Ray Donn
Encyclopedia
Ray Donn is a British
entepreneur and businessman-turned-actor
.
from 1970 to 1984, and Syndale Park Motel from 1984 to 1997.
In addition, from 1970 to 1985, he directed Ray Donn (Leisure) Ltd. as an entertainment and management agency, booking artists for clubs, theatre and TV Clients, with clients at the time including Jim Bowen
and Bobby Davro
.
From 1966-1980 he produced and directed the annual Publand Variety Show featuring the top performers from pub and club entertainment, presenting the show at major London theatres and concluding at the London Palladium
. Proceeds from the shows going to the Entertainment Artistes Benevolent Fund
.
The fund provides and maintains Brinsworth House
as a residential home for retired members of the entertainment profession and/or their dependents. Brinsworth House is itself supported by income from the proceeds of the annual Royal Variety Performance
and other fund-raising events. Donn has been presented to Her Majesty the Queen, HM
The Queen Mother and HRH Prince of Wales
on numerous occasions in the capacity of Honorable Treasurer for the fund, a position he held for the 13 years from 1995 to 2008.
Ray Donn was initiated into Chelsea Lodge No.3098 on 19 September 1997, and installed as 100th Master May 2004.
He was also a founder member and first secretary of the Comedians Golfing Society from 1978–1984, and since 1997 has been Honorary Treasurer of the Vaudeville Golfing Society, a fraternity of professional entertainers.
2011 Hon.Member Concert Artistes Association
. Since then he has appeared in many films and television productions, as well as a David Suchet
(Hercule Poirot
) stunt double
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
entepreneur and businessman-turned-actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
.
Businessman
Donn began his professional life in 1961 and spent 36 years running pubs, clubs and hotels, such as The Pegasus from 1961 to 1968, The Goat from 1968 to 1970, The Valley ClubCharlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
from 1970 to 1984, and Syndale Park Motel from 1984 to 1997.
In addition, from 1970 to 1985, he directed Ray Donn (Leisure) Ltd. as an entertainment and management agency, booking artists for clubs, theatre and TV Clients, with clients at the time including Jim Bowen
Jim Bowen
Jim Bowen is an English stand-up comedian and TV personality. He is best known as the host of the ITV gameshow Bullseye, which he hosted between 1981 and 1995.-Early life:...
and Bobby Davro
Bobby Davro
Bobby Davro is a British actor and comedian. He is mainly known for his work as an impressionist...
.
From 1966-1980 he produced and directed the annual Publand Variety Show featuring the top performers from pub and club entertainment, presenting the show at major London theatres and concluding at the London Palladium
London Palladium
The London Palladium is a 2,286 seat West End theatre located off Oxford Street in the City of Westminster. From the roster of stars who have played there and many televised performances, it is arguably the most famous theatre in London and the United Kingdom, especially for musical variety...
. Proceeds from the shows going to the Entertainment Artistes Benevolent Fund
Entertainment Artistes Benevolent Fund
The Entertainment Artistes' Benevolent Fund is a charity based in Twickenham, Middlesex, England. It is dedicated to helping provide support for elderly, infirm or distressed members and former members of the entertainment industry, and their dependants.Founded in 1908 it provides residential care...
.
Service
Donn served on the management committee of the Entertainment Artistes' Benevolent Fund for 35 years from 1974 to 2009.The fund provides and maintains Brinsworth House
Brinsworth House
Brinsworth House is a retirement home especially for members of the acting and entertainment professions, in Twickenham, Greater London, England. The house, opened in 1911, is provided and maintained by the Entertainment Artistes' Benevolent Fund, founded in 1908 to care for members of what was at...
as a residential home for retired members of the entertainment profession and/or their dependents. Brinsworth House is itself supported by income from the proceeds of the annual Royal Variety Performance
Royal Variety Performance
The Royal Variety Performance is a gala evening held annually in the United Kingdom, which is attended by senior members of the British Royal Family, usually the reigning monarch. In more recent years Queen Elizabeth II and The Prince of Wales have alternately attended the performance...
and other fund-raising events. Donn has been presented to Her Majesty the Queen, HM
Majesty
Majesty is an English word derived ultimately from the Latin maiestas, meaning "greatness".- Origin :Originally, during the Roman republic, the word maiestas was the legal term for the supreme status and dignity of the state, to be respected above everything else...
The Queen Mother and HRH Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
on numerous occasions in the capacity of Honorable Treasurer for the fund, a position he held for the 13 years from 1995 to 2008.
Ray Donn was initiated into Chelsea Lodge No.3098 on 19 September 1997, and installed as 100th Master May 2004.
He was also a founder member and first secretary of the Comedians Golfing Society from 1978–1984, and since 1997 has been Honorary Treasurer of the Vaudeville Golfing Society, a fraternity of professional entertainers.
2011 Hon.Member Concert Artistes Association
Acting
Donn took early retirement from the trade in 1997 and began a new career as a film extra (or supporting artist). His first appearance was in the film Notting HillNotting Hill
Notting Hill is an area in London, England, close to the north-western corner of Kensington Gardens, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea...
. Since then he has appeared in many films and television productions, as well as a David Suchet
David Suchet
David Suchet, CBE, is an English actor, known for his work on British television. He is recognised for his RTS- and BPG award-winning performance as Augustus Melmotte in the 2001 British TV mini-drama The Way We Live Now, alongside Matthew Macfadyen and Paloma Baeza, and a 1991 British Academy...
(Hercule Poirot
Hercule Poirot
Hercule Poirot is a fictional Belgian detective created by Agatha Christie. Along with Miss Marple, Poirot is one of Christie's most famous and long-lived characters, appearing in 33 novels and 51 short stories published between 1920 and 1975 and set in the same era.Poirot has been portrayed on...
) stunt double
Stunt double
A stunt double is a type of body double, specifically a skilled replacement used for dangerous film or video sequences, in movies and television , and for other sophisticated stunts...
.
Partial filmography
Donn has had a large number of uncredited roles in both film and episodic television. Credited roles include:As David Suchet stunt double
- NCS: ManhuntNCS: ManhuntNCS: Manhunt is a British crime drama television series starring David Suchet, and based on the National Crime Squad. Created by Malcolm McKay, the first series premiered with two episodes on BBC One on 26—27 March 2001...
(7 episodes 2001-2002) (TV) - Henry VIII (2003) (TV)
- Agatha Christie's PoirotAgatha Christie's PoirotAgatha Christie's Poirot is a British television drama that has aired on ITV since 1989. It stars David Suchet as Agatha Christie's fictional detective Hercule Poirot. It was originally made by LWT and is now made by ITV Studios...
(8 episodes, 2003–2006) (TV) - FloodFloodA flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
(2007)
Television
- Oliver TwistOliver TwistOliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress is the second novel by English author Charles Dickens, published by Richard Bentley in 1838. The story is about an orphan Oliver Twist, who endures a miserable existence in a workhouse and then is placed with an undertaker. He escapes and travels to...
(1 episode, 1999) - The ViceThe ViceVice is a stock character of the medieval morality plays. While the main character of these plays was representative of every human being , the other characters were representative of personified virtues or vices who sought to win control of man's soul...
(1 episode, 2000) - Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased)Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased)Randall & Hopkirk is a British television series, produced by Working Title Films for BBC One. It is a remake of the 1960s television series Randall and Hopkirk and stars Vic Reeves as Hopkirk and Bob Mortimer as Randall, Emilia Fox as Jeannie, and Tom Baker as Wyvern.- Background :Two series...
(1 episode, 2000) - The BillThe BillThe Bill is a police procedural television series that ran from October 1984 to August 2010. It focused on the lives and work of one shift of police officers, rather than on any particular aspect of police work...
(1 episode, 2000) - Smack the PonySmack the PonySmack the Pony is a British sketch comedy show that ran from 1999 until 2003 on Channel 4. Its title was intended to sound like a euphemism for female masturbation; the working title was Spot the Pony. The main performers and writers on the show were Fiona Allen, Doon Mackichan and Sally Phillips...
(1 episode, 2000) - BurnsideBurnside (TV series)Burnside is a British television police procedural drama, broadcast on ITV in 2000. The series, a spin-off from ITV's long-running police drama The Bill, focused on DCI Frank Burnside, formerly a detective at Sun Hill and now working for the National Crime Squad...
(2 episodes, 2000) - My Family (1 episode, 2000)
- Close & True (1 episode, 2000)
- Perfect StrangersPerfect Strangers (BBC TV series)Perfect Strangers is an acclaimed television drama first aired in 2001, produced for BBC Two. It was written and directed by Stephen Poliakoff, and starred Michael Gambon, who won a British Academy Television Award for his performance, Lindsay Duncan, Matthew Macfadyen and Claire Skinner...
(2001) (Series) - Dream TeamDream Team (TV series)Dream Team is a British television series produced by Hewland International which aired on Sky1 and Sky3 from 1997 to 2007; it chronicled the on-field and off-field affairs of the fictional Harchester United Football Club....
(1 episode, 2001) - Night and DayNight and Day (TV series)Night and Day was a British soap opera which was produced by Granada Television for LWT and ran on ITV from 2001 to 2003.Its theme-song, "Always & Forever", was sung by Kylie Minogue.-Synopsis:...
(1 episode, 2001) - The American EmbassyThe American EmbassyThe American Embassy is an American drama series that aired on Fox from March to April 2002. The series was created by James D. Parriott, and executive produced by Danny DeVito.-Synopsis:...
(1 episode, 2002) - The JuryThe Jury (TV serial)The Jury is a British television serial broadcast in 2002 . The series was the first ever to be allowed to film inside the historic Old Bailey courthouse.-Series One:...
(2002) (Mini-series) - London's BurningLondon's BurningLondon's Burning was a British television drama programme produced by London Weekend Television for the ITV network that focused on the lives of members of the London Fire Brigade, principally those of the Blue Watch at a fictional fire station called Blackwall.It was broadcast between 1986 and...
(1 episode, 2002) - Ultimate ForceUltimate ForceUltimate Force is a British television drama series that was shown on ITV, which deals with the activities of the fictional Red Troop of the SAS...
(1 episode, 2002) - Tipping the VelvetTipping the VelvetTipping the Velvet is an historical novel written by Sarah Waters published in 1998. Set in Victorian England during the 1890s, it tells a coming of age story about a young woman named Nan who falls in love with a male impersonator, follows her to London, and finds various ways to support herself...
(2002) (Mini-series) - Bodily Harm (1 episode, 2002)
- The League of GentlemenThe League of GentlemenThe League of Gentlemen are a group of British comedians formed in 1995, best known for their radio and television series.The League of Gentlemen may also refer to:* The League of Gentlemen ,...
(1 episode, 2002) - Judge John DeedJudge John DeedJudge John Deed is a British legal drama television series produced by the BBC in association with One-Eyed Dog for BBC One. It was created by G.F. Newman and stars Martin Shaw as Sir John Deed, a High Court judge who tries to seek real justice in the cases before him. It also stars Jenny Seagrove...
(1 episode, 2002) - 15 Storeys High15 Storeys High15 Storeys High is a critically acclaimed British sitcom, set in a tower block. The main characters are Vince Clark, a misanthropic, cynical recluse played by Sean Lock, and Errol Spears, Vince's exact opposite and whipping boy, played by Benedict Wong....
(1 episode, 2002) - FamilyFamilyIn human context, a family is a group of people affiliated by consanguinity, affinity, or co-residence. In most societies it is the principal institution for the socialization of children...
(2003) (Mini-series) - Two Thousand Acres of SkyTwo Thousand Acres of SkyTwo Thousand Acres of Sky was a TV drama which aired on BBC Television from 2001 to 2003. It is also syndicated in the United States on PBS. It was created and written by Timothy Prager. The Executive Producer was Adrian Bate....
(1 episode, 2003) - TrustTrust (TV series)Trust was a UK television program produced written and created by Simon Block for the BBC by Box TV Productions. It starred Robson Green and a cast of other British actors including Sarah Parish, Neil Stuke, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Eva Birthistle and Ian McShane...
(1 episode, 2003) - Mile HighMile HighMile High is a British television drama based on the lives of the cabin crew members of "fresh!", a budget airline based in London. The name of the show comes from the "Mile High Club". The show was broadcast on Sky1 from 2003 to 2005.-Background:...
(1 episode, 2003) - Murphy's LawMurphy's lawMurphy's law is an adage or epigram that is typically stated as: "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong". - History :The perceived perversity of the universe has long been a subject of comment, and precursors to the modern version of Murphy's law are not hard to find. Recent significant...
(1 episode, 2003) - Family AffairsFamily AffairsFamily Affairs was a British soap opera broadcast on Five, from 1997 to 2005. It was the second programme to be broadcast on the channel on 30 March 1997, the channel's launch night...
(1 episode, 2003) - Canterbury Tales (1 episode, 2003)
- Footballers' WivesFootballers' WivesFootballers' Wives is a British television drama surrounding the fictional Premier League Association football club Earls Park F.C., its players, and their wives. It was broadcast on the ITV network from 8 January 2002 to 14 April 2006...
(1 episode, 2004) - The Brief (1 episode, 2004)
- The Long Firm (2004) (Series)
- The GridThe GridThe Grid are an English electronic dance group, consisting of Richard Norris and David Ball , with guest contributions from other musicians...
(1 episode, 2004) - MI-5SpooksSpooks 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...
(1 episode, 2004) - Down to EarthDown to Earth (UK TV series)Down to Earth was a BBC One television series first broadcast in 2000 about a couple who start a new life on a Devon farm. The early episodes of the series were based on a series of books written by Faith Addis about their real-life move from London to Devon.The music in the series was composed by...
(1 episode, 2005) - Life BeginsLife BeginsLife Begins is a British television drama first broadcast on ITV between February 2004 and October 2006, starring Caroline Quentin and Alexander Armstrong, Anne Reid and Frank Finlay.-History:...
(1 episode, 2005) - HustleHustle (TV series)Hustle is a British television drama series made by Kudos Film and Television for BBC One in the United Kingdom. Created by Tony Jordan and first broadcast in 2004, the series follows a group of con artists who specialise in "long cons" – extended deceptions which require greater commitment, but...
(1 episode, 2005) - Silent WitnessSilent WitnessSilent 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...
(1 episode, 2005) - EastEndersEastEndersEastEnders 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...
(1 episode, 2005) - Waking the DeadWaking the Dead (TV series)Waking the Dead is a British television police procedural crime drama series produced by the BBC featuring a fictional Cold Case Unit comprising CID police officers, a psychological profiler and a forensic scientist. A pilot episode aired in September 2000 and there have been a total of nine series...
(1 episode, 2005) - Hotel BabylonHotel BabylonHotel Babylon was a BBC television drama series based on the book of the same name by Imogen Edwards-Jones, that aired from 19 January 2006 to 14 August 2009, produced by independent production company Carnival Films for BBC One...
(1 episode, 2006) - BombshellBombshell (TV series)Bombshell is a British television drama series produced by Shed Productions, the company behind Footballers' Wives, Bad Girls and Waterloo Road...
(1 episode, 2006) - Bad GirlsBad Girls (TV series)Bad Girls is an award-winning British television drama series that was broadcast on ITV from 1999 to 2006. It is produced by Shed Productions, the company which later produced Footballers' Wives and Waterloo Road...
(1 episode, 2006) - TittybangbangTittybangbangTittybangbang is a female-led television sketch comedy, performed by Lucy Montgomery and Debbie Chazen, which ran between 2005 and 2007 on BBC Three. The show was largely written by Bob Mortimer and Jill Parker and produced by their company Pett Productions.-History:Bob Mortimer and Lisa Clark...
(3 episodes, 2006) - Katy Brand's Big Ass ShowKaty Brand's Big Ass ShowKaty Brand's Big Ass Show is a British comedy programme on ITV2.The show features comedian Katy Brand in skits of real life situations and stereotypes, as well and celebrities such as Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen, Lady Gaga, Angelina Jolie, Adele and Kate Winslet.The second series began on 2 September...
(2007) (Series) - Party AnimalsParty Animals (TV series)Party Animals is a British television drama series screened on BBC Two in 2007. It was produced by World Productions, the makers of No Angels and This Life....
(1 episode, 2007) - M.I.HighM.I.HighM.I. High is a BBC children's spy-fi adventure series. It is produced for the BBC by the independent production company Kudos, who also produced the hit BBC spy drama Spooks. It follows in the success of the Young Bond and the Alex Rider series of books and films. M.I...
(1 episode, 2007) - Holby Blue (1 episode, 2007)
- Harley StreetHarley StreetHarley Street is a street in the City of Westminster in London, England which has been noted since the 19th century for its large number of private specialists in medicine and surgery.- Overview :...
(1 episode, 2008)
External links
- Ray Donn at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
- Brinsworth House Video