Richard Lumsden
Encyclopedia
Richard James Lumsden is a British actor, writer, composer and musician. He played Nathan in Channel 4
's drama Sugar Rush
and on radio
he plays Ray in Clare in the Community
.
, Henry in Wonderful you
(both for ITV
); Foggy in two series of First of the Summer Wine
, Charles in All About Me
, Nutter in The Sharp End and Roger in The House That Jack Built
, all for the BBC
. He has appeared as Martin in series three of The Catherine Tate Show
, and Arnold, an ex-boyfriend of Clare Bates in EastEnders
. He appeared in the film
s Sense and Sensibility
, The Avengers, Room To Rent, Silent Cry, Gospel Of John
, Attila The Hun and Life of Riley
.
He performed his own one–man musical play We Could Be Heroes at the Bridewell Theatre in 2004. His repertory theatre work at Stoke-on-Trent
and Basingstoke
included Master Harold & The Boys, the title role in Hamlet
, As You Like It
, King Lear
, A Trip To Scarborough, Amadeus, Juno and the Paycock
, Far From The Madding Crowd
,and Having A Ball. He played Roche in Rat In The Skull at Theater Exchange, Minneapolis, and John Thorpe in Northanger Abbey
at Greenwich
.
His writing work includes a seven-hour drama Wonderful you
for ITV
(co-written with Chris Niel), in which he also starred, and three verse plays for BBC Radio 4
: John Dodd Gets Taken For A Ride (which was nominated for the BBC’s Imison award for new writing), A Good Place For Fishing which starred Anne Reid
, and Man in the Moon which starred Tom Courtenay
(The Guardian
and Daily Telegraphs radio "Pick of the week"). Readings of his play Skeletons have taken place at Soho Theatre
and The Venue
.
He has composed music for cinema, television and theatre, including the soundtrack
to the 2009 film Morris: A Life with Bells On
, a full musical score for Alice In Wonderland at the New Vic Theatre
in Stoke, title music for The Morning Show
(BBC) and incidental music for his brother-in-law Greg Wise
's BBC
documentary about the life of Jack Good
. He has released two CDs with his band Henry Kissing Her — A Little of Who You Fancy (1996) & Pull (2006) — and also released a CD of piano music, Concert From The Eyrie (2001).
situated in Bakewell
in the Peak District
before he trained at the Guildford School of Acting
, graduating in 1986. Married to actress Sophie Thompson
since 1995, they have two children, Ernie James (b. 1997) and Walter Eric (b. 2000).
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
's drama Sugar Rush
Sugar Rush (TV series)
Sugar Rush is an Emmy Award–winning British television comedy drama series developed by Shine Limited and broadcast by Channel 4, based on the Julie Burchill novel of the same name...
and on radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
he plays Ray in Clare in the Community
Clare in the Community
Clare in the Community is a British comic strip in The Guardian newspaper, written by Harry Venning. The title is a pun on care in the community. The strip has been successfully adapted for radio on BBC Radio 4....
.
Career
Lumsden's television work includes Colin in three series of Is it Legal?Is It Legal?
Is It Legal? is a British television sitcom set in a solicitors office in Hounslow, west London, which ran from 1995 to 1998. It was produced by Hartswood Films and was shown on ITV for Series 1-2 and Channel 4 for Series 3...
, Henry in Wonderful you
Wonderful You
Wonderful You is a British drama television series made by Hartswood Films for the ITV network in 1999. The series was shown at 10 pm, after ITN moved their main evening newscast away from this traditional slot. It plots the lives of a group of people in their early thirties...
(both for 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...
); Foggy in two series of First of the Summer Wine
First of the Summer Wine
First of the Summer Wine is a sitcom written by Roy Clarke that aired on BBC1. The pilot originally aired on 3 January 1988, and the first series of episodes followed on 4 September 1988. The show ran for two series of six episodes each, with the final episode airing on 8 October 1989. The pilot...
, Charles in All About Me
All About Me
All About Me is a British television sitcom starring Jasper Carrott about a multicultural family living in Birmingham. It was broadcast on BBC One from 2002 to 2004...
, Nutter in The Sharp End and Roger in The House That Jack Built
The House That Jack Built
The House That Jack Built may refer to:* "This Is the House That Jack Built", English nursery rhymeBooks* The House that Jack Built Music* "The House That Jack Built" , by Aretha Franklin...
, all for the BBC
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...
. He has appeared as Martin in series three of The Catherine Tate Show
The Catherine Tate Show
The Catherine Tate Show is a British television sketch comedy written by Catherine Tate and Aschlin Ditta. Tate also stars in all but one of the show's sketches, which feature a wide range of characters. The Catherine Tate Show airs on BBC Two and is shown worldwide through the BBC...
, and Arnold, an ex-boyfriend of Clare Bates in EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
. He appeared in the film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
s Sense and Sensibility
Sense and Sensibility (1995 film)
Sense and Sensibility is a 1995 British drama film directed by Ang Lee. The screenplay by Emma Thompson is based on the 1811 novel of the same name by English author Jane Austen...
, The Avengers, Room To Rent, Silent Cry, Gospel Of John
Gospel of John
The Gospel According to John , commonly referred to as the Gospel of John or simply John, and often referred to in New Testament scholarship as the Fourth Gospel, is an account of the public ministry of Jesus...
, Attila The Hun and Life of Riley
Life of Riley (TV series)
Life of Riley is a British comedy television series, shown on BBC One & BBC HD. The show stars Caroline Quentin and Neil Dudgeon, who are recently married, and is set around their dysfunctional family. The show also features the couples four children, Danny, , Katy , Ted and Rosie...
.
He performed his own one–man musical play We Could Be Heroes at the Bridewell Theatre in 2004. His repertory theatre work at Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent , also called The Potteries is a city in Staffordshire, England, which forms a linear conurbation almost 12 miles long, with an area of . Together with the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme Stoke forms The Potteries Urban Area...
and Basingstoke
Basingstoke
Basingstoke is a town in northeast Hampshire, in south central England. It lies across a valley at the source of the River Loddon. It is southwest of London, northeast of Southampton, southwest of Reading and northeast of the county town, Winchester. In 2008 it had an estimated population of...
included Master Harold & The Boys, the title role in Hamlet
Hamlet
The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
, As You Like It
As You Like It
As You Like It is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 or early 1600 and first published in the folio of 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 has been suggested as a possibility...
, King Lear
King Lear
King Lear is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The title character descends into madness after foolishly disposing of his estate between two of his three daughters based on their flattery, bringing tragic consequences for all. The play is based on the legend of Leir of Britain, a mythological...
, A Trip To Scarborough, Amadeus, Juno and the Paycock
Juno and the Paycock
Juno and the Paycock is a play by Sean O'Casey, and one of the most highly regarded and oft-performed plays in Ireland. It was first staged at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin in 1924...
, Far From The Madding Crowd
Far from the Madding Crowd
Far from the Madding Crowd is Thomas Hardy's fourth novel and his first major literary success. It originally appeared anonymously as a monthly serial in Cornhill Magazine, where it gained a wide readership. Critical notices were plentiful and mostly positive...
,and Having A Ball. He played Roche in Rat In The Skull at Theater Exchange, Minneapolis, and John Thorpe in Northanger Abbey
Northanger Abbey
Northanger Abbey was the first of Jane Austen's novels to be completed for publication, though she had previously made a start on Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice. According to Cassandra Austen's Memorandum, Susan was written approximately during 1798–99...
at Greenwich
Greenwich
Greenwich is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.Greenwich is best known for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time...
.
His writing work includes a seven-hour drama Wonderful you
Wonderful You
Wonderful You is a British drama television series made by Hartswood Films for the ITV network in 1999. The series was shown at 10 pm, after ITN moved their main evening newscast away from this traditional slot. It plots the lives of a group of people in their early thirties...
for 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...
(co-written with Chris Niel), in which he also starred, and three verse plays for BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
: John Dodd Gets Taken For A Ride (which was nominated for the BBC’s Imison award for new writing), A Good Place For Fishing which starred Anne Reid
Anne Reid
Anne Reid, MBE is a BAFTA Award-nominated English film and television actress from Newcastle upon Tyne, best known for her roles as Valerie Tatlock in Coronation Street and Jean in dinnerladies....
, and Man in the Moon which starred Tom Courtenay
Tom Courtenay
Sir Thomas Daniel "Tom" Courtenay is an English actor who came to prominence in the early 1960s with a succession of films including The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner , Billy Liar , and Dr. Zhivago . Since the mid-1960s he has been known primarily for his work in the theatre...
(The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
and Daily Telegraphs radio "Pick of the week"). Readings of his play Skeletons have taken place at Soho Theatre
Soho Theatre
Soho Theatre is a theatre in the eponymous Soho district of the City of Westminster. It presents new works of theatre, together with comedy and cabaret....
and The Venue
The Venue
The Venue may refer to any of various places including:* The Venue , former nightclub and cinema in Liverpool* The Venue , now the Leicester Square Theatre...
.
He has composed music for cinema, television and theatre, including the soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
to the 2009 film Morris: A Life with Bells On
Morris: A Life with Bells On
Morris: A Life with Bells On is a 2009 British independent film, a comic spoof documentary about morris dancing.-Development:Morris: A Life with Bells On was written by Charles Thomas Oldham , who also co-produced it with his wife, the film's director Lucy Akhurst...
, a full musical score for Alice In Wonderland at the New Vic Theatre
New Vic Theatre
The New Vic Theatre is situated in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire. It was purpose-built as a theatre in the round and opened in 1986, replacing a converted cinema, the Victoria Theatre, Hartshill, Stoke-on-Trent.-History:...
in Stoke, title music for The Morning Show
The Morning Show
-Australia:* The Morning Show, the top rating morning talk show hosted by Larry Emdur and Kylie Gillies on Channel Seven.* The Morning Show, the original title for the chat show Good Morning Australia, which later became 9am with David and Kim...
(BBC) and incidental music for his brother-in-law Greg Wise
Greg Wise
Greg Wise is an English actor and producer. He has appeared in many British television works, as well as several feature films .- Early life :...
's BBC
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...
documentary about the life of Jack Good
Jack Good
John or Jack Good may refer to:* I. J. Good, Irving John Good , British statistician* John G. Good, Pennsylvania politician* Jack Good , icon painter and television & music producer...
. He has released two CDs with his band Henry Kissing Her — A Little of Who You Fancy (1996) & Pull (2006) — and also released a CD of piano music, Concert From The Eyrie (2001).
Background
Lumsden attended Lady Manners SchoolLady Manners School
Lady Manners School is an English secondary school and Specialist Music College as designated by the Specialist Schools Trust situated in Bakewell, a market town in the Peak District National Park, Derbyshire...
situated in Bakewell
Bakewell
Bakewell is a small market town in the Derbyshire Dales district of Derbyshire, England, deriving its name from 'Beadeca's Well'. It is the only town included in the Peak District National Park, and is well known for the local confection Bakewell Pudding...
in the Peak District
Peak District
The Peak District is an upland area in central and northern England, lying mainly in northern Derbyshire, but also covering parts of Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Staffordshire, and South and West Yorkshire....
before he trained at the Guildford School of Acting
Guildford School of Acting
Guildford School of Acting is a drama school located in Guildford, Surrey, England. It is an affiliate of the University of Surrey and is an accredited member of the National Council for Drama Training and The Conference of Drama Schools.-Overview:...
, graduating in 1986. Married to actress Sophie Thompson
Sophie Thompson
Sophie Thompson is an award-winning English actress, best known for playing Stella Crawford in EastEnders.-Early life:...
since 1995, they have two children, Ernie James (b. 1997) and Walter Eric (b. 2000).
Notable roles
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 to 1989 | First of the Summer Wine First of the Summer Wine First of the Summer Wine is a sitcom written by Roy Clarke that aired on BBC1. The pilot originally aired on 3 January 1988, and the first series of episodes followed on 4 September 1988. The show ran for two series of six episodes each, with the final episode airing on 8 October 1989. The pilot... |
Foggy Dewhurst |
| 1995 to 1998 | Is It Legal? Is It Legal? Is It Legal? is a British television sitcom set in a solicitors office in Hounslow, west London, which ran from 1995 to 1998. It was produced by Hartswood Films and was shown on ITV for Series 1-2 and Channel 4 for Series 3... |
Colin Lotus |
| 1997 | Chalk Chalk (TV series) Chalk is a British television sitcom set in a comprehensive school named Galfast High. Two series, both written by Steven Moffat, were broadcast on BBC1 in 1997... |
Ronald Langland |
| 2005 to 2006 | Sugar Rush Sugar Rush Sugar Rush is Julie Burchill's first novel aimed at teenagers, published in 2004. It charts the progress of Kim Lewis as she is forced to leave her posh high school and attend the infamous local comprehensive, Ravendene. This coincides with a fight with her best friend, Zoe "Saint" Clements,... |
Nathan Daniels |
| 2010 to 2011 | Summer in Transylvania Summer in Transylvania Summer in Transylvania is a live action children's television programme currently showing on Nickelodeon . The programme, originally called Freaky Farleys, was renamed Summer in Transylvania and was filmed in Hendon, London... |
Dr Mike Farley |
| 2011 | Life of Riley | Next Door Neighbour |
External links
- RichardLumsden.com
- Curtis Brown, Literary and Talent Agency CurtisBrown.co.uk