David Collings
David Collings | |
---|---|
Born | Brighton, Sussex, England | 4 June 1940
Died | 23 March 2020 | (aged 79)
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1961–2019 |
Children | 3, including Samuel Collings |
David Collings (4 June 1940 – 23 March 2020)[1] was an English actor. In an extensive career he appeared in many roles on stage, television, film and radio, as well as various audio books, voiceovers, concert readings and other work. He garnered a following through his numerous appearances in cult sci-fi series such as Doctor Who, Sapphire & Steel and Blake's 7, as well as dubbing the titular character in the series Monkey and Legolas in the classic BBC Radio 4 adaptation of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.
Biography
Collings was born in Brighton on 4 June 1940.
Film and television
Collings's screen breakthrough came playing the protagonist Raskolnikov in
Collings also appeared as Deva in the final episode of Blake's 7 and as the character of 'Silver' in several episodes of Sapphire & Steel TV adventures.[3] He appeared in the TV series Danger Man, Mystery and Imagination, UFO (episode "The Psychobombs") and Gideon's Way; in the latter, he played an emotionally disturbed man attacking young women in the episode The Prowler.
Collings played the character of Bob Cratchit in the classic 1970 film musical, Scrooge, starring alongside Albert Finney, Dame Edith Evans, Sir Alec Guinness, Kenneth More, Anton Rodgers and others. In 1981 he played the dual roles of Lord Dark and The Friendly Ghost in the perennial school-children's favourite Dark Towers, part of the Look and Read series. He voiced the eponymous lead for the long-running hit Japanese television series Journey to the West, released in English-speaking countries as Monkey. The show was a hit and had a mass following, particularly with young people. He is also noted for his children's television appearances including the role of Julian Oakapple in Midnight is a Place (1977). In 1989 he played Charn (the villain) in Through the Dragon's Eye, and had a recurring role as the headmaster in Press Gang from 1989 to 1993.
Doctor Who
He has appeared a number of times in the long-running British science fiction television series
Radio
On radio, he portrayed Legolas in the classic BBC Radio 4 adaptation of The Lord of the Rings.[5]
He was Mr Carlyle in Radio 4's 7-episode serial dramatisation of East Lynne by Mrs Henry Wood, first broadcast in June 1987.[6]
Theatre
Collings was described by
He has had a long theatre career appearing in various productions in the UK, US and globally, ranging from Shakespeare and his contemporaries, classical works,
Personal life
He died aged 79, on 23 March 2020.[8][9]
Filmography
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1966 | A Man for All Seasons | Kings Messenger | Uncredited |
1968 | Joanna | Critic | Uncredited |
1968 | Song of Summer | Percy Grainger | 1 episode, Documentary |
1970 | Scrooge | Bob Cratchit | |
1972 | For the Love of Ada | Mr. Johnson | |
1974 | Mahler | Hugo Wolfe | |
1975 | Hennessy | Covey | |
1978 | The Thirty Nine Steps | Tillotson | |
1978 | The Professionals | 'Stake Out' – Frank Turner | |
1979 | Julius Caesar | Cassius | TV movie |
1979 | The Outsider |
Maj. Nigel Percival | |
1980 | A Tale of Two Cities | John Barsad | TV series |
1982 | Tangiers |
Major Greville | |
1995 | Screen Two | Mr. Shepherd | Episode: "Persuasion" |
2010 | Mission London | Dean Carver | |
2013 | The Invisible Woman | Governor |
References
- ^ Coveney, Michael (26 March 2020). "David Collings obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
- ^ "Silver Jubilee Interview with David Collings". Magic Bullet Productions. 30 April 2003. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
- ^ "David Collings Interviews: David_collings – LiveJournal". david-collings.livejournal.com. Archived from the original on 19 October 2020. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
- ^ "Doctor Who Classic Episode Guide – Mawdryn Undead". BBC. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
- ^ "Concerning The Lord of the Rings BBC 1981". SF-Worlds.Com. Archived from the original on 13 May 2008. Retrieved 17 October 2010.
- ^ "BBC Radio 4 Extra – MRS Henry Wood – East Lynne, 1. The Broken Cross".
- ^ Quinn, Michael (8 April 2020). "Obituary: David Collings – Doctor Who actor and stalwart of the National and RSC". The Stage. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
- ^ "RIP David Collings". 23 March 2020.
- ^ "Doctor Who News – David Collings 1940-2020".
External links
- David Collings at IMDb