Jeffery Kissoon
Jeffery Kissoon is a Trinidadian actor with credits in British theatre, film and radio. He has performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company at venues such as the Royal National Theatre, under directors including Peter Brook, Peter Hall, Robert Lapage, Janet Suzman, Calixto Bieito and Nicholas Hytner.[1] His work spans genres from Shakespearean and modern theatre to television drama and science fiction, playing a range of leading and supporting roles, from Mark Antony in Antony and Cleopatra, and Prospero and Caliban in The Tempest, to Malcolm X in The Meeting and Mr Kennedy in the British children's TV series Grange Hill.
Kissoon has regularly directed for theatre and is a member of the board of directors of the Shared Experience company and the Warehouse Theatre in Croydon. He has tutored younger actors, writers and directors and values the rehearsal process.[2] In 2010, he was due to play the lead role in the Mark Norfolk film Ham and the Piper and direct Norfolk's theatre production Naked Soldiers, which was to be staged in May 2010 at the Warehouse Theatre (starring Ewart James Walters, Adam Sopp and Elisabeth Dahl).[3] He was also due to reprise his role of Antony in Suzman's production of Antony and Cleopatra, appearing opposite Kim Cattrall as Cleopatra, at the Liverpool Playhouse in October 2010.[4][5][6][7][8]
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[edit] Early life and career
Jeffery Kissoon was born in Trinidad and migrated with his parents to London at an early age. At the Christopher Wren School in Shepherd's Bush,[9] Kissoon joined the school drama group and in 1970, under Robert Tanitch and Eric Rickman got his first screen experience in the film, Like You, Like Me,[10] an interracial love story.
Although he trained as a drama teacher, Kissoon has worked since the early 1970s as an actor. In 1972 he joined the Glasgow Citizens' Theatre Company and over the next two years, played leading roles in a number of productions including Phillip Marlowe's, Tamburlaine The Great and Bertol Brecht's, Threepenny Opera.[11] During this period he worked with the director, Keith Hack who cast him as Tamburlaine at the 1972 Edinburgh Festival[11] and as Caliban in the Royal Shakespeare Company 1974 production of The Tempest at The Other Place in Stratford on Avon.[12]
Meanwhile, he got his first prominent TV role as Sam in Kevin Laffan's Beryl's Lot for Yorkshire Television in 1975[13] and after playing PC Robbins in an episode of Z-Cars and Sonny in a "Play for Today" entitled Rocky Marciano is Dead, both in 1976,[13] Kissoon played Dr Ben Vincent in seven episodes of Gerry Anderson's science fiction TV series, Space 1999 in 1976/7.[13][14]
In 1985, Kissoon played Karna in Peter Brook's nine-hour stage adaptation of The Mahabharata.[15] This epic three-year project started at the Festival d'Avignon, went on world tour and culminated in a six hour movie. This led to a long and on-going professional association with Peter Brook which included playing two roles in Brook's audacious adaptation of Shakespeare's Hamlet.[16] He has for many years been a regular member of the cast in Royal Shakespeare Company productions and at the Royal National Theatre, often with director, Sir Peter Hall.[17][18][19] In 2003, Kissoon took part in a rehearse reading of the play, Wrong Place at the Soho Theatre.[20] This marked the start of an on-going film and theatre collaboration with the playwright Mark Norfolk.
Jeffery Kissoon's recent screen and stage credits include, Dirty Pretty Things (Stephen Frears 2002), Crossing Bridges (Mark Norfolk 2004), Holby City (BBC 2006), Casualty (ITV 2008), War and Peace (Hampstead Theatre 2008), Amazonia (Old Vic 2009) and The Meeting (Warehouse Theatre 2009).[21] He is currently in production, playing the lead role in Mark Norfolk's new film, Ham and the Piper and preparing to direct Mark Norfolk's, Naked Soldiers which will be staged in May 2010 at the Warehouse Theatre, featuring Ewart James Walters, Adam Sopp and Elisabeth Dahl.[3] Jeffrey is currently appearing in Radio 4's comedy Rudy's Rare Records (2008-current) as Rudy's friend Clifton. It has been announced that he will reprise his Anthony in a production of Anthony & Cleopatra, directed by Janet Suzman, and opposite Kim Cattrall as Cleopatra in Liverpool at the Playhouse [1] in October 2010.
[edit] Works
[edit] Theatre
- The Meeting, (as [Malcolm X]) Croydon Warehouse Theatre Dir. Jeffrey Kissoon 2009[22]
- Amazonia (as Don Antonio), Young Vic Dir. Paul Heritage/Joe Hill-Gibbons, 2009[23]
- War and Peace, (as Prince Bolkonsky) Hampstead Theatre and tour, Dir. Nancy Meckler, 2008[24]
- An African Cargo, Nitro (formerly Black Theatre Co-operative) Dir. Felix Cross, 2007[25]
- Orestes (as Tyndareos), Tricycle Theatre and Tour, Nancy Meckler, 2007 [26]
- Tamburlaine the Great (as Bajazeth), Bristol Old Vic & Barbican Centre, Dir. David Farr, 2005[27]
- Henry IV, Parts 1 & 2 (as Northumberland), Royal National Theatre Dir. Nicholas Hytner, 2005 [28]
- Fix Up (as Brother Kiyi), Royal National Theatre, Dir. Angus Jackson 2004,[29][30]
- A Midsummer Night’s Dream (as Theseus/Oberon), Chichester Festival Theatre, Dir. Gail Edwards/Steven Pimlott 1992[31]
- Resurrection' Lichfield Garrick Theatre, Dir. Annie Castledine 2003,[32]
- Nathan the Wise, Chichester Festival Theatre, Steven Pimlott, 2003[33]
- The Meeting (as Malcolm X), Croydon Warehouse Theatre, Malcolm Fredericks, 2002.[34]
- The Tragedy of Hamlet, (as the Ghost and Claudius) World Tour, Dir. Dir. Peter Brook, 2001/2[35]
- The Free State (as Alexander), Tour, Dir Janet Suzman, 2000.[36]
- The Dove, Croydon Warehouse Theatre, Jeanette Smith, 1999.[37]
- Life is a Dream (as Basilio), Edinburgh, London, Dir. Calixto Bieito, 1999.[38]
- Caucasian Chalk Circle, Royal National Theatre, Simon McBurney, 1997.[39]
- Oedipus the King, Royal National Theatre Peter Hall, 1996.[18]
- The Tempest (as Prospero), Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Bill Alexander, 1994.[40]
- Julius Caesar (as Brutus), RSC The Other Place, video[41] and tour, Dir. David Thacker, 1993.[42][43]
- Othello (as Othello), Birmingham Rep, Bill Alexander, 1993.[44]
- A Midsummer Night’s Dream, (as Oberon) Royal National Theatre, Robert Lepage, 1992.[45]
- The Coup, Royal National Theatre, Dir. Mustapha Matura, 1991[46]
- A Taste of Honey
- Antony & Cleopatra (as Antony), Merseyside Theatre & Bloomsbury, Dir. Yvonne brewster, 1991.[47]
- In The Solitude of Cotton Fields, Almeida Theatre, 1991.[48]
- As You Like It, Royal Shakespeare Company, Trevor Nunn
- The Merchant of Venice (as the Prince of Morocco, alongside Dustin Hoffman as Shylock), Phoenix Theatre, Dir Peter Hall, 1989.[49]
- The Gods Are Not to Blame, Riverside Studios, Dir. Yvonne Brewster 1989.[50]
- The Mahabharata (as Karna), Avignon Theater Festival in France, tour and film, Dir. Peter Brook, 1985–1989
- Troilus and Cressida (as Diomedes), Barbican Centre Dir. Howard Davies, 1986.[51]
- Cheapside, Croydon Warehouse Theatre, Dir Ted Craig, 1985.[52]
- Oroonoko, Glasgow Citizen's Theatre, Phillip Rowse, 1983.[53]
- Marino Faliero, Dir Keith Hack, The Young Vic, 1982.[54]
- Dr Faustus, Royal Exchange, Manchester, Dir. Adrian Noble, 1981.[55]
- Albie Sach's Jail Diary, The Warehouse, Royal Shakespeare Company, 1978.[56]
- Barbarians: A Trilogy: Killing Time, Abide with Me, In the City, Greenwich Theatre, Keith Hack, 1977.[57]
- City Sugar, Bush Theatre, Dir. Stephen Poliakoff, 1976
- Measure for Measure (as Provost), Keith Hack, 1974.[58]
- Glorious Things
- Great and Small
- King Lear
- Kingdom of Barth
- Last Missionary
- The Tempest (as Caliban), RSC The Other Place, Stratford on Avon, Dir. Kieth Hack, 1974.[12]
- Love’s Labours Lost
- Macbeth - Young Vic
- Macbeth - Birmingham Rep
- Oedipus The King/ Oedipus - Royal National Theatre -Peter Hall
- Colonus
- Othello - Bristol Old Vic - Paul Unwin
- Othello - Birmingham Rep. Theatre - Bill Alexander
- Reflections
- Streamers
- The Island
- The Sign in Sidney
- Brutstein’s Widow
- The Tempest - Birmingham Rep. Theatre - Bill Alexander
- The Way of The World
- Macbeth (as Meru), The Roundhouse, Dir. Peter Coe.[59]
- Marat/Sade (as Safter), The Citizen's Company, Dir. Rick Stroud, 1972.[11]
- The Threepenny Opera (as Tiger Brown), The Citizen's Company, Dir. Rick Stroud, 1972.[11]
- Tamburlaine The Great (as Tamburlaine), The Citizen's Company, Dir, Keith Hack. 1972.[11]
- Vision of Youth
[edit] Television
- Doctors .... Denny (1 Episode,Friday 30 April 2010)
- Casualty .... Lyndon Marshall (1 episode, 2008)
- Before a Fall (2008) TV episode .... Lyndon Marshall
- Kiss of Death (2008) (TV) .... Commissioner
- The Nativity Story (2006) .... Herod's Architect
- "Holby City" .... Douglas Payne / ... (2 episodes, 2002–2006)
- Bad Blood (2006) TV episode .... Trevor Heron
- Last Chances (2002) TV episode .... Douglas Payne
- Agatha Christie Marple: The Sittaford Mystery (2006) (TV) .... Ahmed Ghali
- Crossing Bridges, (as Buster), Prussia Lane Productions, Dir Mark Norfolk, 2004 [60]
- Grease Monkeys .... Bertrand Baptiste (1 episode, 2004)
- Jail Bait (2004) TV episode .... Bertrand Baptiste
- Doctors .... Lewis Parnell (1 episode, 2003)
- A Question of Priorities (2003) TV episode .... Lewis Parnell
- EastEnders" (1985) TV series .... Milton Hibbert (unknown episodes, 2002)
- Dirty Pretty Things (2002) .... Cab Controller
- The Tragedy of Hamlet (2002) (TV) .... King (Claudius)/Ghost
- Dalziel and Pascoe .... Mr. Graham (1 episode, 1999)
- Time to Go (1999) TV episode .... Mr. Graham
- The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Tales of Innocence (1999) (V) .... El Hadji
- Only Love (1998) (TV) .... Rashid
- Brothers and Sisters (1998) TV series .... Russel Leonard
- Hamlet (1996) Kenneth Brannagh, .... Fortinbras's Captain
- The Bill .... De Silva (2 episodes, 1995)
- Street Life (1995) TV episode .... De Silva
- Uncle Bob (1995) TV episode .... De Silva
- The Mahabharata, Peter Brook, (1989) TV movie .... Karna
- Grange Hill .... Mr. Kennedy (33 episodes, 1986–1987)
- Episode #10.24 (1987) TV episode .... Mr. Kennedy
- Episode #10.14 (1987) TV episode .... Mr. Kennedy
- Episode #10.13 (1987) TV episode .... Mr. Kennedy
- Episode #10.5 (1987) TV episode .... Mr. Kennedy
- Episode #10.1 (1987) TV episode .... Mr. Kennedy
- (28 more)
- Cosmic Princess (1982) (TV) .... Dr. Ben Vincent
- Very Like a Whale (1981) (TV) .... Customs officer
- Destination Moonbase-Alpha (1978) (TV) .... Dr. Ben Vincent
- Space: 1999 .... Dr. Ben Vincent (7 episodes, 1976–1977)
- The Bringers of Wonder: Part 2 (1977) TV episode .... Dr. Ben Vincent
- The Bringers of Wonder: Part 1 (1977) TV episode .... Dr. Ben Vincent
- Space Warp (1976) TV episode .... Dr. Ben Vincent
- Catacombs of the Moon (1976) TV episode .... Dr. Ben Vincent
- Seed of Destruction (1976) TV episode .... Dr. Ben Vincent
- (2 more)
- Play for Today .... Sonny (1 episode, 1976)
- Rocky Marciano Is Dead (1976) TV episode .... Sonny
- Z Cars .... PC Robbins (1 episode, 1976)
- Manslaughter (1976) TV episode .... PC Robbins
- Beryl's Lot .... Sam (4 episodes, 1975)
- A Day at the Races (1975) TV episode .... Sam
- Home Again (1975) TV episode .... Sam
- Safety First (1975) TV episode .... Sam
- Devil to Pay (1975) TV episode .... Sam
- Like You, Like Me, Robert Tanitch and Eric Rickman, 1970.[10]
[edit] Radio
- Gone, BBC Radio 3, Debbie Tucker Green, 2010.[61]
- Broken Chain (lead), Mark Norfolk, 2008.[62]
- Tamburlaine: The Shadow of God, BBC, Marc Beeby, 2008.[63]
- Rudy’s Rare Records (Series I,II and III), BBC, Lucy Armitage, 2008.[64]
- The City Speaks: Broken Chain, BBC Radio 4, Toby Swift, 19 March 2008.
- Dionysos (alongside Diana Rigg and Paul Schofield), BBC3, 2003.[65]
- The Ministry of Performing Arts, BBC Sound, Mustapha Matura
[edit] References
- ^ Adrian Hamilton, Independent, August 20, 2005 http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/adrian-hamilton/adrian-hamilton-the-week-in-arts-503560.html?cmp=ilc-n
- ^ Shared Experience Education Pack http://www.sharedexperience.org.uk/media/education/orestes_edpack.pdf
- ^ a b http://www.offwestend.com/index.php/plays/view/4106
- ^ http://www.everymanplayhouse.com/News/Kim_Cattrall_and_Jeffery_Kissoon_in_Antony_and_Cleopatra/110.aspx
- ^ http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-entertainment/showbiz-news/2010/04/30/sex-and-the-city-s-kim-cattrall-to-make-liverpool-stage-debut-as-cleopatra-100252-26347563/
- ^ http://www.theatermania.com/london/news/04-2010/kim-cattrall-jeffrey-kissoon-to-star-in-antony-and_27047.html
- ^ http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Cattrall_Kissoon_Confirmed_for_ANTHONY_CLEOPATRA_in_Liverpool_1081113_20100430
- ^ http://www.playbill.com/news/article/139166-Kim-Cattrall-Confirmed-to-Play-Cleopatra-in-Liverpool-Dates-Announced
- ^ Memories of White City http://www.w12newera.org.uk/memories.html
- ^ a b British Film Institute Film and Television Database http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/263339
- ^ a b c d e http://laurancerudic.wordpress.com/giles-havergals-glasgow-citizens-theatre-company/the-citz-season-1972-73/[dead link]
- ^ a b Michael Pennington's website http://www.hunwicks.ndo.co.uk/page167.html
- ^ a b c Jeffery Kissoon on IMdb http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0457436/
- ^ http://www.space1999.net/catacombs/main/crguide/vcb.html
- ^ Frank Rich, New York Times Oct 1987 http://theater.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html?res=9B0DE2DE153CF93AA25753C1A961948260
- ^ Michael Billington in the Guardian, December 20, 2000
- ^ http://www.alanhoward.org.uk/oedipusthebes.htm
- ^ a b Michael Coveney for the Observer September 8, 1996 http://www.alanhoward.org.uk/oedipusthebes.htm
- ^ http://ahds.ac.uk/ahdscollections/docroot/shakespeare/performancedetails.do?performanceId=11604
- ^ BBC London http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/entertainment/theatre/wrongplace_diary.shtml
- ^ Internet Movie Database (IMdb)
- ^ Warehouse Theatre http://www.warehousetheatre.co.uk/history.html
- ^ Amazonia Website http://www.amazonia-london.com/index.php?pid=66
- ^ The independent, April 16, 2008, http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/reviews/war-and-peace-hampstead-theatre-london-809476.html
- ^ BBC Africa Beyond, Celebrating African Arts in the UK October 2007 http://www.bbc.co.uk/africabeyond/events/200710/
- ^ Michael Coveney for FirstPost Nov 2006, http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/642,arts,the-sound-of-music-triumphs-in-the-west-end
- ^ Phillip Fisher for British Theatre Guide, 2005. http://www.britishtheatreguide.info/reviews/tamburlaine-rev.htm
- ^ FT.com, The Bitter Sweet Refrain of Life's Transience, May 6, 2005 http://search.ft.com/search?queryText=David+Pang
- ^ Michael Billington, The Guardian, December 17, 2004 http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2004/dec/17/theatre
- ^ Fix Up reviews on National Theatre Website November 2004 http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/?lid=9853&dspl=reviews
- ^ Chichester Festival Theatre, eStage, interview with Jeffery Kissoon on Playing Oberon http://estage.org.uk/pages.php?pid=1&sid=8&cid=15&paid=114
- ^ Terry Grimley for Birmingham Post and Mail, September 2003, http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Culture:+Recruit+comes+home+in+style%3B+The+new+Lichfield+Garrick+is...-a0107511061
- ^ Michael Billington for The Guardian, May 3, 2003 http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2003/may/03/theatre.artsfeatures1
- ^ Warehouse Theatre Website http://www.warehousetheatre.co.uk/history.html
- ^ Karen Peterson, University of Wales for Shaksper, The Global Electronic Shakespeare Conference http://www.shaksper.net/archives/2001/1042.html
- ^ Kate Bassett for the Telegraph, March 14, 2000 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/4720142/Chekhov-plays-away.html
- ^ International Playwriting Festival history Warehouse Theatre website Website http://www.warehousetheatre.co.uk/ipfhistory.html
- ^ Ben Brantley for the New York Times, October 14, 1999 http://theater.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html?html_title=&tols_title=LIFE%20IS%20A%20DREAM%20(PLAY)&pdate=19991014&byline=By%20BEN%20BRANTLEY&id=1077011430574
- ^ Complicite website http://www.complicite.org/productions/detail.html?id=10
- ^ Irvine Wardle, The Independent on Sunday, September 18 http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre--the-best-little-whorehouse-in-dublin-1449461.html
- ^ http://www.shakespeare.org.uk/content/view/234/234
- ^ http://ahds.ac.uk/ahdscollections/docroot/shakespeare/performancedetails.do?performanceId=11390
- ^ http://www.rscshakespeare.co.uk/juliusCaesar.html
- ^ http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/cs/Satellite?c=Page&childpagename=Lib-Central-Information-Services%2FPageLayout&cid=1223092632787&pagename=BCC%2FCommon%2FWrapper%2FWrapper
- ^ Canadian Adaptations of Shakespeare Project http://www.canadianshakespeares.ca/Production_Shakespeare/SearchPublicShowPlay.cfm?PlayID=400
- ^ Sheridan Morley, New York Times, July 24, 1991 http://www.nytimes.com/1991/07/24/style/24iht-lond_2.html?pagewanted=1
- ^ Talawa Theatre Company Website http://www.talawa.com/productions/antonyandcleopatra/index.html
- ^ http://www.kimdambaek.dk/?THEATRE:GALLERY
- ^ AHDS Performing Arts Database http://ahds.ac.uk/ahdscollections/docroot/shakespeare/performancedetails.do?performanceId=11604
- ^ Victoria and Albert Museum Catalogue http://www.vam.ac.uk/vastatic/theatre/archives/ttcf.html
- ^ http://library.kent.ac.uk/library/special/Programmes/BARBICAN.HTM
- ^ http://www.warehousetheatre.co.uk/warehouse%20theatre%20history.html
- ^ http://laurancerudic.wordpress.com/giles-havergals-glasgow-citizens-theatre-company/the-citz-season-1983-84/[dead link]
- ^ http://library.kent.ac.uk/library/special/Programmes/PRG1982.HTM
- ^ http://library.kent.ac.uk/library/special/Programmes/PRG1981.HTM
- ^ RSC Archive Catalogue http://calm.shakespeare.org.uk/dserve/dserve.exe?dsqIni=Dserve.ini&dsqApp=Archive&dsqCmd=Show.tcl&dsqDb=Roles&dsqSearch=(Name=='Kissoon,%20Jeffery')&dsqPos=3
- ^ http://www.phyllis.demon.co.uk/theatricalia/08plays/plays7079.htm
- ^ Random House Modern Library RSC Stagings History http://www.randomhouse.com/modernlibrary/rsc/histories.html
- ^ http://www.ahds.rhul.ac.uk/ahdscollections/docroot/shakespeare/performancedetails.do?performanceId=11483
- ^ British Council Britfilms Catalogue http://www.britfilms.com/britishfilms/catalogue/browse/?id=D5D44D521d71c27D95lUp29AA3D2
- ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00rd55d
- ^ http://www.imagedissectors.com/audiontube/episode.php?q=8242
- ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00fh20m
- ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/rudysrarerecords/pip/jtkyx/
- ^ http://www.suttonelms.org.uk/greeks.html
