Patrick Ryecart

Last updated

Patrick Ryecart
Born
Patrick Geoffrey Ryecart

(1952-05-09) 9 May 1952 (age 73)
OccupationActor
Spouse
(m. 1977;div. 1995)
Children3

Patrick Geoffrey Ryecart (born 9 May 1952) is an English actor.

Contents

Early life and career

Ryecart was born in Warwick, Warwickshire.

His first West End appearance was in Bernard Shaw's Candida at the Albery Theatre, playing the young poet Marchbanks opposite Deborah Kerr, directed by Michael Blakemore. Among a string of fine reviews, Bernard Levin in the Sunday Times described his performance as "supernova" and that he had not seen "such a talent in embryo since the young Richard Burton".[ citation needed ] Ryecart has continued working in theatre, television and film (his last film role Lord Wigram in The King's Speech ) with lead roles in the classics of Shaw, Sheridan, and Shakespeare to light comedies, TV situation comedy, thrillers and musicals. Among his notable credits in London are Jack Absolute in The Rivals , with Michael Hordern as his father and Geraldine McEwan as Mrs Malaprop, and Lord Goring in Peter Hall's An Ideal Husband . He has acted on many British television shows since the mid-1970s including Lillie , Romeo and Juliet , The Professionals , Minder (Series 7 episode 5), Rumpole of the Bailey , Lovejoy , Coming Home and Holby City . In 1986 he appeared in the Doctor Who serial The Trial of a Time Lord in the Mindwarp segment. He was one of the lead characters in the BBC TV comedy series The High Life playing Captain Hilary Duff. He played Hugo Latimer in the BBC series Trainer . In 1996 he appeared in Agatha Christie's Poirot episode, "Dumb Witness" as Charles, returning to the series in 2013 as Sir Anthony Morgan in "The Labours of Hercules". In 1996 he worked for the BBC in My Son My Son and in 1997 was in the Dalziel & Pascoe episode Ruling Passion. He played Mr. Crane-Bolder in Catherine Cookson’s Rag Nymph a TV Mini-Series (1997). He appeared in Midsomer Murders "The Night of the Stag" as Anthony Devereux (2011). He has appeared in many mini series for the U.S. He played Sir Hugh Bodrugan in the 2015 BBC series of Poldark . In 2016, he played the role of the Duke of Norfolk in the Netflix series The Crown .

His extensive theatre credits include The Beastly Beatitudes of Balthazar B by J P Donleavy in London's West End, which he also produced, first playing Balthazar to Simon Callow's playing Beefy, (who was later replaced by Billy Connolly). Numerous tours include "Donkeys Years", "Rebecca", "Tunes of Glory" and "The Millionairess" opposite Raquel Welch. He also produced, at the Garrick Theatre London (and later redirected for tour and the Edinburgh Festival 2011) "Jus' like That!" the highly successful affectionate tribute to the great Tommy Cooper, written by John Fisher.

His film credits include A Bridge Too Far (1977), Silver Dream Racer (1980), Arthur the King (1985), Prisoner of Honor (1991), Parting Shots (1999) and The King's Speech (2010).

Personal life

Ryecart was married to English actress Marsha Fitzalan, the third daughter of 17th Duke of Norfolk, from 4 July 1977 until their divorce in 1995. The couple met at the drama school, The Webber Douglas Academy. They have three children. Ryecart lives in London.

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
1977 A Bridge Too Far German Lieutenant
1980 Silver Dream Racer Benson
1985Silas MarnerGodfrey Cass
1986 Tai-Pan Captain Glessing
1991 Twenty-One Jack
1999 Parting Shots Cleverly
2010 The King's Speech Lord Wigram
2016 The Contract Greg

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1975 The Goodies Cowboy

(uncredited)

Episode: "Movies"
1976-77 The Cedar Tree Klaus von Heynig4 episodes
1978 Lillie Crown Prince RudolfEpisode: "Let Them Say"
BBC Television Shakespeare Romeo Episode: Romeo and Juliet
1979 My Son, My Son Oliver Essex6 episodes
1981 Dick Turpin FyttonSerial: "Dick Turpin's Greatest Adventure"
1982 The Professionals WilliamsEpisode: "Spy Probe"
1985 Jenny's War Steinhardt4 episodes
1986 Doctor Who CrozierSerial: "Mindwarp"
1988 South of the Border Jonathan Crashaw1 episode
Rockliffe's Folly Andrew ReynoldsEpisode: "The Greenhorn"
Minder NigelEpisode: "The Last Video Show"
1988-89 Theatre Night Captain Absolute/Sergius Seranoff2 episodes
1989 Goldeneye: The Secret Life of Ian Fleming Ivar BryceTV movie
1991 Prisoner of Honor Major Esterhazy
A Perfect Hero Tim Holland4 episodes
1991-92 Trainer Hugo Latimer
1992 The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles Emperor Karl I of AustriaEpisode: "Austria, March 1917"
Rumpole of the Bailey Lord Richard SackbuttEpisode: "Rumpole and the Family Pride"
1993 Heart of Darkness De GriffeTV movie
1994 Lovejoy Lord DunwichEpisode: "The Last of the Uzoks"
1994-95 The High Life Captain Hilary Duff
1995 Rik Mayall Presents Green KnightEpisode: "Claire de Lune"
1996-2013 Agatha Christie's Poirot Sir Anthony Morgan/Charles2 episodes
1997 Dalziel and Pascoe Anton DavenentEpisode: "Ruling Passion"
1998 Coming Home Tommy Mortimer2 episodes
2000 Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased) Posh ManEpisode: "A Blast from the Past"
2000-01 Holby City Ewan Littlewood3 episodes
2002 Believe Nothing Dr. Newell-PostEpisode: "Just a Minute"
2004 Doctors and Nurses Mr. BarryEpisode: "Go West"
2005 Jericho Lord MasefieldEpisode: "A Pair of Ragged Claws"
ShakespeaRe-Told KeithEpisode: Much Ado About Nothing
Egypt Hudson GurneyEpisode: "The Mystery of the Rosetta Stone"
2010 Hustle Sir Edmund "Piggy" RichardsonEpisode: "And This Little Piggy Had Money"
2011 Midsomer Murders Anthony DeverauxEpisode: "The Night of the Stag"
2013 The Escape Artist Gavin De Souza2 episodes
2015-16 Poldark Sir Hugh Bodregun5 episodes
2016-19 The Crown Duke of Norfolk6 episodes

Theatre

YearTitleRoleNotes
1975 Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Joseph Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch
The Piggy Bank SpreeFelix Renaudier
Havering on the RidiculousCompany Member
My Fat Friend James
Forty Years On The Lectern Reader
Death of a Salesman Stanley
She Stoops to Conquer Marlow
1977 Candida Eugene Marchbanks Albery Theatre
1977-78Grand Theatre & Opera House, Leeds
1979 A Life in the Theatre John Open Space Theatre
1981-82 The Beastly Beatitudes of Balthazar B Balthazar Duke of York's Theatre
1983 The Rivals Captain Jack Absolute National Theatre, London
1984Noel, A Theatrical Celebration Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
The ImportanceJohn Worthing Ambassadors Theatre, London
1985 A Midsummer Night's Dream Oberon/TheseusRegent’s Park Open Air Theatre, London
Ring Round the Moon Hugo/Frederic
1986-88High SocietyDexter Victoria Palace Theatre and Haymarket Theatre
1994-95 The Millionairess Adrian Blenderbland Theatre Royal, Bath and Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford
1996 That Good Night MichaelYvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford, New Theatre, Cardiff, and other locations
2001 Another Country Vaughan Cunningham Arts Theatre, London and Oxford Playhouse
2002Naked JusticeRoddy Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Cambridge Arts Theatre, and other locations
2003-04See U Next TuesdayJust Leblanc Albery Theatre
2004 Dinner Lars Cambridge Arts Theatre, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford, and other locations
2006 Charley's Aunt Colonel ChesneyOxford Playhouse
2009UntitledDouglas the Butler/Edward VIII Finborough Theatre
2010Prescription: MurderDr. Roy Flemming Connaught Theatre, Worthing, New Theatre, Cardiff, and other locations
2010-11 Me and My Girl Sir John Tremayne Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
2016 The Dover Road Mr. Latimer Jermyn Street Theatre
2018MonogamyMike Park Theatre, London, Festival Theatre, Malvern, and other locations