Eddie Tagoe

Eddie Tagoe
Born	Eddie Nii Afutu Tagoe
Nationality	Ghanaian
Alma mater	Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
Occupations	Actor musician reflexologist
Years active	1971–1996
Notable work	Top Secret! Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?

Eddie Tagoe is a Ghanaian actor, musician and reflexologist, based in the United Kingdom. ^[1]

Early life

Eddie Tagoe was born Eddie Nii Afutu Tagoe to Chief Asafoatshe Ayah Tagoe. ^{[2] [3]}

Tagoe travelled to London to study reflexology prior to pursuing acting. He then received a grant from the government of Ghana to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. ^[2]

Acting

Tagoe is best-remembered for minor supporting roles in two film classics: As the hippie "Presuming Ed" in the 1987 film production of Withnail and I , a role that he resumed in 2000 in a stage production of the same work; and as one of the pirates in the 1981 movie Raiders of the Lost Ark .

Tagoe had a significantly larger part in his film debut, Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? (1978), ^[2] and as "Chocolate Mousse" in the 1984 farce, Top Secret! . He appeared in various other roles such as Sgt. Gwambe in Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend (1985), as well as The Dogs of War (1980), Pink Floyd The Wall (1982) and Spaghetti House (1982). Tagoe also appeared in episodes of a number of British television series, including Legacy of Murder , Prospects , and The Bill , becoming "a well-known face on British television as an actor". ^[4]

Tageo played the tumba, conga, maracas and the bongos on the 1972–1973 single "I Feel Funky" by Matata. ^[5]

Reflexology

In 1995, he returned to his original career choice when he was recruited to serve as team reflexologist for Newcastle United F.C. ^[6]

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Ref(s)
1977	Black Joy	African Dustman		[7] [8]
1978	Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?	Mumbala		[9]
1979	Arabian Adventure	Nubian
1980	The Dogs of War	Jinja
1980	The Boy Who Never Was	Ngalo	Made by the Children's Film Foundation	[10]
1981	Raiders of the Lost Ark	Messenger Pirate
1982	Pink Floyd The Wall	Minder
1982	Spaghetti House	Bill
1984	Top Secret!	Chocolate Mousse, Resistance Member		[11]
1985	Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend	Sergeant Gambwe		[12]
1987	Withnail and I	Presuming Ed
1991	Ama	Brother Josh	Last film role	[13] [14]

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Ref(s)
1973	Full House	Performer in Black Blast!	Season 1, Episode 13. Play by Lindsay Barrett.	[15] [16]
1996	The Bill: Target	Mr. Henry	Crime / Drama

Stage

Year	Title	Role	Venue	Notes	Ref(s)
1971–1973	Show Boat	Charlie, The Chorus	Adelphi Theatre		[17] [18]
1972	Oluwale	Horace Hames	Brighton Festival	Play by Jeremy Sandford. Also performed and broadcast on BBC Radio Brighton.	[19] [20]
1979	King Kong	King Kong	His Majesty’s Theatre, Johannesburg	Lead role	[21] [1]

References

1. Fleming, Tyler (2020). ""Death Song": The 1979 Remake of King Kong and the Power of Cultural Memories under Apartheid". Opposing Apartheid on Stage: King Kong the Musical. Rochester, New York; Woodbridge, Suffolk: University of Rochester Press; Boydell & Brewer. pp. 228–272. ISBN   9781787446564.
2. "Son Of African Royalty To Make His Film Debut", Jet (January 26, 1978), p. 56.
3. Fleming, Tyler (2020). "Notes". Opposing Apartheid on Stage: King Kong the Musical. Rochester, New York; Woodbridge, Suffolk: University of Rochester Press; Boydell & Brewer. pp. 363–375. ISBN   9781787446564.
4. R. Costello, Black Liverpool: The Early History of Britain's Oldest Black Community, 1730–1918 (2001), p. 40.
5. Dlamini, Sazi Stephen (2010). "Narratives of African identity in free jazz and avant-garde repertoires: Dudu's Pukwana's Assegai, Spear, Jabula-Spear and Zila repertoires as narratives of identity in exile". The South African Blue Notes: Bebop, Mbaqanga, Apartheid and the Exiling of a Musical Imagination. Durban: University of KwaZulu-Natal. p. 270. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
6. Simon Turnbull, "ROYAL APPOINTMENTS FOR NEWCASTLE SQUAD!", The Northern Echo, 11 February 1995.
7. "Black Joy". Collections Search. London: British Film Institute. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
8. "Black Joy (1977) - Cast & Crew". Mubi. London. Retrieved 5 August 2025.
9. "Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?". Collections Search. London: British Film Institute. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
10. "The Boy who Never Was". CFTF Films Catalogue. Borehamwood, Hertfordshire: The Children's Film & Television Foundation. 2005. Retrieved 5 August 2025.
11. "Top Secret! (1984) - Cast & Crew". Mubi. London. Retrieved 5 August 2025.
12. "Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend (1985) - Cast & Crew". Mubi. London. Retrieved 5 August 2025.
13. "Ama (1991) - Cast & Crew". Mubi. London. Retrieved 5 August 2025.
14. "Ama - An African Voyage of Discovery - BFI Southbank Programme Notes". Southbank Programme Notes. London: British Film Institute. 2023. Retrieved 5 August 2025.
15. Guernsey Jr., Otis L., ed. (1973). "The Season in London: Limited Runs of Interesting New British Plays". The Burns Mantle Yearbook: The Best Plays of 1972–1973. New York City: Dodd, Mead & Company. p. 106. ISBN   0-396-06878-2 . Retrieved 6 August 2025.
16. "Full House [03/02/73]". Collections Search. London: British Film Institute. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
17. Kreuger, Miles (1990). "Appendix B-Three London Productions". Show Boat: the story of a classic American musical (2 ed.). New York City: Da Capo Press. p. 220. ISBN   0-306-80401-8 . Retrieved 5 August 2025.
18. Fielding, Harold; Kern, Jerome; Hammerstein II, Oscar (1972), Harold Fielding's London Production Of Show Boat, E.M.I (Australia); Columbia, retrieved 6 August 2025
19. Sandford, Jeremy (1974). SMILING DAVID: the story of David Oluwale. London: Calder & Boyars. ISBN   0-7145-1048-3 . Retrieved 6 August 2025.
20. "Oluwale". BBC Programme Index, BBC Archive. London: BBC.
21. Oakes, Dougie, ed. (1988). Reader's Digest Illustrated History of South Africa: The Real Story (1 ed.). Cape Town: The Reader's Digest Association South Africa. p. 418. ISBN   0-89577-324-4 . Retrieved 6 August 2025.

External links

• Eddie Tagoe at IMDb