Ray Donn

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 Club 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 to 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.

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 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 the Queen, the Queen Mother and Prince Charles 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 to 1984, and since 1997 has been Honorary Treasurer of the Vaudeville Golfing Society, a fraternity of professional entertainers.

2011 Hon.Member [http://www.thecaa.org Concert Artistes Association]

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 Hill. Since then he has appeared in many films and television productions, as well as a David Suchet (Hercule Poirot) body double.

Donn has had a large number of uncredited roles in both film and episodic television. Credited roles include:

• NCS: Manhunt (7 episodes 2001–02) (TV)
• Henry VIII (2003) (TV)
• Agatha Christie's Poirot (8 episodes, 2003–06) (TV)
• Flood (2007)

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• Oliver Twist (1 episode, 1999)
• The Vice (1 episode, 2000)
• Randall & Hopkirk (1 episode, 2000)
• The Bill (1 episode, 2000)
• Smack the Pony (1 episode, 2000)
• Burnside (2 episodes, 2000)
• My Family (1 episode, 2000)
• Close & True (1 episode, 2000)
• Perfect Strangers (2001) (Series)
• Dream Team (1 episode, 2001)
• Night and Day (1 episode, 2001)
• The American Embassy (1 episode, 2002)
• The Jury (2002) (Mini-series)
• London's Burning (1 episode, 2002)
• Ultimate Force (1 episode, 2002)
• Tipping the Velvet (2002) (Mini-series)
• Bodily Harm (1 episode, 2002)
• The League of Gentlemen (1 episode, 2002)
• Judge John Deed (1 episode, 2002)
• 15 Storeys High (1 episode, 2002)
• Family (2003) (Mini-series)
• Two Thousand Acres of Sky (1 episode, 2003)
• Trust (1 episode, 2003)
• Mile High (1 episode, 2003)
• Murphy's Law (1 episode, 2003)
• Family Affairs (1 episode, 2003)
• Canterbury Tales (1 episode, 2003)
• Footballers' Wives (1 episode, 2004)
• The Brief (1 episode, 2004)
• The Long Firm (2004) (Series)
• The Grid (1 episode, 2004)
• MI-5 (1 episode, 2004)
• Down to Earth (1 episode, 2005)
• Life Begins (1 episode, 2005)
• Hustle (1 episode, 2005)
• Silent Witness (1 episode, 2005)
• EastEnders (1 episode, 2005)
• Waking the Dead (1 episode, 2005)
• Hotel Babylon (1 episode, 2006)
• Bombshell (1 episode, 2006)
• Bad Girls (1 episode, 2006)
• Tittybangbang (3 episodes, 2006)
• Katy Brand's Big Ass Show (2007) (Series)
• Party Animals (1 episode, 2007)
• M.I.High (1 episode, 2007)
• Holby Blue (1 episode, 2007)
• Harley Street (1 episode, 2008)

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• Charlton Athletic F.C.

{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2005/apr/02/culture.features16 | title=Extra helping | accessdate=14 March 2011 | author=Sam Delaney | date=2 April 2005 | work=The Guardian}}

{{cite news | url=http://www.btinternet.com/~eabf/Choice-March03.htm | title=Become a Film and Television Extra | accessdate=14 March 2011 | author=Simon Evans | date=March 2003 | work=Choice |publisher=btinternet.com|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080829233401/http://www.btinternet.com/~eabf/Choice-March03.htm|archivedate=29 August 2008}}

{{cite news | url=http://www.btinternet.com/~eabf/Viva-March03.htm | title=How to Become a Movie Extra | accessdate=14 March 2011 | author=Simon Evans | date=March 2003 | work=Viva Magazine |publisher=btinternet.com|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081007131450/http://www.btinternet.com/~eabf/Viva-March03.htm|archivedate=7 October 2008}}

{{cite web | url=http://www.vaudeville-golfing-society.uk7.net/ | title=VGS Officers 2011 | accessdate=14 March 2011 | work=Vaudevile Golfing Society}}

{{cite web | url=http://www.donn.co.uk/CGS.htm | title=The History of the CGS | accessdate=20 February 2013 | work=Comedians Golfing Society}}

{{cite web | url=http://www.thepublandshow.uk7.net/ | title=Publand Variety Show, 1966 – 1980 | accessdate=14 March 2011 | work=Publand Variety Show}}

{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1966/02/27/archives/tinpan-alley-pub-crawl-british-music-hall-bars-retain-their-appeal.html | title=TIN-PAN ALLEY PUB CRAWL; British Music Hall Bars Retain Their Appeal in Changing World | accessdate=14 March 2011 | author=Robert Perez | date=27 February 1966 | work=The New York Times}}

{{cite web | url=http://www.7tt77.co.uk/VALLEY.html | title=Valley records | accessdate=14 March 2011 | work=Valley}}

{{cite news | title=The Show Must Go on at Brinsworth House | date=November 2008 | work= Surrey Life Magazine }}

{{cite news | url=http://www.mqmagazine.co.uk/issue-13/p-39.php | title=That's Entertainment | accessdate=14 March 2011 | date=April 2005|issue=13 | work=MQ Magazine}}

{{cite news | url=http://www.mqmagazine.co.uk/issue-20/p-18.php | title=London Evening Gala | accessdate=14 March 2011 | date=January 2007|issue=20 | work=MQ Magazine}}

{{cite book | title=That's Entertainment : 100 Years of Chelsea Lodge No. 3098: The Centenary 1905–2005 | author=Keith Skues | year=2005 | publisher=Lamb's Meadow Publications | isbn=978-0-907398-04-2}}

{{cite web | url=http://www.chelsea-lodge.org.uk | title=That's Entertainment: Chelsea Lodge 3098, 100 Years 1905–2005 | accessdate=14 March 2011 | work=Chelsea Lodge}}

{{cite news | url=http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article394920.ece | title=Extras! Extras! Read all about them... | accessdate=14 March 2011 | author=Lottie Moggach | date=25 November 2004 | work=Sunday Times}}{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}

• [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1693530/filmotype Ray Donn] at the Internet Movie Database
• {{Official website|http://www.donn.co.uk/}}
• {{YouTube|ohsTFTbvT50|Brinsworth House Video}}

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Category:Living people

Category:1937 births

Category:English businesspeople

Category:English male film actors

Category:English male television actors

Category:Actors from the London Borough of Tower Hamlets

Category:Male actors from London

Category:People from Poplar, London