Nicholas Pennell
Encyclopedia
Nicholas Pennell was an English actor who appeared frequently on film and television in the 1960s and emigrated to Stratford, Ontario, Canada where he became a stalwart of the Stratford Festival.
He was educated at Allhallows College
, Lyme Regis
and trained at RADA
. He then appeared in repertory theatre. On television he appeared in The Saint
, The Flaxton Boys
, The Forsyte Saga
as Michael Mont and in 6 episodes of Doctor Who
entitled Colony in Space
.
On film he appeared as an RAF pilot in Battle of Britain
(1969) and in Only When I Larf
(1968) as Spencer.
In 1972, he joined the Stratford Festival company upon the urging of William Hutt. In his first season, he appeared as Orlando in As You Like opposite Carole Shelley as Rosalind. The following year he returned to star as Pericles in 1973 in a production designed by Leslie Hurry and directed by Jean Gascon.
When Robin Phillips became Artistic Director in 1975, he found a familiar face. The two had worked together in the film of David Copperfield, and Phillips too was also in the Forsyte Saga. Phillips recruited Pennell to join his young company and perform in The Comedy of Errors and Two Gentleman of Verona. 1976 brought Hamlet and Ariel in the Tempest. He often said he worshipped Phillips as an actor.
Pennell was now a leading member of the company and passionate about the Festival and acting Shakespeare became his vocation. He was a generous company member speaking to student groups and mentoring young actors. In 24 seasons he played a wide range of characters from Stephano in the Tempest, Iago, Richard 11, the Fool in Lear, Sassoon in Not About Heroes, to King John.
He can be seen on DVD in the role of Malvolio in a production of Shakespeare's Twelfth night (1986) CBC Home Video, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
, based on the 1985 Stratford Shakespeare Festival production.
All featured his melodious voice, his supreme intelligence, and his love of the language.
Pennell died on February 22, 1995 of lymphatic cancer at the age of 56.
Little is known about Pennell's private life beyond his homosexuality
. A biography was published in 2005 by Mary Z. Maher.
He was educated at Allhallows College
Allhallows College
Allhallows College, previously known as Allhallows School, was an independent boys 'public school' in Devon, England, predominantly boarding.-History:...
, Lyme Regis
Lyme Regis
Lyme Regis is a coastal town in West Dorset, England, situated 25 miles west of Dorchester and east of Exeter. The town lies in Lyme Bay, on the English Channel coast at the Dorset-Devon border...
and trained at RADA
Rada
Rada is the term for "council" or "assembly"borrowed by Polish from the Low Franconian "Rad" and later passed into the Czech, Ukrainian, and Belarusian languages....
. He then appeared in repertory theatre. On television he appeared in The Saint
The Saint (TV series)
The Saint was an ITC mystery spy thriller television series that aired in the UK on ITV between 1962 and 1969. It centred on the Leslie Charteris literary character, Simon Templar, a Robin Hood-like adventurer with a penchant for disguise. The character may be nicknamed The Saint because the...
, The Flaxton Boys
The Flaxton Boys
The Flaxton Boys is a British historical children's television series set in the West Riding of Yorkshire and covering a timespan of almost a century. The series was made by Yorkshire Television and was broadcast on ITV between 1969 and 1973, running for 4 series and 52 episodes, each of 30...
, The Forsyte Saga
The Forsyte Saga
The Forsyte Saga is a series of three novels and two interludes published between 1906 and 1921 by John Galsworthy. They chronicle the vicissitudes of the leading members of an upper-middle-class British family, similar to Galsworthy's own...
as Michael Mont and in 6 episodes of Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
entitled Colony in Space
Colony in Space
Colony in Space is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in 6 weekly parts from April 10 to May 15, 1971.- Synopsis :...
.
On film he appeared as an RAF pilot in Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain (film)
Battle of Britain is a 1969 Technicolor film directed by Guy Hamilton, and produced by Harry Saltzman and S. Benjamin Fisz. The film broadly relates the events of the Battle of Britain...
(1969) and in Only When I Larf
Only When I Larf
Only When I Larf is a late 1960s British comic thriller describing the activities of a team of three fictional confidence tricksters led by Silas Lowther , his girlfriend Liz Mason and wannabe apprentice and Liz-worshipper Bob...
(1968) as Spencer.
In 1972, he joined the Stratford Festival company upon the urging of William Hutt. In his first season, he appeared as Orlando in As You Like opposite Carole Shelley as Rosalind. The following year he returned to star as Pericles in 1973 in a production designed by Leslie Hurry and directed by Jean Gascon.
When Robin Phillips became Artistic Director in 1975, he found a familiar face. The two had worked together in the film of David Copperfield, and Phillips too was also in the Forsyte Saga. Phillips recruited Pennell to join his young company and perform in The Comedy of Errors and Two Gentleman of Verona. 1976 brought Hamlet and Ariel in the Tempest. He often said he worshipped Phillips as an actor.
Pennell was now a leading member of the company and passionate about the Festival and acting Shakespeare became his vocation. He was a generous company member speaking to student groups and mentoring young actors. In 24 seasons he played a wide range of characters from Stephano in the Tempest, Iago, Richard 11, the Fool in Lear, Sassoon in Not About Heroes, to King John.
He can be seen on DVD in the role of Malvolio in a production of Shakespeare's Twelfth night (1986) CBC Home Video, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
, based on the 1985 Stratford Shakespeare Festival production.
All featured his melodious voice, his supreme intelligence, and his love of the language.
Pennell died on February 22, 1995 of lymphatic cancer at the age of 56.
Little is known about Pennell's private life beyond his homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
. A biography was published in 2005 by Mary Z. Maher.