Richard Syms – guest director

RICHARD SYMS has been an actor and director for over 25 years, having spent ten years as a full-time clergyman. He has played leading roles in many regional theatres and on tour - including Frank in Educating Rita, Dysart in Equus, the title roles in Doctor Faustus and Father Brown, Mr Cellophane in Chicago, Tom in Skylight and most recently the title role in Hobson's Choice. He also spent a year with the National Theatre. In recent months, he also appeared in A Woman of No Importance in the West End, and toured in Yasmina Reza's two-hander The Unexpected Man He has made approaching a hundred TV appearances including regular characters in Rumpole of the Bailey as Myers the solicitor's clerk, London's Burning, playing Paul, the amateur dramatic producer for 5 series, Lovejoy, - the auctioneer Alwyn, Goodnight Sweetheart and The Hello Girls, playing Mr Cluff in both series. Feature films have included Truly Madly Deeply for Anthony Minghella, Secrets and Lies for Mike Leigh, Stella does tricks, Ali G in da House, Gangs of New York for Martin Scorsese and The Life and Death of Peter Sellers . Also yet to be released - The Gathering with Christina Ricci , and Stephen Frears' new film Mrs Henderson Presents with Judi Dench and Bob Hoskins He has to his credit nearly eighty productions as a freelance director, in reps, tours, on the fringe and in many of the major drama schools, work ranging from Pinter to Greek tragedy, Shakespeare to American musicals. He is still licensed as a priest, has two published books on contemporary Christianity, and lives in Knebworth in Hertfordshire with his wife Pat and identical twin cats.