James Gillan (actor)

Last updated

James Gillan
Born
James Gillan Paterson

30 August 1975
Glasgow, Scotland
OccupationActor
Website http://www.jamesgillan.org/

James Gillan (born James Gillan Paterson) is a Scottish stage actor born in Glasgow, and trained at The Arts Educational Schools in London.

In 1993 Gillan landed the role of Benjamin in the first national tour of Joseph and the Technicolour Dreamcoat and left Arts Educational in Chiswick, to start his career.

His most notable roles include Rusty in Starlight Express (London/UK tour), the title role in "Pippin " (the Bridewell theatre), the title role in the Royal Festival Hall's Peter Pan, or the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up , [1] Marilyn in Taboo (UK tour), Pinball lad and u/s Tommy in Tommy and Boq in Wicked (original London cast, September 2006 through June 2008). [2]

Gillan, who attended Bellarmine Secondary School in Glasgow's Pollok area, [2] was nominated for a 1997 Laurence Olivier Theatre Award for Best Supporting Performance in a Musical of 1996 for his role in Tommy. [2] Other nominations include a TMA for best performance in a musical with the other company members of Stephen Sondheim's Assassins (Sheffield Crucible), playing John Hinkley.

Gillan is the brother of George Paterson of the Scottish rock group DMP.[ citation needed ] In 2008, he recorded a song for the CD Act One – Songs from the Musicals of Alexander S. Bermange, an album of 20 new recordings by 26 West End stars. The CD was released in November 2008 on Dress Circle Records.

From November 2008 through January 2009, Gillan returned to the role of Peter Pan in the musical adaption of the play by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe.[ citation needed ]and recorded the show for Stiles and Drewe.

He starred in a minor role as a shop assistant in The Inbetweeners episode "Will's Dilemma", which aired in the UK on 27 September 2010.[ citation needed ] Other TV credits include Casualty, Doctors, The Seven Industrial Wonders of the World and the CBS concert of A Tale of Cities.

From November 2010 through January 2011, Gillan played the role of Colin in the musical adaptation of Frances Hodgson Burnett's classic children's novel The Secret Garden . The show played at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre.

Other roles include:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samuel West</span> British actor, theatre director and narrator

Samuel Alexander Joseph West is an English actor, theatre director and narrator. He has directed on stage and radio, and worked as an actor in theatre, film, television, and radio. He has appeared as reciter with orchestras and performed at the Last Night of the Proms in 2002. He has narrated several documentary series, including five for the BBC about the Second World War.

Peter Blake, born John Beattie Dempsey was a Scottish actor. Probably best known as the character Kirk St Moritz in the BBC sitcom Dear John, by John Sullivan, his other high-profile moments came through his playing of a 'Fonz'-type character in Pepsi-Cola commercials which led to a hit record in 1977 "Lipsmackin' Rock 'n' Rollin", Andy Evol the disc-jockey in Agony with Maureen Lipman for LWT and in an episode of Taggart as Sgt. Bill Kent. He also had a long association with The Rocky Horror Show playing Frank-N-Furter over a thousand times between 1975 and 1994.

Honk! is a musical adaptation of the 1843 Hans Christian Andersen story The Ugly Duckling, incorporating a message of tolerance. The book and lyrics are by Anthony Drewe and music is by George Stiles. The musical is set in the countryside and features Ugly – a cygnet who is mistaken as an ugly duckling upon falling into his mother's nest and is rejected by everyone but Ida, a sly tomcat who only befriends him out of hunger, and several other barnyard characters.

Nigel Derek Harman is an English actor, best known for his role as Dennis Rickman in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. He has worked mostly in theatre. He also starred in the final series of Hotel Babylon. From 2013 until the series ended in 2017, he played the role of Bradley Dawson in Sky One's Mount Pleasant. In 2023, Harman joined the cast of Casualty as Dr Max Cristie, the new Clinical Lead of the Department.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Singapore Repertory Theatre</span>

Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT) is a non-profit professional theatre company founded in 1993. It is located at the KC Arts Centre – Home of SRT at 20 Merbau Road, Singapore. The current artistic director is Gaurav Kripalani while its managing director is Charlotte Nors.

George William Stiles is an English composer of musicals for the stage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Dempsey</span> English actor

Richard Dempsey is an English actor.

Lisa O'Hare is an English actress who has played Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady and the title character of Mary Poppins in the West End and UK stage. She more recently has appeared in several prime-time American television shows on TNT, ABC and NBC. She most recently starred on Broadway in the musical, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder.

Anthony Drewe is a British lyricist and book writer for Broadway and West End musicals. He is best known for his collaborations with George Stiles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniel Evans (actor)</span> Welsh actor

Daniel Gwyn Evans is a Welsh actor and director.

Leanne Jones is a British actress best known for her role as Tracy Turnblad in the West End production of the musical Hairspray. In 2008, she won both the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical and the Theatregoers' Choice Award for Best Actress in a Musical and the Critics Circle Award for Best Newcomer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Aldridge</span> English actor

Thomas Aldridge, also known as Tom Aldridge, is an English television and theatre actor. He is best known for playing Ron Weasley in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in London's West End. He is married to West End actress Helen Owen.

Caroline Sheen is a Welsh actress who has played leading roles on stage in the West End alongside TV and film appearances. She won a Helen Hayes award for playing the role of Mary Poppins on the National Tour of America.

Notes From New York is a successful London based concert series, created primarily to showcase the output of contemporary musical theatre writers.

Peter Pan: A Musical Adventure is a musical based on J. M. Barrie's 1904 play Peter Pan, or the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up, with a book by Willis Hall and music and lyrics by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe. The show opened in Copenhagen in 1996. The production was first broadcast in 2001 as a New Year's Eve concert, starring Sheila Hancock, Laura Michelle Kelly, and Joe McFadden. It was presented at Festival Hall in the 2002/2003 Christmas period.

<i>Soho Cinders</i> Musical

Soho Cinders is a musical with music by George Stiles, lyrics and a book by Anthony Drewe with Elliot Davis as co-author. A modern adaptation of the Cinderella story, it transfers the action to the heart of London's Soho, and replaces the eponymous heroine with Robbie, a young rent boy who gets wrapped up in an illicit affair with an aspiring politician. The plot intertwines elements of the classic fairy tale with contemporary urban political scandal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott Garnham</span> English actor

Scott Garnham is an English professional actor. Notable credits include Billy Elliot The Musical, Les Misérables, Made in Dagenham directed by Rupert Goold, and Pompidou by Matt Lucas for the BBC.

<i>Half a Sixpence</i> (2016 musical)

Half a Sixpence is a stage musical based on the 1905 novel Kipps by H. G. Wells and the original 1963 musical, with music by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, and lyrics by Anthony Drewe and Heneker, featuring several of the original songs by Heneker, and book by Julian Fellowes.

Kenny Wax is a British theatrical producer of musicals, plays, concerts and family entertainment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mitch Sebastian</span>

Mitch Sebastian is a British theatre director, choreographer and performer. He has been nominated for an Olivier Award and Whatsonstage Award for writing, directing and choreographing The Rat Pack: Live from Las Vegas. He was Artistic Director of Kilworth House Theatre 2005-2015. He won a BAFTA Award as part of the creative team behind the children's animated TV series, Yoko! Jakamoto! Toto!.

References

  1. "Playbill News: James Gillan Chats About Role in U.K. Peter Pan". Archived from the original on 22 March 2005. Retrieved 18 November 2007.
  2. 1 2 3 500,000 see James star in hit musical, Evening Times, 27 July 2007