Focus On................DAVID BENSON

DAVID BENSON

David Benson began his acting career in 1990, with Jeremy Weller's award-winning Grassmarket Project Theatre Company, working as actor and researcher on a series of hard-hitting productions starting with Glad, a semi-improvised drama starring homeless men from the streets and hospitals of Edinburgh. He worked on four further shows with Weller (Bad, 1991, Mad 1992, One Moment 1993 and 20/52 in 1995) all of which won Scotsman Fringe First awards and gave what Benson calls his 'unofficial training' in theatre.

David created his first solo show in 1996, winning his own Fringe First award and causing a sensation. Think No Evil of Us - My Life With Kenneth Williams was instantly acknowledged as a classic one man show, ground-breaking in its technique and its approach to biographical shows. The show toured the UK and in 1997, and completed two seasons at The King's Head, Islington, a season at the Lyric Hammersmith and in 1998 triumphed in the West End with a run at The Vaudeville. 'A tour de force of comic timing' Evening Standard.

1998 Nothing But Pleasure Benson surprised everyone by performing sardonic mediation on the death and subsequent funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales. The show returned in 2000 as Mourning Glory and returned to the Edinburgh Fringe in 2007.

David has continued to create new stage shows of his own, usually under the aegis of Dirty White Boy producer James Seabright.

2001 To Be Frank ­ Frankie Howerd and the Secret of Happiness

2003 Haunted Stage

2004 Star Struck ­ in which he portrayed Quentin Crisp, Frank Sinatra, Fred Astaire, Groucho Marx, Orson Welles, Judy Garland and Noel Coward

2005 It's a Plot! - Conspiracy Cabaret (dir. Gavin Marshall) with Alex Silverman (piano, composer)

2006 Why Pay More? - a reflection on his Edinburgh career (Nominated for The Stage Best Solo Performance)

2006 David Benson's Christmas Party (Salisbury Playhouse, Salberg Studio) with Ben Stock (piano)

2008 David Benson Sings Noel Coward with Stewart Nicholls (piano and backchat)

2009 Dr. Whom? - My Search for Samuel Johnson

David also created and directed solo shows for Janet Street-Porter All The Rage! 2003 and Cameron Stewart My Grandfather's Great War 2008. He wrote and directed material for Linda Marlowe's 2003 solo show No Fear!

Other work includes

Stage

Rhinoceros (Ionesco) peepolykus (National Tour 2002)
Stephen Fry's Latin New End/King's Head 2003 dir. Adam Barnard
Loot (Joe Orton) Derby Playhouse 2003 dir. Cal McCrystal
Jack and the Beanstalk by Roy Hudd Newbury Corn Exchange 2004 dir. Cal McCrystal

Same Time Next Year (Bernard Slade) Winchester Theatre Royal 2006 dir. Jamie Barry
Future Me (Stephen Brown) Theatre 501, National Tour and London 2007/9 dir. Guy Retallack

Radio

Ruth Draper and Her Company of Characters (BBC R4 2002)
The Private World of Kenneth Williams (BBC R4 2003; now available as BBC CD)
The Wooden Overcoat (Pamela Branch, adapted by Mark Gatiss) with David Tennant and Julia Davis BBC R4
The Scarifyers - several series, with Nicholas Courtney and Terry Molloy (BBC7 and CD)
The Adventures of Iris Wildthyme (Big Finish CD, 2005-2009) with Katy Manning

Television

Goodnight Sweetheart Spotted by writer/producers Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran, David delighted television audiences with his portrayal of Noel Coward alongside Nicholas Lyndhurst (Series Five and Six) 1998/9
Little Britain (Series Three) 2005
Bremner, Bird and Fortune 2005

Keep in touch with David's work via his website at http://davidbenson.info.

David is personally managed by Louise. His solo shows are managed and co-produced by James Seabright at Seabright Productions james@seabrightproductions.co.uk.