Nigel Lindsay
Encyclopedia
Nigel Lindsay is an English
actor. He was nominated for Best British Comedy Performance in Film at the 2011 British Comedy Awards for his performance as Barry, the Muslim convert in Chris Morris
's BAFTA winning Four Lions
and won the 2011 Whatsonstage Award for Best Supporting Actor as Dr Harry Hyman in Arthur Miller
's Broken Glass at the Tricycle Theatre . He is currently playing the title role in the West End
production of Shrek the Musical, which began performances at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
in May 2011.
in London. He attended Merchant Taylors’ School, Northwood and the University of Birmingham
, where he read English and French. After university, he worked for three years as a financial analyst specialising in French and Belgian equities at stockbrokers Savory Milln and Swiss Bank SBC. After performing in a friend’s charity production of Robert Bolt
’s The Thwarting of Baron Bolligrew, he gave up the City to take a two-year course at the Webber Douglas Academy, where he won the Amherst Webber scholarship. His finals show, Charley’s Aunt, was directed by Michael Fry
, who gave him his first professional job with his Lincolnshire
touring company Great Eastern Stage.
at the Royal Court Theatre, with Tom Wilkinson
as Lear and Andy Serkis
as the Fool. At a weekly Monday night poker game organised by the actor Samuel West
, Lindsay was asked by Patrick Marber to attend a week’s improvisational workshop of a play he was devising about poker. This became Dealer's Choice
, which premiered at the National Theatre in February 1995 with Lindsay as Mugsy and Ray Winstone
and Phil Daniels
among the original cast. The play transferred to the Vaudeville Theatre, and won that year’s Evening Standard award for Best Comedy and Writers' Guild Award for Best Play. Other theatre work includes: Max in The Real Thing
by Tom Stoppard
which won three Tonys on Broadway in 2000; Ariel in the 2004 Olivier award-winning National Theatre production of Martin McDonagh
’s The Pillowman
, with Jim Broadbent
and David Tennant
; Nathan Detroit in Michael Grandage’s Guys and Dolls
at the Piccadilly Theatre
in 2005, and Charlie Maggs in Sucker Punch by Roy Williams at the Royal Court in 2010. Lindsay has appeared in five plays at the Almeida Theatre, including as Lenny in Harold Pinter
’s The Homecoming with Ken Cranham and Danny Dyer
in 2009 and as Moe Axelrod alongside Stockard Channing
and Jodie Whittaker in Awake and Sing by Clifford Odets
, for which he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in the 2008 Whatsonstage Awards .
In film and television. Nigel has appeared in many regular series including: Spooks
, Silent Witness
, Waking the Dead
, Midsomer Murders
, New Tricks
and Between the Lines
. He played Ewan McGregor
’s boss Ron Baker in the film Rogue Trader; the Jewish terrorist Levi in [Rome]]; Sherrif Johnny Behan in the BBC’s Gunfight at the O.K. Corral; Lt Col Mervyn Gonin in the BAFTA nominated Relief of Belsen with Iain Glen; and opposite Jack Dee in Simon Nye’s fairground comedy Tunnel of Love. He has worked with some of the UK’s best loved comedy stars, including twice with Steve Coogan
on Alan Partridge
, with Armando Iannucci
on the Armando Iannucci Shows, Jennifer Saunders
in two series of Jam and Jerusalem, and again with Chris Morris on Brass Eye.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
actor. He was nominated for Best British Comedy Performance in Film at the 2011 British Comedy Awards for his performance as Barry, the Muslim convert in Chris Morris
Chris Morris
Chris Morris may refer to:* Chris Morris , gay rights activist* Chris Morris , American football player for the Detroit Lions...
's BAFTA winning Four Lions
Four Lions
Four Lions is a 2010 British satirical comedy film. It is the debut feature from director Chris Morris, written by Morris, Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong. The film is a jihad satire following a group of homegrown Islamist terrorist jihadis from Sheffield, England.-Plot:A group of young Muslim men...
and won the 2011 Whatsonstage Award for Best Supporting Actor as Dr Harry Hyman in Arthur Miller
Arthur Miller
Arthur Asher Miller was an American playwright and essayist. He was a prominent figure in American theatre, writing dramas that include plays such as All My Sons , Death of a Salesman , The Crucible , and A View from the Bridge .Miller was often in the public eye,...
's Broken Glass at the Tricycle Theatre . He is currently playing the title role in the 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...
production of Shrek the Musical, which began performances at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane is a West End theatre in Covent Garden, in the City of Westminster, a borough of London. The building faces Catherine Street and backs onto Drury Lane. The building standing today is the most recent in a line of four theatres at the same location dating back to 1663,...
in May 2011.
Early life and education
Lindsay was born in St John's WoodSt John's Wood
St John's Wood is a district of north-west London, England, in the City of Westminster, and at the north-west end of Regent's Park. It is approximately 2.5 miles north-west of Charing Cross. Once part of the Great Middlesex Forest, it was later owned by the Knights of St John of Jerusalem...
in London. He attended Merchant Taylors’ School, Northwood and the University of Birmingham
University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus...
, where he read English and French. After university, he worked for three years as a financial analyst specialising in French and Belgian equities at stockbrokers Savory Milln and Swiss Bank SBC. After performing in a friend’s charity production of Robert Bolt
Robert Bolt
Robert Oxton Bolt, CBE was an English playwright and a two-time Oscar winning screenwriter.-Career:He was born in Sale, Cheshire. At Manchester Grammar School his affinity for Sir Thomas More first developed. He attended the University of Manchester, and, after war service, the University of...
’s The Thwarting of Baron Bolligrew, he gave up the City to take a two-year course at the Webber Douglas Academy, where he won the Amherst Webber scholarship. His finals show, Charley’s Aunt, was directed by Michael Fry
Michael Fry
Michael Fry is an American cartoonist, online media entrepreneur and screenwriter. He is known for the syndicated comic strips Committed and Over the Hedge, the latter of which is a collaboration with T. Lewis. Over the Hedge was nominated for best newspaper strip by the National Cartoonist Society...
, who gave him his first professional job with his Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
touring company Great Eastern Stage.
Career
Lindsay's early work was mainly in theatre. One of his first London stage roles saw him play the King of France in King LearKing 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...
at the Royal Court Theatre, with Tom Wilkinson
Tom Wilkinson
Thomas Geoffrey "Tom" Wilkinson, OBE is a British actor. He has twice been nominated for an Academy Award for his roles in In the Bedroom and Michael Clayton...
as Lear and Andy Serkis
Andy Serkis
Andrew Clement G. "Andy" Serkis is an English actor, director and author. He is popularly known for playing Gollum in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, for which he earned several award nominations, including the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in The Two Towers...
as the Fool. At a weekly Monday night poker game organised by the actor Samuel West
Samuel West
Samuel Alexander Joseph West is an English actor and theatre director. He is perhaps best known for his role in Howards End and his work on stage. He also starred in the award-winning play ENRON...
, Lindsay was asked by Patrick Marber to attend a week’s improvisational workshop of a play he was devising about poker. This became Dealer's Choice
Dealer's Choice
Dealer's Choice is a play by Patrick Marber first performed at the Royal National Theatre in London in February 1995 where it won both the 1995 Evening Standard Award for Best Comedy and the Writers' Guild Award for Best West End Play....
, which premiered at the National Theatre in February 1995 with Lindsay as Mugsy and Ray Winstone
Ray Winstone
Raymond Andrew "Ray" Winstone is an English film and television actor. He is mostly known for his "tough guy" roles, beginning with that of Carlin in the 1979 film Scum and as Will Scarlet in the cult television adventure series Robin of Sherwood. He has also become well known as a voice over...
and Phil Daniels
Phil Daniels
Philip W. "Phil" Daniels is an English actor, most noted for film and television roles as "cockneys" such as Jimmy in Quadrophenia, Richards in Scum, Stewart in The Class of Miss MacMichael, Mark in Meantime, Kevin Wicks in EastEnders, DCS Frank Patterson in New Tricks and Edward Kitchener "Ted"...
among the original cast. The play transferred to the Vaudeville Theatre, and won that year’s Evening Standard award for Best Comedy and Writers' Guild Award for Best Play. Other theatre work includes: Max in The Real Thing
The Real Thing (play)
The Real Thing is a play by Tom Stoppard, first performed in 1982. It examines the nature of honesty, and its use of a play within a play is one of many levels on which the author teases the audience with the difference between semblance and reality....
by Tom Stoppard
Tom Stoppard
Sir Tom Stoppard OM, CBE, FRSL is a British playwright, knighted in 1997. He has written prolifically for TV, radio, film and stage, finding prominence with plays such as Arcadia, The Coast of Utopia, Every Good Boy Deserves Favour, Professional Foul, The Real Thing, and Rosencrantz and...
which won three Tonys on Broadway in 2000; Ariel in the 2004 Olivier award-winning National Theatre production of Martin McDonagh
Martin McDonagh
Martin McDonagh is an Irish-British playwright, filmmaker, and screenwriter. Although he has lived in London his entire life, he is considered one of the most important living Irish playwrights.-Life:...
’s The Pillowman
The Pillowman
The Pillowman is a 2003 play by Irish playwright Martin McDonagh. It received its first public reading in an early version at the Finborough Theatre, London, in 1995...
, with Jim Broadbent
Jim Broadbent
James "Jim" Broadbent is an English theatre, film, and television actor. He is known for his roles in Iris, Moulin Rouge!, Topsy-Turvy, Hot Fuzz, and Bridget Jones' Diary...
and David Tennant
David Tennant
David Tennant is a Scottish actor. In addition to his work in theatre, including a widely praised Hamlet, Tennant is best known for his role as the tenth incarnation of the Doctor in Doctor Who, along with the title role in the 2005 TV serial Casanova and as Barty Crouch, Jr...
; Nathan Detroit in Michael Grandage’s Guys and Dolls
Guys and Dolls
Guys and Dolls is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It is based on "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" and "Blood Pressure", two short stories by Damon Runyon, and also borrows characters and plot elements from other Runyon stories, most notably...
at the Piccadilly Theatre
Piccadilly Theatre
The Piccadilly Theatre is a West End theatre located at 16 Denman Street, behind Piccadilly Circus and adjacent to the Regent Palace Hotel, in the City of Westminster, England.-Early years:Built by Bertie Crewe and Edward A...
in 2005, and Charlie Maggs in Sucker Punch by Roy Williams at the Royal Court in 2010. Lindsay has appeared in five plays at the Almeida Theatre, including as Lenny in Harold Pinter
Harold Pinter
Harold Pinter, CH, CBE was a Nobel Prize–winning English playwright and screenwriter. One of the most influential modern British dramatists, his writing career spanned more than 50 years. His best-known plays include The Birthday Party , The Homecoming , and Betrayal , each of which he adapted to...
’s The Homecoming with Ken Cranham and Danny Dyer
Danny Dyer
Danny Dyer is an English actor, media personality, and chairman of Greenwich Borough, a non-League football team.-Biography:Daniel John Dyer was born in Custom House, an area of East London, to Antony and Christine Dyer...
in 2009 and as Moe Axelrod alongside Stockard Channing
Stockard Channing
Stockard Channing is an American stage, film and television actress. She is known for her portrayal of First Lady Abbey Bartlet in the NBC television series The West Wing; for playing Betty Rizzo in the film Grease; and for her role as Ouisa Kittredge in the play Six Degrees of Separation and its...
and Jodie Whittaker in Awake and Sing by Clifford Odets
Clifford Odets
Clifford Odets was an American playwright, screenwriter, socialist, and social protester.-Early life:Odets was born in Philadelphia to Romanian- and Russian-Jewish immigrant parents, Louis Odets and Esther Geisinger, and raised in Philadelphia and the Bronx, New York. He dropped out of high...
, for which he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in the 2008 Whatsonstage Awards .
In film and television. Nigel has appeared in many regular series including: Spooks
Spooks
Spooks is a British television drama series that originally aired on BBC One from 13 May 2002 – 23 October 2011, consisting of 10 series. The title is a popular colloquialism for spies, as the series follows the work of a group of MI5 officers based at the service's Thames House headquarters, in a...
, Silent Witness
Silent Witness
Silent Witness is a BBC crime thriller series focusing on a team of forensic pathology experts and their investigations into various crimes. First broadcast in February 1996, the series is still airing to the present day, with a fifteenth series expected to air in January 2012. The series was...
, Waking the Dead
Waking the Dead
Waking the Dead may refer to:* Waking the Dead , an album by US rock band, L.A. Guns* Waking the Dead , a US film, produced in 2000, and starring Jennifer Connelly and Billy Crudup based on the Scott Spencer novel...
, Midsomer Murders
Midsomer Murders
Midsomer Murders is a British television detective drama that has aired on ITV since 1997. The show is based on the books by Caroline Graham, as originally adapted by Anthony Horowitz. The lead character is DCI Tom Barnaby who works for Causton CID. When Nettles left the show in 2011 he was...
, New Tricks
New Tricks
New Tricks is a BBC television drama series which follows the work of the Metropolitan Police Service's Unsolved Crime and Open Case Squad . Led by Detective Superintendent Sandra Pullman, it is made up of retired police officers who have been recruited to reinvestigate unsolved crimes...
and Between the Lines
Between the Lines
Between the Lines is the seventh, and best known album by the then New York City-based singer-songwriter Janis Ian, released in 1975. The album went to #1 on the Billboard 200 charts, and sold over one million copies...
. He played Ewan McGregor
Ewan McGregor
Ewan Gordon McGregor is a Scottish actor. He has had success in mainstream, indie, and art house films. McGregor is perhaps best known for his roles as heroin addict Mark Renton in the drama Trainspotting , young Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequel trilogy , and poet Christian in the...
’s boss Ron Baker in the film Rogue Trader; the Jewish terrorist Levi in [Rome]]; Sherrif Johnny Behan in the BBC’s Gunfight at the O.K. Corral; Lt Col Mervyn Gonin in the BAFTA nominated Relief of Belsen with Iain Glen; and opposite Jack Dee in Simon Nye’s fairground comedy Tunnel of Love. He has worked with some of the UK’s best loved comedy stars, including twice with Steve Coogan
Steve Coogan
Stephen John "Steve" Coogan is a British comedian, actor, writer and producer. Born in Manchester, he began his career as a standup comedian and impressionist, working as a voice artist throughout the 1980s on satirical puppet show Spitting Image. In the early nineties, Coogan began creating...
on Alan Partridge
Alan Partridge
Alan Gordon Partridge is a fictional radio and television presenter portrayed by English comedian Steve Coogan and invented by Coogan, Armando Iannucci, Stewart Lee and Richard Herring for the BBC Radio 4 programme On The Hour...
, with Armando Iannucci
Armando Iannucci
Armando Giovanni Iannucci is a Scottish comedian, satirist, writer, director, performer and radio producer. Born in Glasgow, he studied at Oxford University and left graduate work on a PhD about John Milton to pursue a career in comedy....
on the Armando Iannucci Shows, Jennifer Saunders
Jennifer Saunders
Jennifer Jane Saunders is an English comedienne, screenwriter, singer and actress. She has won two BAFTAs, an International Emmy Award, a British Comedy Award, a Rose d'Or Light Entertainment Festival Award, two Writers' Guild of Great Britain Awards, and a Peoples Choice Award.She first came into...
in two series of Jam and Jerusalem, and again with Chris Morris on Brass Eye.