Nicholas Selby
Encyclopedia
Nicholas Selby was a British television and theatre actor. He appeared in more than one hundred television dramas on the BBC
and ITV
during the course of his career, including Our Friends in the North
, Poldark
and House of Cards
. Selby was also a long-standing member of the Royal Shakespeare Company
.
Selby was born in London on September 13, 1925. He served in the British army
during World War II
, making his stage debut in Dangerous Corner
at Preston, Lancashire, for the forces' entertainment organisation ENSA
. In 1948 he enrolled at the Central School of Speech and Drama
, receiving commendation for his student performance in Mary Hayley Bell
's Men in Shadow. There then followed seasons in repertory
at Liverpool, Birmingham, Coventry, York, Hornchurch and Cambridge. His first professional West End
appearance was in 1959, in William Douglas-Home
's Aunt Edwina. In 1963 Selby made his first appearances for the Royal Shakespeare Company, as Casca in Julius Caesar
, the Bishop of Winchester in The Wars of the Roses and Antonio in The Tempest
. His association with the company lasted for ten years, until he followed Peter Hall to the new National Theatre
in London in 1976. In his first season there he appeared as Menander in Tamburlaine
and the Captain in Tales from the Vienna Woods. He was van Swieten
in the inaugural production Amadeus
and the parliamentary Speaker
in The Madness of George III. His last stage role was as Dilly Knox
in Breaking the Code
in 1987.
Selby died in London on 14 September 2010, at the age of 85. He was predeceased by his wife, Kathleen Rayner, for whom he had been caring during her ill-health for many years.
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
during the course of his career, including Our Friends in the North
Our Friends in the North
Our Friends in the North is a British television drama serial, produced by the BBC and originally broadcast in nine episodes on BBC Two in early 1996...
, Poldark
Poldark
Poldark is a BBC television series based on the novels written by Winston Graham which was first transmitted in the UK between 1975 and 1977.-Outline:...
and House of Cards
House of Cards
House of Cards is a 1990 political thriller television drama serial by the BBC in four parts, set after the end of Margaret Thatcher's tenure as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. It was televised from 18 November to 9 December 1990, to critical and popular acclaim...
. Selby was also a long-standing member of the Royal Shakespeare Company
Royal Shakespeare Company
The Royal Shakespeare Company is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs 700 staff and produces around 20 productions a year from its home in Stratford-upon-Avon and plays regularly in London, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and on tour across...
.
Selby was born in London on September 13, 1925. He served in the British army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, making his stage debut in Dangerous Corner
Dangerous Corner
Dangerous Corner was the first play by the English writer J. B. Priestley. It was premiered in May 1932 by Tyrone Guthrie at the Lyric Theatre, London, and filmed in 1934 by Phil Rosen....
at Preston, Lancashire, for the forces' entertainment organisation ENSA
ENSA
ENSA may refer to:* ENSA, the Entertainments National Service Association* ENSA * École Nationale des Sciences Appliquées d'Oujda, an engineering school in Morocco* EC-Council Network Security Administrator...
. In 1948 he enrolled at the Central School of Speech and Drama
Central School of Speech and Drama
The Central School of Speech and Drama was founded in London in 1906 by Elsie Fogerty to offer a new form of training in speech and drama for young actors and other students...
, receiving commendation for his student performance in Mary Hayley Bell
Mary Hayley Bell
Mary Hayley Bell, Lady Mills was an English actress, writer and dramatist.Mary Hayley Bell was born in Shanghai, China, where her father served in the Chinese Maritime Customs Service, and the family later moved to Tianjin . It was there that she first met John Mills, although exactly when is not...
's Men in Shadow. There then followed seasons in repertory
Repertory
Repertory or rep, also called stock in the United States, is a term used in Western theatre and opera.A repertory theatre can be a theatre in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation...
at Liverpool, Birmingham, Coventry, York, Hornchurch and Cambridge. His first professional West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
appearance was in 1959, in William Douglas-Home
William Douglas-Home
William Douglas Home was court-martialled in World War II for his refusal to obey orders as a British army officer and later became a successful British dramatist.-Early life:...
's Aunt Edwina. In 1963 Selby made his first appearances for the Royal Shakespeare Company, as Casca in Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar (play)
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, also known simply as Julius Caesar, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1599. It portrays the 44 BC conspiracy against...
, the Bishop of Winchester in The Wars of the Roses and Antonio in The Tempest
The Tempest
The Tempest is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1610–11, and thought by many critics to be the last play that Shakespeare wrote alone. It is set on a remote island, where Prospero, the exiled Duke of Milan, plots to restore his daughter Miranda to her rightful place,...
. His association with the company lasted for ten years, until he followed Peter Hall to the new National Theatre
Royal National Theatre
The Royal National Theatre in London is one of the United Kingdom's two most prominent publicly funded theatre companies, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company...
in London in 1976. In his first season there he appeared as Menander in Tamburlaine
Tamburlaine (play)
Tamburlaine the Great is the name of a play in two parts by Christopher Marlowe. It is loosely based on the life of the Central Asian emperor, Timur 'the lame'...
and the Captain in Tales from the Vienna Woods. He was van Swieten
Gottfried van Swieten
Gottfried, Freiherr van Swieten was a diplomat, librarian, and government official who served the Austrian Empire during the 18th century...
in the inaugural production Amadeus
Amadeus
Amadeus is a play by Peter Shaffer.It is based on the lives of the composers Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri, highly fictionalized.Amadeus was first performed in 1979...
and the parliamentary Speaker
Speaker (politics)
The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
in The Madness of George III. His last stage role was as Dilly Knox
Dilly Knox
Alfred Dillwyn 'Dilly' Knox CMG was a classics scholar at King's College, Cambridge, and a British codebreaker...
in Breaking the Code
Breaking the Code
Breaking the Code is a 1986 play by Hugh Whitemore about British mathematician Alan Turing, who was a key player in the breaking of the German Enigma code at Bletchley Park during World War II...
in 1987.
Selby died in London on 14 September 2010, at the age of 85. He was predeceased by his wife, Kathleen Rayner, for whom he had been caring during her ill-health for many years.