IV of England
Henry IV was King of England and Lord of Ireland . He was the ninth King of England of the House of Plantagenet and also asserted his grandfather's claim to the title King of France. He was born at Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire, hence his other name, Henry Bolingbroke...
in Henry IV, Parts 1
Henry IV, Part 1
Henry IV, Part 1 is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written no later than 1597. It is the second play in Shakespeare's tetralogy dealing with the successive reigns of Richard II, Henry IV , and Henry V...
and 2
Henry IV, Part 2
Henry IV, Part 2 is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed 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.-Sources:...
, 1975–76; York in Henry VI, parts I
Henry VI, part 1
Henry VI, Part 1 or The First Part of Henry the Sixt is a history play by William Shakespeare, and possibly Thomas Nashe, believed to have been written in 1591, and set during the lifetime of King Henry VI of England...
, II
Henry VI, part 2
Henry VI, Part 2 or The Second Part of Henry the Sixt is a history play by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1591, and set during the lifetime of King Henry VI of England...
and III
Henry VI, part 3
Henry VI, Part 3 or The Third Part of Henry the Sixt is a history play by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1591, and set during the lifetime of King Henry VI of England...
, 1977–78; Jaques in As You Like It
As You Like It
As You Like It is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 or early 1600 and first published in the folio of 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 has been suggested as a possibility...
, 1977; Edgar in Strindberg
Strindberg
Strindberg may refer to:People* August Strindberg , Swedish dramatist and painter* Nils Strindberg , Swedish photographer* Anita Strindberg , Swedish actor* Henrik Strindberg , Swedish composerOther...
's The Dance of Death, 1978; Cassius in Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar (play)
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, also known simply as Julius Caesar, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1599. It portrays the 44 BC conspiracy against...
, 1983; Malvolio
Malvolio
Malvolio is the steward of Olivia's household in William Shakespeare's comedy, Twelfth Night, or What You Will.-Style:Malvolio's ethical values are commonly used to define his appearance.In the play, Malvolio is defined as a "kind of" Puritan...
in Twelfth Night, 1984; and Sir Giles Overreach in Philip Massinger
Philip Massinger
Philip Massinger was an English dramatist. His finely plotted plays, including A New Way to Pay Old Debts, The City Madam and The Roman Actor, are noted for their satire and realism, and their political and social themes.-Early life:The son of Arthur Massinger or Messenger, he was baptized at St....
's A New Way to Pay Old Debts, 1984.
In 1981, he played Lopakhin in The Cherry Orchard at Chichester Festival Theatre
Chichester Festival Theatre
Chichester Festival Theatre, located in Chichester, England, was designed by Philip Powell and Hidalgo Moya, and opened by its founder Leslie Evershed-Martin in 1962. Subsequently the smaller and more intimate Minerva Theatre was built nearby in 1989....
.
Selected TV and films
- Z Cars (1963)
- Moulded in Earth (1965)
- Talking to a Stranger (TV, dir. Christopher Morahan, 1966) as Gordon Lester
- Wessex Tales (TV, 1973) as Dr. Grove
- Softly Softly (TV, 1973) as Jack Hodder
- Seven of One (TV, 1973) as Reverend Simmonds
- Pygmalion (TV, 1973) as Doolittle
- Candide (TV, 1973) as Dr. Pangloss
- Fall of Eagles (1974)
- Days of Hope (TV, dir. Ken Loach, 1975)
- The Man in The Iron MaskThe Man in the Iron Mask (1977 film)The Man in the Iron Mask is a 1977 television film loosely adapted from The Vicomte de Bragelonne by Alexandre Dumas and presenting several plot similarities with the 1939 film version...
(1977) as Percerin - Testament of YouthTestament of YouthTestament of Youth is the first installment, covering 1900–1925, in the memoir of Vera Brittain . It was published in 1933. Brittain's memoir continues with Testament of Experience, published in 1957, and encompassing the years 1925–1950...
(TV, 1979) as Mr Brittain - Hammer House of Horror (1980)
- Hamlet, Prince of DenmarkBBC Television ShakespeareThe BBC Television Shakespeare was a set of television adaptations of the plays of William Shakespeare, produced by the BBC between 1978 and 1985.-Origins:...
(TV, 1980) as Player King - Doctor WhoDoctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
State of DecayState of DecayState of Decay is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 22 November to 13 December 1980. The serial was the second of three loosely connected serials known as the E-Space trilogy...
(1981) as Aukon / Anthony O'Connor - Open All HoursOpen All HoursOpen All Hours is a BBC sitcom written by Roy Clarke which ran for four series a first run in 1976, a second run in 1981, third in 1982 and finally with a fourth run in 1985, with a pilot episode from the Seven of One series in 1973...
(TV, 1981) as Eli Bickerdyke - DragonslayerDragonslayerDragonslayer is a 1981 fantasy movie set in a fictional medieval kingdom, following a young wizard who experiences danger and opposition as he attempts to defeat a dragon....
(film, 1981) as Valerian's Father - Antony and CleopatraBBC Television ShakespeareThe BBC Television Shakespeare was a set of television adaptations of the plays of William Shakespeare, produced by the BBC between 1978 and 1985.-Origins:...
(BBC, 1981) as Enobarbus - Giro CityGiro CityGiro City is a 1982 British drama film written and directed by Karl Francis and starring Glenda Jackson, Jon Finch and Kenneth Colley. A team of reporters come up against censorship when they pursue a story...
(film, dir. Karl Francis, 1982) as Tommy Williams - Dombey & SonDombey and Son (TV serial)Dombey and Son is a television mini-series produced by the BBC in 1983. It was based on the book Dombey and Son by Charles Dickens.It was adapted by James Andrew Hall and directed by Rodney Bennett.- Cast :*Julian Glover - Paul Dombey Sr....
(TV, 1983) as Captain Cuttle - Eureka (film, dir. Nicolas Roeg, 1983) as Judge
- Anna of the Five Towns (TV, 1985) as Ephraim Tellwright
- God's Chosen Carpark (TV, 1986)
- The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Series, 1987)
- The Diary of Anne FrankThe Diary of Anne Frank (1987 BBC TV serial)The Diary of Anne Frank is 1987 BBC televised miniseries. It was based on The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank, and it starred Elizabeth Bell, Janet Amsbury, Katharine Schlesinger and Emrys James.-Cast:*Katharine Schlesinger as Anne Frank...
(BBC, 1987) as Otto Frank - Out of Love (TV film, 1988)
Family life
In 1958 he married the novelist Sian JamesSian James (novelist)
Siân James is a Welsh novelist who writes in English.James was born near Llandysul in Carmarthenshire, and attended the University of Wales, Aberystwyth. She is a Fellow of the University of Wales, Aberystwyth and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Glamorgan. She is a Fellow...
, whom he had met while they were both students at the University of Wales. The couple set up home, firstly in London then in Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
, when James began his lasting association with the RSC at Stratford
Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon is a market town and civil parish in south Warwickshire, England. It lies on the River Avon, south east of Birmingham and south west of Warwick. It is the largest and most populous town of the District of Stratford-on-Avon, which uses the term "on" to indicate that it covers...
. They had four children.
External links
- Obituary from BBC Wales