After training at the Bristol Old Vic, Gavin Richards worked at the Liverpool Everyman and then with radical playwright John McGrath, in 7:84. Joining the Ken Campbell Roadshow in the early 70s he got performance experience working outdoors, in pubs and clubs. A lucrative German tour gave him and a group of colleagues the financial security to set up Belt and Braces Roadshow Company, formed with Eugene Geasley, Marcel Steiner and Jeni Barnett. Their leftist political and musical roadshows were taken to trade union meetings, working-men’s clubs, colleges and schools as well as traditional theatres and arts centres. Richards was Artistic Director, writer and performer for this collective inspired by the work of Alan Dosser at the Everyman and Ken Campbell and John McGrath of 7:84 Theatre Company. With 7:84 Richards had also directed Arden/D’Arcy’s Ballygoimbeen Bequest and Adrian Mitchell’s Man Friday and worked with both Richard Eyre and Trevor Griffiths. Many B&B members had worked for one or more of those companies and over the course of its 12 years on the road some of its members went on to form other companies like Monstrous Regiment. John Fiske, B&B’s musical director and Paul Kessel formed their own company in Sweden, still working today. B&B also collaborated on joint productions with both 7:84 and Roland Muldoon’s CAST. Others involved in the early years included Shane Connoughton, Sylvester McCoy, Vari Sylvestre, Andy Andrews, Gillian Hanna, David Bradford, Derek Thompson, Jim Carter and Colm Meaney. As well as writing original scripts with the company, Richards directed and adapted other political plays, most famously Dario Fo’s Accidental Death of an Anarchist based on a translation by Gillian Hanna which ran in the West-End for two years after an extensive tour starring Alfred Molina. He also oversaw the Belt and Braces production of Steve’ Gooch’s version of Brecht’s The Mother directed by Paul Hellyer which helped to launch the career of Maggie Steed. In the 80s and 90s Richards was a successful television and film actor (again working with Trevor Griffiths on Central TV’s Oi For England and with Paula Milne on the BBC series Driving Ambition). Assisted by Paula Milne and other ex members of B&B Richards produced A Night For A Nuclear Free Europe for the Labour Party at Wembley Arena in 1984 at the height of the miner’s strike. In the 90’s he also worked with Jack Shepherd on Comic Cuts, Griff Rhys Jones onThe Alchemist and Richard Sparks on The Crimson Lizard. His work on BBC’s ‘Allo ‘Allo and EastEnders is something he would rather forget. More recently, with Tamara Henry, he formed a theatre company in New Zealand called Theatre South whose youth production for the child soldier’s charity War Child won several awards. His recent book of poetry entitled 200 Weeks was published by Muswell Press in North London in 2015.

Фільмографія

• 2022The Lock-In — Terry Raymond
• Kidnapped — Capt. Hoseason
• 1998The Student Prince — Chief Superintendent
• 1995Savage Play — Kim
• 1994Being Human — Da Cunha
• Pie in the Sky — Fisher's Assistant
• A Touch of Frost — Les Wingham
• Between the Lines
• For the Greater Good — DI Grove-White
• Kinsey — Keith Schofield
• Time Riders — Witchfinder General
• The Upper Hand — Charlie Bennett
• Mike and Angelo
• Hannay
• Hardwicke House — Mr Flashman
• Inspector Morse — Steven Trevors
• Call Me Mister
• Ladies in Charge — Cosmo Keble
• Lovejoy — Oliver Jeffries
• 1986Whoops Apocalypse — Donald
• 1985The Caucasian Chalk Circle — Doctor Loladze/Yussup/Doctor/Lawyer 1
• 1985Titus Andronicus — Lucius
• Жителі Іст-Енд — Terry Raymond
• 'Allo 'Allo! — Captain Alberto Bertorelli
• 1984Driving Ambition — Ken Lark, Music
• Driving Ambition — Ken Lark
• The Bill
• 1984The Miners' Campaign Video Tapes: The Lie Machine — Presenter
• 1983The Accidental Death of an Anarchist — The Maniac, Director, Writer, Producer
• 1982Crystal Gazing — Neil Holt
• 1982Oi for England — The Man
• Hi-de-Hi! — Harold Fox
• Minder — Vic
• 1972The Reporters — Des
• 1972The Triple Echo — Stan

Ток-шоу, премії та інші появи (1)

• 1971The Ken Campbell Roadshow — Self