Chris Harris (actor)
{{Short description|Mime artist}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2018}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2018}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Chris Harris
| image = Chris Harris pantomime artist.jpg
| alt = A man in a blue shirt in front of a black background
| caption = Harris in 2010
| birth_name =
| birth_date = 14 December 1942
| birth_place = Bridgwater, Somerset, England
| death_date = {{death date and given age|2014|4|30|71|df=y}}
| death_place = Portishead, Somerset, England
| other_names =
| occupation = Actor, director, writer
| alma_mater = Rose Bruford College
| known_for = Pantomime
| television = Into the Labyrinth
}}
Chris Harris (14 December 1942 – 30 April 2014) was an English actor, director and writer. He appeared in several UK TV series including Into the Labyrinth and Hey Look That's Me.{{cite web |url=http://www2.tv-ark.org.uk/bbcsouth/bbcsouthprogrammes1.html |title=BBC South | Programmes |publisher=TV ARK |accessdate=1 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303195128/http://www2.tv-ark.org.uk/bbcsouth/bbcsouthprogrammes1.html |archive-date=3 March 2016 |url-status=usurped }} He also built a successful career in pantomime, acting as a pantomime dame, as well as being a director and writer at the Bristol Old Vic and the Theatre Royal, Bath. He lived in Portishead in North Somerset.{{cite web |url=http://www.westerndailypress.co.uk/Chris-Harris-died/story-21041864-detail/story.html |title=Chris Harris has died |date=1 May 2014 |work=Western Daily Press |accessdate=1 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140502005053/http://www.westerndailypress.co.uk/Chris-Harris-died/story-21041864-detail/story.html |archive-date=2 May 2014 |url-status=dead }}
Career
Born in Bridgwater, Somerset, Harris studied drama at the Rose Bruford College, then went into rep., which culminated in two years with the Bristol Old Vic Theatre Company.{{cite web |url=http://www.chrisharrisproductions.co.uk/biography%201.htm |title=Actor |publisher=Chrisharrisproductions.co.uk|accessdate=1 May 2014}}
He attended the Jacques Lecoq's L'École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq in Paris, Ladislav Fialka's Pantomime Company in Prague, and was for a short time at the Moscow State Circus School. In 1966 he was in his first pantomime at the Salisbury Playhouse with Stephanie Cole. From 1976 until his death, he performed his one-man comedy shows around the world.{{citation needed|date=May 2014}}
Harris was a regular visiting lecturer for the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, and was a former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company.Sleeping Beauty programme, Theatre Royal, Bath 2009 He co-directed the opera Griselda for the Buxton Festival, and appeared in two productions for Dutch Television with members of the Welsh National Opera.{{cite web|url=http://www.ridingsartscentre.co.uk/harris.htm|title=Riding Arts Centre UK|publisher=Ridingsartscentre.co.uk|accessdate=1 May 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303185113/http://www.ridingsartscentre.co.uk/harris.htm|archive-date=3 March 2016|url-status=dead}}
He spent nine years, up until 2000 writing, directing and starring in pantomimes for the Bristol Old Vic and since then had done the same for the Theatre Royal, Bath.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/bristol/content/articles/2007/10/01/panto_chrisharris_feature.shtml |title=There's nothing like a dame |last=Parsons |first=Caron |publisher=BBC |date=10 March 2007 |accessdate=1 May 2014}}
Death
Harris died of cancer at the age of 71 on 30 April 2014.[http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/Panto-star-Chris-Harris-died/story-21042149-detail/story.html Bristol Post] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140503215144/http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/Panto-star-Chris-Harris-died/story-21042149-detail/story.html |date=2014-05-03 }}{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-bristol-27236204 |title=Notice of death of Chris Harris |date=1 May 2014 |publisher=BBC |accessdate=1 May 2014}}
Television appearances
- Hey Look That's Me - 1976-84
- The Rocking Horse Winner - 1977
- Into the Labyrinth – 1982
- Chasing Rainbows – A Nation and Its Music - 1986
Radio appearances
- The Chris Harris Road Show, BBC Radio Bristol.
- The Birds
- Hiawatha
- Harvey Angel
One man stage shows
- Kemp's Jig
- That's The Way To Do It!
- Ally Sloper's Half Holiday
- Beemaster
- 'Arris Music 'All
- A Night At The Pantomime
Books written or co-written by Harris
- Will Kemp, Shakespeare's Forgotten Clown (1983), {{ISBN|0-907128-09-2}}
- The Alphabet of Pantomime: There be Nothing Like a Dame (2000) {{ISBN|0-9539267-0-2}}
- Cinderella (2002), {{ISBN|0-85676-251-2}}
- Aladdin (2002) {{ISBN|0-85676-252-0}}
- Jack and the Beanstalk (2002){{ISBN|0-856-76255-5}}
- Mother Goose (2002) {{ISBN|0-85676-256-3}}
- Babes in the Wood (2002) {{ISBN|0-85676-257-1}}
- Dick Whittington (2002) {{ISBN|0-85676-250-4}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|1668473}}
- [http://www.chrisharrisproductions.co.uk/biography%201.htm Biography] at his production website
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harris, Chris}}
Category:British theatre directors
Category:British opera directors
Category:Royal Shakespeare Company members
Category:Alumni of Rose Bruford College
Category:Male actors from Somerset
Category:People from Bridgwater
Category:L'École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq alumni