David Purcell
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David Purcell | |
|---|---|
| Born | David Lawrence Purcell 28 August 1948 Barton-on-Sea, Hampshire, England |
| Occupation | Actor |
David Lawrence Purcell (born 28 August 1948) is an English stage and screen actor. He is known for roles in BBC dramas such as The Cleopatras, Bergerac, and Doctor Who.
Life and career
[edit]David Purcell, the son of actors Roy Purcell and Myrtle Moss, was born 28 August 1948 in Hampshire.[1] Before starting to work in the theatre, he had cricket trials.[2] In 1968 he portrayed Mate in Tony Parkin's Life is a Cell at the Little Theatre Club on St. Martin's Lane; a prison cell drama for two male characters.[3] In 1969 he appeared in Agatha Christie's Towards Zero at the New Wimbledon Theatre.[4]
In 1971 Purcell played roles at the Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham; including Curé Maximin in Trap for a Lonely Man,[5] Major Guy Ashley in Who Goes There!,[6] and Police Constable Noah Topping in Dandy Dick.[7] In 1974 he played a minor role in Mercury Theatre, Colchester's (MTC) production of She Stoops to Conquer.[8] He portrayed Mr Dorilant in William Wycherley's The Country Wife at the MTC in 1975.[9] In 1976 he starred in a production of Alfie at the Theatre Royal, Newcastle,[10] and performed the part of the Sergeant Major in King and Country at the Mermaid Theatre.[11] In the 1970s he portrayed Detective Sergeant Trotter in the long-running West End production of Christie's The Mousetrap at the St Martin's Theatre.[2][9]
In 1980 Purcell played the lead male role of the Taxi Driver in the Court Theatre Company's (CTC) production of Snakes and Ladders at the Finborough Theatre (FT).[12] In February 1981 he returned to the FT in the title role of the CTC production of Marvin Cohen's The Don Juan. The Guardian's critic stated, "The story counterpoints and his obverse, a puling Woody Allen clone desperately botching his fumbles. Beefy David Purcell is better at this than at the raunchy alter ego, who like other Don Juans, is boring when clothed."[13] In September 1981 he appeared in the CTC's production of William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew at the Intimate Theatre.[14] Other CTC productions he performed in included A Bed of Roses (1980, FT),[15] Behind a Painted Smile (1980, FT),[16] and Joe (1980, FT).[16] He directed the CTC's 1980 productions of Bryan Oliver's The Boxer[17] and Rodney Hyde-Thompson's The Alternative at the FT.[18]
Purcell was a main cast member in the 1983 BBC Television historical drama serial The Cleopatras; portraying Alexander the Younger.[19] His other television credits include appearances in Z-Cars, The Brothers, Doctor Who and The New Avengers.[2]
Selected filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Juggernaut | 1st Detective | |
| 1975 | Conduct Unbecoming | 2nd Lt. Boulton | |
| 1983 | Loose Connections | Photographer |
Television
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Z-Cars | Brian | Episode: "Kid's Stuff" |
| 1973 | Warship | Chief - Second CPO | Episode: "The Drop" |
| 1975 | Barlow at Large | Inspector | Episode: "Bullion" |
| 1975 | The Brothers | Lorry Driver | Episode: "Special Licence" |
| 1975 | Edward the Seventh | Police Constable | Episode: "The Royal Quadrille" |
| 1976 | Doctor Who | Abbott | Episode: "The Hand of Fear: Part One" |
| 1976 | The New Avengers | Orderly | Episode: "Dirtier by the Dozen" |
| 1978 | Backs to the Land | Corporal | Episode: "Waits and Desperate Measures" |
| 1980 | Holding the Fort | Police Constable | Episode: "Twelve Good Men and Pooh" |
| 1983 | The Cleopatras | Alexander the Younger | main cast member[19] |
| 1983 | Bergerac | Special Branch Man | Episode: "A Miracle Every Week" |
| 1983 | Play for Today | Beggar | Episode: "The Falklands Factor" |
| 1983 | Dramarama | Tully | Episode: "Mighty Mum and the Petnappers" |
References
[edit]- ^ "Births". The Daily Telegraph and Morning Post. 2 September 1948. p. 6.
- ^ a b c "The Mousetrap at St. Martin's Theatre". archive.org. Retrieved 22 October 2025.
- ^ Wearing 2023, p. 715.
- ^ Wearing 2023, p. 623.
- ^ T. F. (14 July 1971). "Trap for a Lonely Man". The Birmingham Post. p. 2.
- ^ T. F. (11 August 1971). "Who Goes There! at the Everyman Theatre". The Birmingham Post. p. 2.
- ^ T. F. (8 September 1971). "Dandy Dick at the Everyman Theatre". The Birmingham Post. p. 2.
- ^ "Programme for 'She Stoops To Conquer' by Oliver Goldsmith". mercurytheatre.co.uk.
- ^ a b "David Purcell". Theatricalia.
- ^ Penfold, Phil (10 March 1976). "Alfie Retains Cheeky Charm". Evening Chronicle. p. 9.
- ^ Herbert, Baxter & Finley 1981, p. 16.
- ^ "Theatre Review: Winning Game at the Arms". Fulham and Hammersmith Chronicle. 25 July 1980. p. 9.
- ^ Keates, Jonathon (25 February 1981). "Finborough Arms: Don Juan". The Guardian. p. 10.
- ^ "Intimate Theatre". Hertfordshire Mercury. 11 September 1981. p. 53.
- ^ Wearing 2023, p. 1434.
- ^ a b Wearing 2023, p. 1416.
- ^ Wearing 2023, p. 1426.
- ^ Wearing 2023, p. 1448.
- ^ a b Dumont, Hervé (2009). L'Antiquité au cinéma: vérités, légendes et manipulations. Nouveau Monde. p. 104. ISBN 9782847364767.
Bibliography
[edit]- Dumont, Hervé (2009). L'Antiquité au cinéma: vérités, légendes et manipulations. Nouveau Monde. ISBN 9782847364767.
- Herbert, Ian; Baxter, Christine; Finley, Robert E., eds. (1981). Who's Who in the Theatre: A Biographical Record of the Contemporary Stage, 17th Edition. Gale Research Co.
- Wearing, J. P. (2023). The London Stage 1960-1980: A Calendar of Dramatic Productions, Performers, and Personnel. ASIN B0DCGG6LC5.
External links
[edit]- David Purcell at British Film Institute
- David Purcell at IMDb
- David Purcell at Mandy.com
