Barrie Rutter

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Barrie Rutter (born 12 December 1946) is an English actor and the founder and Artistic Director of the Northern Broadsides theatre company based in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England.

He was born in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England and after leaving school studied at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. In the 1970s he worked with the National Youth Theatre (where Peter Terson wrote a role for him in The Apprentices) and the Royal Shakespeare Company. In the 1980s he performed in three adaptations by poet Tony Harrison, The Mysteries, The Oresteia, and The Trackers of Oxyrhynchus. When Trackers was performed at Salt's Mill, Saltaire "He was deeply affected by the raw emotion of speaking to a northern audience in a northern voice in a classical play".

Rutter founded Northern Broadsides in 1992, and the company continues to perform both at its Halifax base and on tour. He continues to play major parts in many of its productions.[1]

In 2000 he was received the title 'Creative Briton 2000', with a cheque for £100,000.[2] He was nominated for it by, amongst others, John Prescott, then Deputy Prime Minister, who said "Barrie's northern accent, fast action, factory floor Shakespeare is as far from elitism as can be, though it has never, never dumbed Shakespeare down."[3] In 2003 he received the Sam Wanamaker Award jointly with Stephen Unwin for their work promoting Shakespeare in the regions.[4]

He has appeared in many films and television programmes, including a regular role in the early 1980's ITV sitcom Astronauts and as armed robber Oakes in the movie version of the BBC sitcom Porridge. More recently he appeared in 5 episodes of the television series Fat Friends in 2004-05, playing Douglas Simpson.[5]

In 2005 he received the honorary degree of Doctor of Letters from the University of Bradford.[6]

[edit] References

  1. ^ About us - Barrie. Northern Broadsides. Retrieved on 2007-10-02.
  2. ^ Theatre pioneer receives welcome broadside. BBC News. Retrieved on 2007-10-02.
  3. ^ Top prize for 'factory floor Shakespeare'. BBC News (2000-07-28). Retrieved on 2007-10-02.
  4. ^ The Sam Wanamaker Award. Shakespeare's Globe. Retrieved on 2008-05-22.
  5. ^ Barrie Rutter at IMDB. IMDB. Retrieved on 2007-10-02.
  6. ^ Honorary Graduations at the University of Bradford - July 2005. University of Bradford (2005). Retrieved on 2007-10-02.
Persondata
NAME Rutter, Barrie
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION Theatre director and actor
DATE OF BIRTH 12 December 1946
PLACE OF BIRTH Hull, England
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH


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