Sinden, Donald 1923- (Sir Donald Sinden)

PERSONAL

Full name, Donald Alfred Sinden; born October 9, 1923, in Plymouth, Devon, England; son of Alfred Edward (a chemist) and Mabel Agnes (maiden name, Fuller) Sinden; married Diana Mahony (an actress), May 3, 1948 (died, September 15, 2004); children: Jeremy (an actor), Marcus. Education: Trained for the stage at Webber-Douglas School of Dramatic Art, 1944. Avocational Interests: Theatre history, architecture, ecclesiology, the city of London.

Addresses:

Home—Rats Castle, Ebony Tenterden, Kent TN30 7HX England.

Career:

Actor and author. Mobile Entertainments Southern Area (Charles F. Smith's Company), member of company, 1941-45; Leicester Repertory Company, Leicester, England, member of company, 1945; Shakespeare Memorial Theatre Company, London, member of company, 1946-48; Bristol Old Vic Company, London, member of company, 1948; Royal Shakespeare Company, London, associate artist, 1967—. Federation of Playgoers' Societies, president, 1968-93; Theatre Museum Association, chairperson of advisory council, 1973-80; London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts, member of council, 1976—; Royal General Theatrical Fund, president, 1983—. Arts Council of Great Britain, member of Drama Panel, 1973-77, member of council, 1982-86; Victoria and Albert Museum, member of advisory council, 1973-80; National Trust, member of Kent and East Sussex Regional Committee, 1978-82; Green Room Club Benevolent Fund, patron, 1998-2005; Ellen Terry Theatre, patron, 2001—; Irving Society, patron, 2001—. Also served on the Leicestershire Educational Arts Committee.

Member:

Royal Society of Arts (fellow), British Actors' Equity Association (member of council, 1966-75; member of board of trustees, 1988-2004), British Theatre Museum Association (president, 1985-95), London Appreciation Society (vice-president, 1960), Garrick Club (senior member of board of trustees), Beefsteak Club, Marylebone Cricket Club.

Awards, Honors:

Drama Desk Award nomination, outstanding actor in a play, Drama Desk Award, special mention—actor, 1975, both for London Assurance; Antoinette Perry Award nomination, best actor in a play, 1976, for Habeas Corpus; named stage actor of the year, Variety Club of Great Britain, 1976; Evening Standard Drama Award, best actor, 1977, for King Lear; decorated Commander of the British Empire, 1979; TV Award nomination, best light entertainment performance, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, 1979, for Two's Company; awarded Knighthood, 1997; University of Leicester, Hon DLitt, 2005; Pragnell Shakespeare Award, 2006.

CREDITS

Stage Appearances:

(Stage debut) Dudley, George and Margaret, Theatre Royal, Brighton, England, 1942.

Dumain, Love's Labour's Lost, Shakespeare Memorial Theatre Company, Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, England, 1946.

Arviragus, Cymbeline, Shakespeare Memorial Theatre Company, Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, 1946.

Pride, Dr. Faustus, Shakespeare Memorial Theatre Company, Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, 1946.

Paris, Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare Memorial Theatre Company, Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, 1947.

Adrian, The Tempest, Shakespeare Memorial Theatre Company, Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, 1947.

Aumerle, Richard II, Shakespeare Memorial Theatre Company, Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, 1947.

Lorenzo, The Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare Memorial Theatre Company, Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, 1947.

(London debut) Aumerle, Richard II, His Majesty's Theatre, 1947.

Romeo, Romeo and Juliet, His Majesty's Theatre, 1947.

Rosencrantz, Hamlet, Bristol Old Vic Company, St. James's Theatre, London, 1948.

Sebastian, Twelfth Night, Bristol Old Vic Company, New Theatre, London, 1948.

Envy and the Scholar, Dr. Faustus, Bristol Old Vic Company, New Theatre, 1948.

Arthur Townsend, The Heiress, Haymarket Theatre, London, 1949.

The Lady's Not for Burning, Bristol Old Vic Company, Bristol, England, 1950.

The Good Natured Man, Bristol Old Vic Company, Bristol, 1950.

The Merry Wives of Windsor, Bristol Old Vic Company, Bristol, 1950.

Puss in Boots, Bristol Old Vic Company, Bristol, 1950.

Manuel Del Vega, Red Letter Day, Garrick Theatre, London, 1952.

Mervyn Browne, Odd Man In, St. Martin's Theatre, London, 1957.

Bob Brewster, Who's Your Father?, Cambridge Theatre, London, 1958.

Frank Marescaud, All in the Family, Strand Theatre, London, 1959.

Brian Curtis, Joie de Vivre, Queen's Theatre, London, 1960.

Captain Hook and Mr. Darling, Peter Pan, Scala Theatre, London, 1960.

Title role, JB, Phoenix Theatre, London, 1961.

Edward Bromley, Guilty Party, St. Martin's Theatre, 1961.

Sebastian, The Tempest, Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, England, 1963.

Solinus, The Comedy of Errors, Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, then Aldwych Theatre, London, both 1963.

Richard Plantagenet, "Henry VI" and "Edward IV" in The Wars of the Roses, Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, then Aldwych Theatre, 1964.

Mr. Price, Eh?, Aldwych Theatre, 1964.

Robert Danvers, There's a Girl in My Soup, Globe Theatre, London, 1966.

Lord Foppington, The Relapse, Royal Shakespeare Company, Aldwych Theatre, 1967.

Gilbert Bodley, Not Now, Darling, Strand Theatre, London, 1968.

Malvolio, Twelfth Night, Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, 1969, then Aldwych Theatre, 1970.

Title role, Henry VIII, Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, 1969, then Aldwych Theatre, 1970.

Sir William Harcourt Courtly, London Assurance, Aldwych Theatre, 1970, then New Theatre, 1972.

Baron Scarpia, "Before Dawn," and Sebastian Crutwell, "After Lydia," in In Praise of Love (double-bill), Duchess Theatre, London, 1973.

(Broadway debut) Sir William Harcourt Courtly, London Assurance, Palace Theatre, 1974.

Dr. Stockmann, Enemy of the People, Chichester Festival Theatre, Chichester, England, 1975.

Arthur Wicksteed, Habeas Corpus, Martin Beck Theatre, New York City, 1975.

Benedick, Much Ado About Nothing, Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, then Aldwych Theatre, 1977.

Title role, King Lear, Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, then Aldwych Theatre, 1977.

Arthur Pullen, Shut Your Eyes and Think of England, Apollo Theatre, London, 1977.

Title role, Othello, Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, 1979-80.

Present Laughter, Greenwich Theatre, then Vaudeville Theatre, both London, 1981.

Uncle Vanya, Haymarket Theatre, 1982.

Ariadne auf Naxos (opera), Theatre at the Coliseum, London, 1983.

School for Scandal, 1983.

The Scarlet Pimpernel, London, 1985.

Major Barbara, 1988.

Oscar Wilde, London productions, 1990.

Diversions and Delights, Playhouse Theatre, London, 1990.

She Stoops to Conquer, Queen's Theatre, 1993.

Hamlet, Gielgud Theatre, London, 1994.

That Good Night, 1996.

Hey Mr. Producer, Lyceum Theatre, London, 1998.

Wilfred Bond, Quartet, Albery Theatre, London, 1999.

Major Tours:

The Normandy Story, Mobile Entertainments Southern Area, French, Belgian, German, Indian, and Burmese cities, 1944-45.

Shakespearean Recital, British cities, 1946-47.

George Bernard Shaw, Dear Liar, British Council for the Arts, South American cities, 1965.

Willie, Happy Days, British Council for the Arts, South American cities, 1965.

Malvolio, Twelfth Night, Japanese and Australian cities, 1970.

Sir William Harcourt Courtly, London Assurance, U.S. cities, 1974.

Stage Director:

Relatively Speaking, tour of British cities, 1968.

Film Appearances:

The Girl in the Painting (also known as Portrait from Life), Universal, 1948.

Lieutenant Lockhart, The Cruel Sea, General Film Distributors, 1953.

Donald Nordley, Mogambo, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1953.

Jim Carver, A Day to Remember, General Film Distributors, 1953.

Benskin, Doctor in the House, General Film Distributors, 1954.

Jeff Saunders, Mad About Men, General Film Distributors, 1954.

Lieutenant Sylvester Green, You Know What Sailors Are, United Artists, 1954.

Ewart Gray (some sources cite Owen Jordans), The Beachcomber, United Artists, 1954.

Inspector Tom Drummond, Simba (also known as Simba—Mark of Mau Mau!), Lippert, 1955.

Peter Weston, An Alligator Named Daisy, Rank, 1955.

Alan Hartley, Josephine and Men, British Lion, 1955.

Lieutenant Tom Corbett, Above Us the Waves, Republic, 1955.

Charles Holland, The Black Tent, Rank, 1956.

Wade, Eyewitness, Rank, 1956.

Geoffrey Leavitt, Tiger in the Smoke, Rank, 1956.

Benskin, Doctor at Large, Rank, 1957.

Hugh Mander, Mad Little Island (also known as Rockets Galore!), Rank, 1957.

Shawe-Wilson, The Captain's Table (also known as Shenanigans), Rank, 1959.

Lieutenant Gordon Brown, Operation Bullshine, Seven Arts/Manhattan Films International, 1959.

Pelham Butterworth, Your Money or Your Wife, Ellis, 1960.

Inspector John Mannering, The Siege of Sidney Street (also known as The Siege of Hell Street), United Producers, 1960.

Ian Richards, Twice 'round the Daffodils (also known as What a Carry On: Twice 'round the Daffodils), Anglo Amalgamated, 1962.

Philip Bellamy, Mix Me a Person, British Lion, 1962.

Prison governor, Decline and Fall … of a Bird Watcher (also known as Decline and Fall), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1968.

Gerald Draycott, Villain, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1971.

Armitage, Rentadick, Virgin, 1972.

Philip, Father Dear Father, 1972.

Mallinson, The Day of the Jackal (also known as Chacal), Universal, 1973.

Mr. Carr and Senior Surgeon Boyd, The National Health (also known as The National Health, or Nurse Norton's Affair), Columbia, 1973.

Sir Anthony Ross, The Island at the Top of the World, Buena Vista, 1974.

General Armstrong, That Lucky Touch (also known as Bleib mir ja vom Leib), Allied Artists, 1975.

Himself, Playing Shakespeare, LST, 1984.

Lord Wrench, The Children (also known as Meine liebe rose), 1990.

Voice of Doc, Balto, 1995.

Himself, An Evening With … Sir Donald Sinden (documentary), 2002.

(As Sir Donald Sinden) Professor Stein, Accidental Detective, Istituto Luce, 2003.

Television Appearances; Series:

Reverend Stephen Young, Our Man at St. Mark's, 1964-66.

Philip Glover, Father, Dear Father, 1968.

David Pulman, The Organisation (also known as The Organization), YTV, 1971.

Seven Days in the Life of Andrew Pelham, BBC, 1971.

Robert, Two's Company, ITV, 1975.

Simon Peel, Never the Twain, ITV, 1981-91.

Sir Joseph Channing, Judge John Deed, BBC, 2001-2007.

Also appeared in Discovering English Churches.

Television Appearances; Miniseries:

Richard Duke of York, The Wars of the Roses, BBC, 1965.

Robin Jarvis, Nancherrow (also known as Rosamunde Pilcher—Das grosse erbe), 1999.

Television Appearances; Movies:

(Television debut) Inspector Quill, Bullet in the Ballet, BBC, 1948.

King of France, All's Well That Ends Well (also known as BBC Television Shakespeare: "All's Well That Ends Well"), BBC, 1980.

Wogan, 1985.

Splitting Image, 1985.

Mr. Umney, The Canterville Ghost, 1996.

Old Wincott, Treasure Seekers, Carlton, 1996.

Sir Luke Trimmingham, Cuts, 1996.

Duke of York, Richard II, 1997.

Lord Dumbleton, The Canterville Ghost, ABC, 1997.

Voice, Creche Landing, 1998.

Voice of the Gryphon, Alice in Wonderland (also known as Alice im Wunderland), NBC, 1999.

How Proust Can Change Your Life, 2000.

Also appeared in A Bachelor Gray; Blackmail; Call My Bluff; The Confederacy of Wives; Dinner with the Family; The Glove; The Happy Ones; Love from Italy; The Mystery of Edwin Drood; Odd Man In; The Red House; Road to Rome; Tell It to the Chancellor; A Woman Above Reproach.

Television Appearances; Specials:

The Lord's Taverners Ball, BBC, 1957.

Solinus, Festival: "The Comedy of Errors," 1964.

Himself, The Golden Gong, BBC, 1985.

Colonel Pickering, Hey, Mr. Producer! The Musical World of Cameron Mackintosh (also known as Great Performances" "Hey, Mr. Producer! The Musical World of Cameron Mackintosh" and Hey, Mr. Producer!), PBS, 1998.

Sir Anthony Absolute, The Rivals, Arts and Entertainment, 1989.

(As Sir Donald Sinden) The 100 Greatest War Films, Channel 4, 2005.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

Richard Gordon, "The Frog," BBC Sunday Night Theatre, BBC, 1958.

The Colonel, "Many Happy Returns," The Prisoner, ITV, 1967.

Faulk, "The Wind in the Tall Paper Chimney," Armchair Theatre, ABC [UK], 1968.

William Pearl, "William and Mary," Late Night Horror, BBC, 1968.

Philip, "Relatively Speaking," Play of the Month, BBC, 1969.

Philip Glover, "Baby Won't You Please Come Home," Father Dear Father, ITV, 1969.

Major, "The Nineteenth Hole," The Ten Commandments, ITV, 1971.

Romney Pringle, "The Assyrian Rejuvenator," The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes, 1971.

"Donald Sinden," This Is Your Life, ITV, 1985.

"Kent—The Weald," Treasure Hunt, BBC, 2002.

The Heaven and Earth Show, BBC, 2006.

The Paul O'Grady Show (also known as The New Paul O'Grady Show), ITV, 2006.

WRITINGS

Books:

A Touch of the Memoirs (autobiography), Hodder and Stoughton, 1982.

Laughter in the Second Act (autobiography), Hodder and Stoughton, 1985.

Editor, The Everyman Book of Theatrical Anecdotes, Dent, 1986.

The English Country Church, Sidgwick and Jackson, 1988.

The Last Word, 1994.

OTHER SOURCES

Periodicals:

Independent, November 16, 1996, p. S3.