Jeffery Kissoon

Jeffery Kissoon (born 4 September 1947) is an actor with credits in British theatre, television, 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 Lepage, Janet Suzman, Calixto Bieito and Nicholas Hytner.^[1] He has acted in genres from Shakespeare and modern theatre to television drama and science fiction, playing a range of both 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 children's TV series Grange Hill.

Jeffery Kissoon
Born	(1947-09-04) 4 September 1947 (age 75) Trinidad
Education	Christopher Wren School
Occupation(s)	Actor theatre director
Years active	1970–present
Organization(s)	Royal Shakespeare Company Royal National Theatre Citizens Theatre Company
Board member of	Shared Experience Warehouse Theatre Company
Awards	Peloponnesian International Film Festival Best Lead Actor Award (2012)

A regular director of theatre, Kissoon is a member of the board of directors of the Shared Experience company and the Warehouse Theatre in Croydon, London. He has tutored younger actors, writers and directors, and values the rehearsal process.^[2] He played the lead role in the Mark Norfolk film Ham and the Piper (2012), and also directed Norfolk's theatre productions Knock Down Ginger, staged in 2003, Naked Soldiers, 2010 and Where the Flowers Grow, 2011, at the Warehouse Theatre.^[3] He reprised his role as Antony in Suzman's production of Antony and Cleopatra, appearing opposite Kim Cattrall as Cleopatra, at the Liverpool Playhouse in 2010.^{[4][5][6][7][8]}

Early life and career

Born in Trinidad and Tobago, Kissoon, of Dougla heritage, emigrated to London with his parents at an early age. While attending the Christopher Wren School in Shepherd's Bush,^[9] he joined the student drama group. In 1970, under Robert Tanitch and Eric Rickman, he made his first appearance as an actor in the film Like You, Like Me,^[10] an inter-racial romance.

Although he trained as a drama teacher, Kissoon has worked as an actor since the early 1970s. In 1972, he joined the Glasgow Citizens Theatre Company and, for two years thereafter, played leading roles in a number of productions, including Christopher Marlowe's Tamburlaine The Great and Bertolt Brecht's Threepenny Opera.^[11] During this period, he worked with director Keith Hack, who cast him as Tamburlaine for the 1972 Edinburgh Festival,^[11] and as Caliban for the Royal Shakespeare Company's 1974 production of The Tempest at The Other Place in Stratford-upon-Avon.^[12] Kissoon had his first prominent television role playing Sam in Beryl's Lot for Yorkshire Television (in 1975),^[13] after which he played PC Robbins in an episode of Z-Cars and Sonny in a BBC Play for Today titled "Rocky Marciano is Dead" (both in 1976).^[13] He portrayed Dr. Ben Vincent in seven episodes of Gerry Anderson's science-fiction series Space 1999 between 1976 and 1977.^[13][14]

In 1985, Kissoon played Karna in Peter Brook's nine-hour stage adaptation of The Mahabharata.^[15] The three-year project opened at the Festival d'Avignon in France and completed a world tour, ultimately leading to a film adaptation running to six hours. It also resulted in a lasting professional association between Kissoon and Brook, which witnessed Kissoon play two roles in the director's production of Shakespeare's Hamlet.^[16] Kissoon is a veteran cast member of both RSC and Royal National Theatre productions, regularly collaborating with director Sir Peter Hall.^[17][18] In 2002, he participated in a rehearsed reading of Wrong Place at the Soho Theatre,^[19] continuing his association with playwright Mark Norfolk whose play ″Knock Down Ginger″ he later directed at the Warehouse Theatre the following year. The play starred former EastEnders actors Judith Jacob, Sylvester Williams ^[20] and marked the stage debut of Troy Glasgow.

Kissoon's more recent screen and stage credits include W1A (TV series) (BBC, 2017), Star Wars: The Force Awakens, EastEnders (BBC, 2015), Julius Caesar (Royal Shakespeare Company), Ham & The Piper (Mark Norfolk, 2013)^[21] Dirty Pretty Things (Stephen Frears, 2002), Crossing Bridges (Mark Norfolk, 2006), Holby City (BBC, 2006), Casualty (BBC, 2008), War and Peace (Hampstead Theatre, 2008), Amazonia (Old Vic, 2009) and The Meeting (Warehouse Theatre, 2009).^[22] He played the lead role in Norfolk's film Ham and the Piper (2013),^[23] for which he won the Best Lead Actor Award at the 2012 Peloponnesian International Film Festival, after having directed Ewart James Walters, Elisabeth Dahl and Adam Sopp in Norfolk's play Naked Soldiers at the Warehouse Theatre the previous year.^[3] He later won a Best Actor at the Eko International Film Festival, Nigeria for his performance in Ham & The Piper. In 2011, Kissoon directed Norfolk's Where the Flowers Grow, again at the Warehouse Theatre.^[24] Kissoon reprised his Mark Antony, opposite Kim Cattrall's Cleopatra, in a production of Antony and Cleopatra, directed by Janet Suzman and performed at the Liverpool Playhouse, in October 2010.^[25] This was followed by Waiting For Godot at the West Yorkshire Playhouse (co-starring Patrick Robinson) and the RSC's production of Julius Caesar (in the title role). In 2016 Kissoon featured in the Unicorn Theatre's My Father, Odysseus written by Timberlake Wertenbaker and later directed a stunning Hamlet ^[26] in a contemporary adaptation by Mark Norfolk. The Egyptian-themed production for Black Theatre Live^[27] toured nationally in the UK and was noted for its narrative clarity as well as being the first all black company of Shakespeare's tragedy in Britain, including an all black creative team. Kissoon utilised the ancient African martial art form, Ka Zimba during rehearsals, employing professional drumming and movement practitioners to explore how the breath and the natural spirit combine to conjure up character. He and writer, Norfolk maintained their collaboration in 2018 with Kissoon directing Norfolk's play about the world of finance, Dare To Do (The Bear Maxim) ^[28][29] for Ka Zimba Theatre at the Space. Rehearsals took place in Notting Hill as a way of engaging with a traumatised community after the recent Grenfell Fire tragedy and they later teamed up again, producing staged readings of edgy new plays at the Muse Gallery & Performance Space in Notting Hill, London, including plays such as The Misclarification of Sulieman Dewani and short plays Dinner With Bono by Mark Norfolk based on the short story by Jackee Butesta Batanda and Birdbath by Leonard Melfi. In 2019 he also directed Norfolk's post Windrush 3-hander What A' Fe' Yu' which performed over three nights at the Actors Centre, Tower Street, London as part of its Johnthreehaw Initiative under the theme of Motherhoods.^[30] The cast featured Linda Mathis, Benjamin Cawley and Lenox Kambaba in a narrative that explored family expectations and legacy in contemporary Britain and went on to perform at the Muse Gallery. More recently Kissoon has been appearing as Justice Wainwright on the west end in Agatha Christie's Witness For The Prosecution at County Hall, London.

Kissoon performed in the BBC Radio 4 sitcom Rudy's Rare Records (2008–12) as Rudy's friend Clifton.^[31][32] He also featured in Norfolk's "Broken Chain", a segment of Radio 4's The City Speaks (2008), which is credited as the first "feature film for radio" produced in collaboration with Film London and Arts Council England.

In 2001, Kissoon joined the cast of the BBC soap opera, EastEnders, in which he played a friend of Patrick Trueman (Rudolph Walker). In 2015, Kissoon returned to EastEnders, this time playing the part of Judge Anthony Abego who oversees Max Branning's (Jake Wood) murder trial. A year later, he reprised his role of the judge, this time overseeing the murder trial of the killers of Paul Coker (Jonny Labey).

Work

Theatre

• Vision of Youth
• Tamburlaine The Great (as Tamburlaine), The Citizen's Company, dir. Keith Hack, 1972^[11]
• The Threepenny Opera (as Tiger Brown), The Citizen's Company, dir. Rick Stroud, 1972^[11]
• Marat/Sade (as Safter), The Citizen's Company, dir. Rick Stroud, 1972^[11]
• Macbeth (as Meru), The Roundhouse, dir. Peter Coe^[33]
• The Way of the World
• The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window
• The Island
• Streamers
• Reflections
• Othello, Bristol Old Vic, dir. Paul Unwin
• Colon's
• Macbeth, Birmingham Repertory Theatre
• Macbeth, The Young Vic
• Love's Labours Lost
• The Tempest (as Caliban), RSC's The Other Place, Stratford-upon-Avon, dir. Keith Hack, 1974^[12]
• Last Missionary
• Kingdom of Barth
• King Lear
• Glorious Things
• Measure for Measure (as Provost), dir. Keith Hack, 1974^[34]
• City Sugar, Bush Theatre, dir. Stephen Poliakoff, 1976.
• Barbarians: A Trilogy: Killing Time, Abide with Me, In the City, Greenwich Theatre, dir. Keith Hack, 1977.^[35]
• The Jail Diary of Albie Sachs, The Warehouse, Royal Shakespeare Company, 1978^[36]
• Dr Faustus, Royal Exchange, Manchester, dir. Adrian Noble, 1981^[37]
• Marino Faliero, The Young Vic, dir. Keith Hack, 1982^[38]
• Oroonoko, Glasgow Citizens Theatre, dir. Phillip Rowse, 1983^[39]
• Cheapside, Croydon Warehouse Theatre, dir. Ted Craig, 1985^[40]
• The Mahabharata (as Karna), Festival d'Avignon in France, tour and film, dir. Peter Brook, 1985–89.
• Troilus and Cressida (as Diomedes), Barbican Centre, dir. Howard Davies, 1986^[41]
• The Gods Are Not To Blame, Riverside Studios, dir. Yvonne Brewster, 1989^[42]
• The Merchant of Venice (as the Prince of Morocco), Phoenix Theatre, dir. Peter Hall, 1989^[43]
• As You Like It, Royal Shakespeare Company, dir. Trevor Nunn.
• In the Solitude of Cotton Fields, Almeida Theatre, 1991^[44]
• Antony and Cleopatra (as Antony), Merseyside Theatre and Bloomsbury, dir. Yvonne Brewster, 1991^[45]
• A Taste of Honey
• The Coup, Royal National Theatre, dir. Mustapha Matura, 1991^[46]
• A Midsummer Night's Dream, (as Oberon) Royal National Theatre, dir. Robert Lepage, 1992^[47]
• A Midsummer Night's Dream (as Theseus/Oberon), Chichester Festival Theatre, dir. Gail Edwards/Steven Pimlott 1992^[48]
• Othello (as Othello), Birmingham Repertory Theatre, dir. Bill Alexander, 1993^[49]
• Julius Caesar (as Brutus), Royal Shakespeare Company's The Other Place, video^[50] and tour, dir. David Thacker, 1993^[51]
• The Tempest (as Prospero), Birmingham Repertory Theatre, dir. Bill Alexander, 1994^[52]
• Oedipus the King, Royal National Theatre, dir. Peter Hall, 1996^[18]
• The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Royal National Theatre, dir. Simon McBurney, 1997^[53]
• Life is a Dream (as Basilio), Edinburgh and London, dir. Calixto Bieito, 1999^[54]
• The Dove, Croydon Warehouse Theatre, dir. Jeanette Smith, 1999^[55]
• The Free State (as Alexander), tour, dir. Janet Suzman, 2000^[56]
• The Tragedy of Hamlet, (as Claudius and Ghost) world tour, dir. Peter Brook, 2001–02^[57]
• The Meeting (as Malcolm X), Croydon Warehouse Theatre, dir. , 2002^[58]
• Nathan the Wise, Chichester Festival Theatre, dir. Steven Pimlott, 2003^[59]
• Resurrection Lichfield Garrick Theatre, dir. Annie Castledine 2003^[60]
• Fix Up by Kwame Kwei-Armah (as Brother Kiyi), Royal National Theatre, dir. Angus Jackson 2004^[61][62]
• Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2 (as Earl of Northumberland), Royal National Theatre, dir. Nicholas Hytner, 2005^[63]
• Tamburlaine the Great (as Bajazeth), Bristol Old Vic and Barbican Centre, dir. David Farr, 2005^[64]
• Orestes (as Tyndareos), Tricycle Theatre and tour, dir. Nancy Meckler, 2007^[65]
• An African Cargo by Margaret Busby (as Equiano and Lord Mansfield), Greenwich Theatre,^[66] Black Theatre Co-operative (now NitroBeat),^[67] dir. , 2007^[68]
• War and Peace (as Prince Bolkonsky), Hampstead Theatre and tour, dir. Nancy Meckler, 2008^[69]
• Amazonia (as Don Antonio), Young Vic, dir. Paul Heritage/Joe Hill-Gibbins, 2009^[70]
• The Meeting (as Malcolm X), Croydon Warehouse Theatre, director Jeffery Kissoon, 2009.^[71]
• Antony and Cleopatra (as Antony), Liverpool Playhouse, dir. Janet Suzman, 2010
• Waiting For Godot, West Yorkshire Playhouse, dir. Ian Brown, 2011
• Julius Caesar (as Julius Caesar), Royal Shakespeare Company, dir. Greg Doran, 2012–13

Radio

• The Ministry of Performing Arts, BBC Sound, Mustapha Matura
• Dionysos, BBC Radio Three, 2003^[72]
• The City Speaks: Broken Chain, BBC Radio 4, Toby Swift, 2008
• Rudy's Rare Records (Series 1–3), BBC, Lucy Armitage, 2008^[31]
• Tamburlaine: The Shadow of God, BBC, Marc Beeby, 2008^[73]
• Broken Chain, Mark Norfolk, 2008^[74]
• Gone, BBC Radio 3, debbie tucker green, 2010^[75]

Film

• Carry on Up the Jungle (1970) - Nosher (uncredited)
• Hamlet (1996) - Fortinbras's Captain
• Dirty Pretty Things (2002) - Cab Controller
• The Nativity Story (2006) - Herod's Architect
• Crossing Bridges (2007) - Buster^[76]
• Ham and the Piper (2013) - Burt^[77]
• Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) - Rear Admiral Guich

Television

• Like You, Like Me (1970)^[10]
• Beryl's Lot (1975) - Sam
  • "Devil to Pay"
  • "Safety First"
  • "Home Again"
  • "A Day at the Races"
• Z-Cars (1976, Episode: "Manslaughter") - PC Robbins
• BBC Play for Today (1976, Episode: "Rocky Marciano is Dead") - Sonny
• Space: 1999 (1976–1977) - Dr Ben Vincent
• Very Like a Whale (1981) - Customs Officer
• Grange Hill (1986–1987) - Mr Kennedy
• The Mahabharata (1990) - Karna
• The Bill (1995) - De Silva
  • "Street Life"
  • "Uncle Bob"
• Only Love (1998, TV Movie) - Rashid
• Brothers and Sisters (1998) - Russel Leonard
• The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones (1999, Episode: "Tales of Innocence") - El Hadji
• Dalziel and Pascoe (1999, Episode: "Time to Go") - Mr Graham
• The Tragedy of Hamlet (2002) - Claudius / Ghost
• EastEnders (2002-2016) - Judge Anthony Abego / Milton Hibbert
• Holby City (2002–2018)
  • "Last Chances" (2002) - Douglas Payne
  • "Bad Blood" (2006) - Trevor Heron
  • "Last Dance" (2013) - Professor JJ Kirby
  • "The Three Musketeers" (2018) - Reg Thompson
• Doctors (2003, Episode: "A Question of Priorities") - Lewis Parnell
• Grease Monkeys (2004, Episode: "Jail Bait") - Bertrand Baptiste
• Agatha Christie's Marple (2006: "The Sittaford Mystery") - Ahmed Ghali
• Kiss of Death (2008) - Commissioner
• Casualty (2008, Episode: "Before a Fall") - Lyndon Marshall
• Doctors (2010) - Denny

References

1. Adrian Hamilton, The Independent, 20 August 2005.^{[dead link]}
2. Shared Experience Education Pack. 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
3. "by at - - London UK - more on OffWestEnd.com - Listings and showtimes for over 80 Off West End theatres in London UK". Offwestend.com. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
4. Kim Cattrall and Jeffery Kissoon in Antony and Cleopatra 26 March 2015 at the Wayback Machine, News, Everyman Playhouse, Liverpool, 30 April 2010.
5. Catherine Jones, "Sex And The City's Kim Cattrall to make Liverpool stage debut as Cleopatra" 10 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Liverpool Echo, 30 April 2010.
6. Terri Paddock, "Kim Cattrall, Jeffrey Kissoon to Star in Antony and Cleopatra at Liverpool Playhouse" 6 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Theater Mania, 30 April 2010.
7. BWW News Desk, "Cattrall & Kissoon Confirmed for ANTHONY & CLEOPATRA in Liverpool, 10/8-11/13" 15 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Broadwayworld.com, 30 April 2012.
8. Mark Shenton, "Kim Cattrall Confirmed to Play Cleopatra in Liverpool; Dates Announced" 15 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Playbill.com, 30 April 2010.
9. Memories of White City. 28 June 2013 at the Wayback Machine
10. British Film Institute Film and Television Database. 18 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine
11. http://laurancerudic.wordpress.com/giles-havergals-glasgow-citizens-theatre-company/the-citz-season-1972-73/. Retrieved 14 April 2010. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
12. Michael Pennington's website. 10 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
13. Jeffery Kissoon 7 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine on IMDb.
14. Catacombs Credit Guide.
15. Frank Rich, New York Times, October 1987.
16. Michael Billington in The Guardian, 20 December 2000.
17. "Oedipus". Alanhoward.org.uk. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
18. Michael Coveney, "Alan Howard was not immune to the curse of Thebes. He fell off the stage and broke his wrist" 5 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine, The Observer, 8 September 1996.
19. BBC London. 15 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine
20. "Sylvester Williams". IMDb.
21. "Ham & the Piper". IMDb. 7 April 2013.
22. Internet Movie Database (IMDb) 7 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
23. "Ham & the Piper (2012) | BFI".
24. Loxton, Howard (2011). "Where the Flowers Grow". British Theatre Guide. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
25. Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse. 6 January 2011 at the Wayback Machine
26. Marlowe, Sam (16 September 2016). "Theatre: Hamlet at Watford Palace Theatre". The Sunday Times.
27. "Black Theatre Live".
28. "Theatre review: Dare to do (The Bear Maxim) at the Space". British Theatre Guide.
29. Omaweng, Chris (31 May 2018). "Review of Dare to do (The Bear Maxim) at the Space". LondonTheatre1.
30. "Seven Dials Playhouse presenting world-class theatre".
31. Rudy's Rare Records 15 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine, BBC.
32. Rudy's Rare Records 21 February 2016 at the Wayback Machine, The British Comedy Guide.
33. AHDS Performing Arts. 5 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine
34. Random House Modern Library RSC Stagings History. 25 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine
35. Rob Wilton: Theatricalia, 1970–1979. 9 July 2016 at the Wayback Machine
36. RSC Archive Catalogue.^{[permanent dead link]}
37. "17 Sept – 24 Oct 1981, Dr Faustus" 8 April 2013 at the Wayback Machine, Royal Exchange Theatre website.
38. "Library Services - Information Services - University of Kent". Library.kent.ac.uk. 14 December 2016. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
39. http://laurancerudic.wordpress.com/giles-havergals-glasgow-citizens-theatre-company/the-citz-season-1983-84/. Retrieved 14 April 2010. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
40. History of the theatre 1977–2005. 5 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine
41. "The Tragedy of Troilus and Cressida" 26 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine, The RSC Shakespeare.
42. Victoria and Albert Museum Catalogue. 6 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine
43. AHDS Performing Arts Database.^{[dead link]}
44. Gallery, Kim Dambaek website. 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
45. Talawa Theatre Company Website. 31 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine
46. Sheridan Morley, "The Trinidad Follies" 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine, The New York Times, 24 July 1991.
47. Canadian Adaptations of Shakespeare Project. 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
48. "Interview: Jeffrey Kissoon on playing Oberon" 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine, eStage.
49. Othello, Birmingham City Council. 20 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine
50. . www.shakespeare.org.uk. Archived from the original on 27 January 2006. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
51. "The Tragedy of Julius Caesar" 17 August 2015 at the Wayback Machine, The RSC Shakespeare.
52. Irving Wardle, "THEATRE / The best little whorehouse in Dublin" 7 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine, The Independent on Sunday, 18 September 1994.
53. Complicite website. 25 February 2010 at the Wayback Machine
54. Ben Brantley for The New York Times^{[permanent dead link]}, 14 October 1999.
55. International Playwriting Festival history 6 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Warehouse Theatre website.
56. Kate Bassett, "Chekhov plays away" 27 February 2016 at the Wayback Machine, The Telegraph, 14 March 2000.
57. Karen Peterson, University of Wales for Shaksper 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine, The Global Electronic Shakespeare Conference.
58. Warehouse Theatre Website. 14 February 2013 at the Wayback Machine
59. Michael Billington, "Nathan the Wise" (review) 6 April 2016 at the Wayback Machine, The Guardian, 3 May 2003.
60. Terry Grimley,
61. Michael Billington, "Fix Up" (review) 5 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine, The Guardian, 17 December 2004.
62. Fix Up reviews 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine on National Theatre Website November 2004.
63. FT.com, "The Bitter Sweet Refrain of Life's Transience", 6 May 2005.
64. Philip Fisher, "Tamburlaine" (review) 18 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine, British Theatre Guide, 2005.
65. Michael Coveney for FirstPost^{[permanent dead link]}, November 2006.
66. "Vassa's Legacy". Equiano's World. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
67. "An African Cargo" 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine.
68. , BBC Africa Beyond, Celebrating African Arts in the UK: October 2007 Events.
69. Rhoda Koeni, "War and Peace, Hampstead Theatre, London" 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine, The Independent, 16 April 2008.
70. Amazonia Website. 7 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
71. Warehouse Theatre. 14 February 2013 at the Wayback Machine
72. Greeks: Radio Plays. 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
73. "Tamburlaine: Shadow of God by John Fletcher" 15 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine, Drama on 3, BBC.
74. The City Speaks 1/2 (Pushing By/I Am Not You Are Not Me/Broken Chain) 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Internet Radio Database.
75. "Gone by Debbie Tucker Green" 24 March 2010 at the Wayback Machine, Drama on 3, BBC.
76. British Council Britfilms Catalogue. 7 January 2006 at the Wayback Machine
77. Ham and the Piper, Drama.^{[dead link]}

External links

• Jeffery Kissoon at IMDb