Gareth Thomas - -

This section is continuously under development, with more details of Gareth's activities being added as we hear about them.

Note: the dates given for TV/Radio shows are where possible the first showing of the first episode where applicable, not when they were made.

Gareth has managed to die in a surprisingly large number of roles. The RIP symbol is shown against performances he is known to have died in.

Gareth has been known to bemoan the fact that he never gets to play lovers. The statistics seem to bear him out. Heart symbols indicate a romance, they appear to be heavily outnumbered by tombstones. (Parts where he is already married don't qualify. )

Gareth has said that he does't want to be thought of as just a Welsh actor, but as an actor who can do English and Welsh characters with equal ease. He has lived for a long time in England, and now in Scotland, after his early years in Wales. He has been cast in a lot of Welsh roles over the years. Leeks indicate Welsh parts.

Material here, comes from many sources including :- Blake's 7 magazine, Chris Blenkarn, Joyce Bowen, Sue Clerc, Robert Cheadle, Sue Cowley, Pat Fenech, The Freedom City Gazette (FCG), Horizon magazine, Julia Jones, Andrew Kearley, Gareth Randell, Judith Proctor, The Prydonian Renegade (March 96), Together Again - Action, TV Zone Special #4, Stellar Quines, Dundee Rep Theatre, Theatre Clwyd, The Magenta Partnership, Royal Lyceum Theatre - Edinburgh, Alan Stevens, Pete Wallbank, Andy Hopkinson, Mark Thompson, The Scottish Theatre Archive, Blake's 7 The Inside Story, The Archives of The Royal Shakespeare Company, Sheelagh Wells, Gareth Thomas and some very nice people who have asked not to be identified.

Date	Medium	Event
1964 (1st Term)	Theatre	The Winter's Tale While at RADA. He played The Shepherd and 2nd Lord.
1964 (2nd Term)	Theatre	Othello While at RADA. He played Iago and Roderigo.
1964 (2nd Term)	Theatre	Tons of Money While at RADA. He played Aubrey Allington and Jiles
1965 (3rd Term)	Theatre	Twelfth Night While at RADA. He played Feste, the clown and The Sea Captain. He mentioned Feste in Twelfth Night although it was his portrayal of the Sea Captain which was singled out for particular praise - according to the records of RADA.
1965 (3rd Term)	Theatre	Where Angels Fear To Tread While at RADA. He played Gino Carella and Philip Henton
1965 (4th Term)	Theatre	The Way Of The World While at RADA. he played Witword.
1965 (4th Term)	Theatre	Ivanov While at RADA. He played the second guest
1965 (4th Term)	Theatre	The Beggar's Opera While at RADA. He played Crook-Fingered Jack and the Turnkey
1965 (5th Term)	Theatre	Romeo and Juliet While at RADA. He played Benvolio.
1965 (5th Term)	Theatre	St Joan Playing "Mgr de la Tremouille". While at RADA. He also gave the Epilogue.
1965 (5th Term)	Theatre	Hamlet While at RADA. Gareth talking to Ken Armstrong in Blake's 7 magazine: I was playing the part of Laertes, working up to the big sword-fight where Laertes dies. The actor duelling with me lost part of the end of his blade, meaning his sword was six inches shorter than normal... and the rubber bung placed on tip for safety was also missing. As this happened in a flurry of sword blades, the audience did did not know a piece had broken off. By accident the now sharp blade grazed me and caused just a little bleeding. The dramatic part happened, though, when I fell back on stage with the sword apparently in me. A woman in the front row stared at me, saw the sword was shorter than normal and that I was actually bleeding a little. She obviously thought the sword had really gone through me... and had a fit of hysterics! There, I thought to myself... I'm really getting through to the audience!
1966 (6th Term)	Theatre	A Night Out While at RADA. He played Sidney
1966 (6th Term)	Theatre	Look After Julie While at RADA. He played Valery
1966 (6th Term)	Theatre	Live Like Pigs While at RADA. He played Black Mouth.
1966 (6th Term)	Theatre	No No Nanette While at RADA. He was in the chorus.
1966 (7th Term)	Theatre	Measure for Measure While training as an actor at RADA, he played Angelo.
1966 (7th Term)	Theatre	The Long, the Short and the Tall While at RADA. A play about soldiers by Willis Hall. Gareth played Lance Corporal Macleish
1964-1966	Theatre	Barnstaple While at RADA.
1964-1966	Theatre	Italian Straw Hat While at RADA.
Mid 1966	Theatre	Unknown The first activity after leaving RADA was as understudy for the actor Peter Jones in a play at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford.
Sep/Dec 1966	Theatre	Assistant stage manager For about 4 months, in 1966 Gareth was an assistant stage manager at the Liverpool playhouse. He was paid seven pounds 10 shillings a week for this job.
Dec 1966	Theatre	Various Roles as part of the Liverpool playhouse company from December 1966 until sometime in 1967.
1967?	Theatre	Around the World in 80 Days at the Liverpool Playhouse. John Thaw was Phileas Fogg. Gareth did several walk on parts.
Dec 1966	Theatre	Brer Rabbit Gareth played Brer Bear at the Liverpool playhouse. This is thought to have been a theatre production for children. (December is an educated guess.)
1967	Theatre	Three Months Gone by Donald Howarth. At the Duchess Theatre, London West End. Gareth played a character in the 2nd act and understudied Alan Lake (Chel in Aftermath), who starred in the play with his wife Diana Dors. One day without ever rehearsing the lead and with only minutes' notice, he had to go on for Alan for a matinee performance. He says at one point during the play he and Dors were sitting on a couch in their underwear, she told him he was doing "f****** wonderful".
1 Apr 1968	Theatre	Under Milk Wood at the Aldwych in London, with the RSC. Gareth has taken part in Under Milk Wood between 3 and 5 times.
27 June 1968	Theatre	Dr Faustus (RSC, 1968) Gareth played 2nd scholar and Vintner in Dr Faustus for the RSC at Stratford on Avon. Stephen Greif was also involved, played Valdes also Rath (one of the seven deadly sins) and 5th scholor. Dr Faustus was played by Eric Porter.
1968	Theatre	King Lear (RSC) Gareth plays first messenger, Stephen Grief plays a captain employed by Edmund. Patrick Stewart is also there as the Duke of Cornwall. Lear was played by Eric Porter, the director was Trevor Nunn.
1968	Theatre	Much Ado About Nothing (RSC) Stephen Greif was also involved, part not known.
1968	Theatre	As You Like It (RSC) Gareth plays a minor part falling into the category of "Lords, Attendants, Villagers" (so did Stephen Grief). Partrick Stewart played Touchstone the clown. Program notes from the RSC programme: This production was first seen in June 1967 when it joined last year's Stratford season. The following month it moved into the RSC's London repertoire at the Aldwych Theatre, and then visited Glasgow, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Manchester, Bristol and Cardiff, before returning to Stratford in the autumn. In the new year it went to America and played (with The Shrew) a six week season at the Ahmanson Theatre, Los Angeles. We have no reason to believe that Gareth was on any of these tours.
August 1968	Theatre	Troilus and Cressida RSC. Gareth was understudying Hector, and this play also had Stephen Greif understuding Alan Howard's Achilles. And further to GT's remark that Blake and Picard were together, that production also featured Sebastian Shaw (who played Annakin Skywalker at the end of the Star Wars trilogy) as Ulysses. Gareth had two parts, he was playing Margarelon who is a son of Priam the King of Troy and according to the programme the prologue was done by Ian Dyson or Gareth Thomas. Cressida was played by Helen Mirrem. Gareth in The Prydonian Renegrade: I've said this at conventions many times and nobody's ever picked it up and made an issue of it. In 1969 when I was 24 I was a spearholder at the Royal Shakespeare Company, the first time I went to the Royal Shakespeare Company. And there was a gentleman who was about five or six years older than me, and we were doing Troilus and Cressida and he was playing Hector, and I actually understudied him, and that was Pat Stewart. And the fact that Blake actually understudied Star Trek - but nobody's ever picked that up and I find it fascinating.
May 1969	Theatre	Unknown RSC on tour in Detroit, USA. They also went to Los Angeles and San Francisco as part of the same tour, the tour intended to go to New York but ended in Detroit as they could not fill the theatre in New York. (Last bit from Liz Freeland Drewery the stage Manager for the tour). Dr Faustus and Much Ado About Nothing (See 1968) may have been on tour. Gareth (FCG#7): I've been in Detroit years and years ago in 1969 with the RSC. They were wiring the blossoms on the trees, because it was May Day. Outside Hudson's, I think. It was the first time that I got somewhere, and they wouldn't take money. "What do you mean, you won't take money?" and they said, "You've got to have a credit card!" I said, "I don't have a credit card. I'm English!"
1970	Theatre	Black Comedy At the Gate Theatre in Dublin and the Lyric in Belfast, Gareth played Brindsley This was a double bill, together with Decameron (the 77th story of the Decameron). Gareth (Horizon NL#21): In it I was playing a sort of roving jester, who literally wandered out and ad-libbed in the audience and all sorts of things, as well as being the link-man. And the review raved about this Decameron, raved and raved about it, but never mentioned me at all. Then there was a break in the paragraph and the next paragraph was about Black Comedy, and it started off: 'What more can we say about Mr. Thomas?' and that was it! Somebody pointed this out to me and I thought 'That's ridiculous, they haven't said anything about me!' So the stage manager phoned up the newspaper, and I got a charming letter from this lady reviewer - can't remeber her name now - showing me the original review, which the newspaper editor had slashed without reading it at all. Just took a chunk out, because they didn't have space. And in fact, it had been an absolutely wonderful review! Hence, 'What more can we say about Mr. Thomas?'.
1971	Theatre	Duchess of Malfi At the Royal Court Theatre, London
9 May 1978	Theatre	Canterbury Tales At the Haymarket in Basingstoke by the Horseshoe company, Gareth played The Miller and The Chantecleer (The cockerel). This was during the period he was making Blake's 7. This ran from May 9th to May 20th. This adaptation from Chaucer was by Phil Woods. The programme notes from Absent friends two weeeks later, quoted the following extracts from reviews: A comedian of some brilliance... an ideal Miller... excellent recounter... wonderful actor and 'The Most vulgar of them all' - fully justified Horseshoe's move in luring him away briefly from Blake's 7 onto the Haymarket stage. There are many people in Basingstoke who will never forget his entrance as Chanticleer, whatever remains in their memories of his excellent performances in Stocker's Copper, How Green Was My Valley and Sutherland's Law. We wish him well on the second series of Blake's 7.
23 May 1978	Theatre	Absent Friends At the Haymarket Threatre in Basingstoke, by the Horseshoe Threatre Companny. By Alan Ayckbourn. This ran to June 3rd. Gareth was playing Paul.
12 June 1979	Theatre	Twelfth Night (RSC at Stratford) he played Orsino. This was played 75 times until 26th Jan 1980 (Concurrently with Anna Christie and Othello). This was also on the 11th March 1980 in Theatre Royal, Newcastle upon Tyne and 11 April at the Aldwych Theatre in London. The RSC Programme Book said Gareth gave vigor to Orsino playing him as "Driven by his lovesickness into bitter aggression and rants (and raves) like a proverbial bear with a sore head which his name suggests." It was not the traditional droopy lovesick fop portrayal. Gareth as Orsinio (39K) Gareth (Horizon NL#33): "It was the last episode of Blake's 7 (ie the end of season 2) and I was in the bar when I was tapped on the shoulder. I turned round and there was Trevor Nunn (of the RSC). We started chatting, and he said, what are you doing? I said, I'm just finishing off this science fiction series Blake's 7 and he said what are you doing after that? and I said I had no idea. Three days later, I got an offer to go to the Royal Shakespeare Company. Of course I took it like a shot." More Pictures of these roles at the RSC Gareth in The Prydonian Renegrade: I was doing Orsino at Stratford in the Royal Shakespeare Company in Twelfth Night and I can't remember what the speech was now but I completely lost it. I couldn't remember the lines, anything - 'dried' as we call it in the profession - and I carried on waffling away until I actually got my brain back into gear and went back into the script agian. When I came offstage at the end of the scene, there was the director standing there. I said "Geez, I'm sorry, Terry. I don't know what the heck happened. I just couldn't remember a bloody thing. I just waffled and bumbled.." He said, "It doesn't matter, Gareth, Don't worry about it. What was fascinating was, the whole thing, all your waffle, was in pure iambic pentameter!" - so I'd kept to Shakespeare's rhythm.
6 Aug 1979	Theatre	Othello (RSC Stratford) Gareth played Montano briefly then Cassio, he undertook this role as Cassio in only four days when the original actor playing Cassio (James Laurenson) dislocated his kneecap. Previous to his role as Cassio, he briefly played Montano. There were 52 performances until 25th Jan 1980 (Concurrent with Twelfth Night and Anna Christie). This was later played 26 Feb 1980 at Newcastle upon Tyne and 14 Aug 1980 Aldwych Theatre London. On the 26th of Feb 1980 he was playing Cassio. More Pictures of these roles at the RSC Montano (10K)
10 Oct 1979	Theatre	Anna Christie by Eugene O'Neill (RSC "The Other Place" theatre in Stratford) Gareth played Matt Burke an Irish stoker. This was played 21 times until 22nd Jan 1980 (Concurrently with Twelfth Night and Othello). Later played 3 March 1980 at the Gulbenkian Studio in Newcastle upon Tyne and on 6th June 1980 at the Warehouse, Covent Garden in London. Anna Christie is a two hour melodrama, Anna is abandoned by her father, raped by her cousin, she becomes a nurse, gives that up, takes up residence in a mid west cat house for two years and finally ends up marrying a drunkan lout of an Irishman. More Pictures of these roles at the RSC Matt Burke (46K)
1980	Theatre	What the Butler Saw By Joe Orton. At the Sherman Theatre at the University of Wales at Cardiff, and later at the Gate Theatre in Dublin. Gareth plays the police sergeant (Sergeant Match) who ends up in a dress at one point. Also with Angharad Rees.
1981	Theatre	Dick Whittington at the Theatre Royal in Newcastle. A pantomime (What is Pantomime) in which Gareth played King Rat. It ended on Feb 6th Gareth to Joe Nazzaro (FCG#7): There was a period - I think it was in that period - I was doing Morgan's Boy, King Rat, Blake's 7 and people would turn around to me and say, "Whatever you do, you seem to die at the end of it! Is there anything that you can carry on living through?" When I was doing King Rat not long after Blake's 7, I got a letter from a woman saying, "My child was devastated when you were killed in Blake's 7 and I said to him 'Don't worry he's alive and well, and he's performing at the Theatre Royal in Newcastle, and I'll take you to see him.' I bought the tickets and I came to see it, and what do you think my son felt when you died at the end again!" A lovely letter. I died in By the Sword Divided as well in a way which every actor likes to die... Several reviews
10 May 1983	Theatre	Educating Rita by Willy Russell. Gareth played Frank. At the Theatre Royal Windsor until 27 May 1983.
19 Mar 1985	Theatre	Beside the Sea By Brian Jefferies. At the Theatre Royal, Windsor until 6 April 1985. Gareth played Arnold who is the focal point as the poet / deckchair attendant, who sees and knows all. - Gareth described this as a "wierd play".
1986	Theatre	The Benefactors Writen by Michael Frayn. Produced by Hiss and Boo productions. Opened in Nottingham, and then went to Richmond. Other dates include the New Theatre, Cardiff, March 24-29; Grand Theatre Wolverhampton for the week ending April 19th; Alexandrea Theatre, Birmingham for a week from May 6th (see TV interview of 7th May from Birmingham) and the University of Warwick Arts Centre for a week from May 12th. Week starting May 19th at Darlington, may 26th Manchester, June 2nd Edinburgh, June 9th Glasgow, June 19 Swindon, June 23rd Bath. May also have been in Cambridge and other venues. Gareth played Colin. Gareth talking to Joe Nazzaro at the Scorpio 5 con (FCG#4): "All I can say about it, and I'm now going to blow my own trumpet, and Barbara standing there over on your right knows I don't normally do it - all I can say is that Michael Frayn came to see it in matinee in Cambridge. We didn't know he was there, and he came backstage and we chatted, and he wrote a letter to the director, saying, "I have seen two West End productions, I have seen one production in Sweden, and I have seen a Broadway production, and this wipes the floor with the lot of them." Benefactors (50K)
3 Nov 1986	Theatre	Henry IV parts 1 & 2 and Henry V English Shakespeare Company (ESC). Gareth played Glendower, Lord Chief Justice, Scroop and Fluellen. They toured England, Wales, Germany, Paris and spent six weeks in Toronto. Dates Venue 3-15 Nov 1986 Theatre Royal, Plymoth 17-22 Nov 1986 New Theatre, Cardiff 24-29 Nov 1986 Theatre Royal, Norwich 1-6 Dec 1986 Theatre Royal, Nottingham 8-13 Dec 1986 Theartre Royal, Bath ?-31 Jan 1987 Paris 2-7 Feb 1987 New Theatre, Hull 9-14 Feb 1987 Empire Theatre, Sunderland Review 16-21 Feb 1987 Grand Theatre, Leeds 23-28 Feb 1987 Apollo Theatre, Oxford 2-7 Mar 1987 Palace Theatre, Manchester 9-14 Mar 1987 Hippodrome, Birmingham 16 March - 25 April 1987 The Old Vic, London Sometime Hamburg, Germany 9 May - 20 June 1987 Royal Alexandra Theatre, Toronto for 6 weeks Sometime New York Gareth to Joe Nazzaro (FCG#7): I was phoned up out of the blue by a theatre director (Michael Bogdanov) for whom I have enormous respect, who had turned me down for a job some years before. He only likes working with people he's worked with before, and I wasn't one of them. But this time I was phoned up by him to play the Welsh parts in Henry IV pt 1, Henry IV pt 2 and Henry V. This was for a new company being set up to tour around Britain, France, Germany and Toronto Canada. I hemmed and hawed, and I finally said yes, okay, because I admired the director. We did Henry VI pt 1 on Monday, Henry VI pt 2 on Tuesday, Henry V on Wednesday afternoon, Henry VI pt 1 on Wednesday evening, Henry VI pt 2 on Thursday, Henry V on Friday, and all three on Saturday; that was twelve hours of theatre. It was known as "The Marathon." Doctors have said that going on stage, if you take it seriously and get nervous, is the equivalent of having a minor car crash. We used to walk in on a Saturday morning and say, "Goddamn it, I'm sitting here, I'm hung over, and I've got three minor car crashes to go through in twelve hours in this bloody theatre! What am I doing for a living?" Having said that, we did it in Hamburg, Germany on a Sunday, and it was fifteen minutes before they allowed us off the stage. They were cheering, stamping, shouting, whistling - everything. It was amazing; it was an experience I'd never had before. It was ten minutes before they let us out of the Old Vic in London. It was directed as a trilogy, so that Saturday was actually the great day. You came up knackered but on a great high, really on a high, which meant that Monday was hell! We went from sublime to the ridiculous on that one, because we did the trilogy on a Saturday in Paris and opened in Hull on a Monday. I suppossed that's like saying we did a trilogy in Tinsel City and then opened up on Monday in Detroit! No offense to the people of Detroit. After this run, Gareth was offered the John Woodvine part of Falstaff but refused it, since he didn't have time to really study it and make it his own. He said if he had done it, he would have been imitating Woodvine's version. Michael Bogdanov and Michael Pennington wrote a book, "The English Shakespeare Company: The Story of The Wars of the Roses" about the first three seasons of the ESC. Gareth Thomas appeared in the first (1986-1987) season. Michael Bogdanov said: "I rang Gareth Thomas, a fellow Welshman. He would do anything to give his Fluellen. His Fluellen turned out to be incomprehensible, North Walian, delivered with machine-gun rapidity. Very, very funny when you could understand it. He was so fast that subsequent versions of Henry V without him ran fifteen minutes longer." [pp. 33-34; GT was replaced by Sion Probert when he left the ESC.] There's a tiny picture of GT in this production, not very recognizable between the huge beard and the huge sheepskin hat. The ESC got into a dispute with Equity about overtime payments. "The actors were represented by Morris Petty and Gareth Thomas. [...] Gareth was emotional. We had 'sold them down the river,' 'kicked them in the teeth.' All they had got for their pains was 'a slap in the face.'" [pp. 84-85; the tribunal awarded a fairly small amount to all the actors to settle the claim.] Summing up the first season, Michael Pennington refers to "Gareth Thomas's marvellous Fluellen, loyal and verbose" [p. 93.] GT's roles in the 1986-1987 tour, which ran from November 3 1986-June 27 1987, with 78 performances of each part of Henry IV and 79 performances of Henry V: Henry IV Part 1 - Owen Glendower Henry IV Part 2 - Lord Chief Justice (i.e., a shift from "The Rebels" to "The King's Party") Henry V - Lord Chief Justice, Fluellen.
29 Feb 1988	Theatre	Dangerous Corner By J B Priestly, At the Churchill theatre Bromley, Richmond and Bath for 3 weeks, Gareth played Charles Stanton (a villain), with Judy Buxton (Inga in Hostage) as Freda Caplan. At Bromley from 29 Feb to 5 March. Gareth to Joe Nazzaro (FCG#7): I did the actor's nightmare: a play by an author called J.B.Priestly called Dangerous Corner, a good old potboiler written in the '30s. My agent phoned me up on a Tuesday evening and said to me "Gareth, I've had Bromley Theatre on the phone and they're doing Dangerous Corner by J.B.Priestly. Do you know it?" I said "I know the name but I have never seen it, and I've never read it." He said, "Well, the villain (an actor named James Warwick) has slipped a disc. They're finishing this week in Bromley, and then they're going to Richmond here in Surrey, and then Bath. Would you take over? I said "Yes, Okay" and he said "Go down to Bromley tomorrow morning and get the script." I said, "Right," put down the phone, and thought to myself, "Jesus Christ, you have just walked into the actor's nightmare! You've got a steady cast going, they know what they're doing, they know the words, and I'm taking over!" I went down on Wednesday lunchtime, I got the script, I went to the pub on Wednesday lunchtime, I read the script, and I went on stage with it on Saturday afternoon (without the script). I worked my butt off! Now that is where somebody off the street couldn't do it. That's training. It's panic, but it's training. Joe: You said you looked forward to a challenge... Gareth: That was a challenge, and I got good reviews, too. The reason that I had been asked to do it was because the director of it had been the assistant director at the Royal Shakespeare Company when I did Orsino, and the fellow playing Cassio in Othello had dislocated his kneecap, and I took that over in four days. He admitted to me, he said, "I went through a list of my mates, and I thought Gareth! He did Cassio in four days; he can do this in three."
12 Apr 1989	Theatre	Inside Job At Theatre Royal, Windsor 12-29th of April 1989 and at other venues. A Windsor Newspaper (Francis Batt): The Glamour of Life in Luton. Who would not envy the glamourous life of a film star, making movies in exotic locations? Actress Prunella Gee - currently starring in the play Inside Job at Windsor's Theatre Royal - wondered just what attractive setting she would be working in when she was cast as Sean Connery's girlfriend (or one of them) in his belated comeback to the role of James Bond in the 1983 film Never Say Never Again. "Some of the film was set in the Bahamas and some in the south of France. But guess where all my scenes ended up being filmed - in Luton" said Prunella. Her co-star in Inside Job, Gareth Thomas (of Blakes 7 fame) can beat that though. He was once phoned by a producer and offered the choice between two roles in a new production. It was not until I had chosen the one I wanted that he had the cheek to tell me that it was all being filmed over here, while the other role I had turned down was being filmed in the Bahamas...
25 Oct 1989	Theatre	King Lear Northcott Theatre, Exeter. Gareth played Lear. This ran until 18 Nov 1989. Gareth as King Lear (39K) Gareth in the Prydonian Renegade: I think Lear was certainly the most difficult thing I'd ever done on stage. You actually walk offstage totally and utterly exhausted. There's no two ways about that. That's it. You go out there, you give it everything you can, and you walk off and say, "Whew." I'll tell you how exhausted I got - sometimes I didn't even get to the bar for over half an hour! And there are lots of pitfalls. I remember, doing Lear, there was one occasion, a matinee I think it was, and Lear in the first scene, his first scene, towards the end of it he loses his temper for the first time and I mean really goes for Cordelia. Doing this matinee I suddenly thought "Why have all the cast turned upstage?" The audience didn't notice and I carried on. The line is, "So be my grave my peace, as here I give her father's heart from her." And apparently I'd said "As here I give her hather's fart from her," and all the cast cottoned on and turned upstage. But the audience didn't have a clue.
Jun/Jul 1992	Theatre	Dejavu by John Osborne, At the Comedy theatre, in the West End, in London, Gareth played Cliff. This play may have run to November. Gareth in The Prydonian Renegade (March '96): I was doing a play by a gentleman, a superb writer, who sadly is no longer with us, called John Osborne. I was doing his last play, Deja Vu, and Patrick Stewart came to see it and came round backstage, and I said "You Pillock!" and he said "What, Why?" I said, "Why the hell didn't you tell me you were coming?" and he said, "Well, I was passing through on my way from Italy to America," and I said, "We're playing to half-full houses out here. If I could have turned around and said Blake's 7 and Star Trek in the same theatre at the same time! we could have packed the place." Note: the plays title is really one word but every time you see it mentioned it's written as two words because it is two words in real life. However, John Osbourne meant for his play to be one word.
1994	Theatre	Under Milk Wood Gareth took part in a production of Under Milk Wood to help raise money for the Prince of Wales Trust some time in 1994 or 1995. The Prince of Wales Trust helps young people get started in life. (This may have been the 1992 recording, confusion exists...)
8 May 1994	Theatre	Bridging the Tweed With the Rideout Theatre Company (who are based in Edinburgh). He played a tramp called "Merlin" during this performance. This ran to 14th May.
3 Nov 1994	Theatre	Educating Rita by Willy Russell. On tour including Oldham Colisseum Theatre, Nov 3-26th. Gareth played Frank.
8 Dec 1995	Theatre	The Storyteller Rideout Theatre Co., Scottish tour, Dec 1995, Gareth played the storyteller. Deep in the heart of an ancient cave sits an old man. 1000 years ago a spell was cast to keep him asleep forever. Why? What strange powers did he possess? Someone is trying to wake him! Tour dates 8 Dec 95 to 22 Dec 95, performed in various village halls, museums, small theatres etc in Melrose, Duns, Jedburgh, Newcastleton, Galashiels, Kelso, Bowhill, Berwick, Lauder, Peebles and Hawick. Review.
11 Apr 1996	Theatre	Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw. Scottish tour, by the Royal Lycaeum Theatre company (Edinbugh). It was at the Royal Lycaeum in Edinburgh until 4th May and then toured Stranraer, Dumfries, Ayr, Aberdeen, Kirkcaldy, Berwick upon Tweed and finishing in Glasgow on 15th June 1996. Gareth played Colonel Pickering. See More Pictures Col. Pickering (29K) Photo by Sean Hudson (?), supplied courtesy of the Royal Lyceum Theatre.
10 Jan 1997	Theatre	Jekyll and Hyde By David Edgar based on the story by Robert Louis Stevenson. At the Royal Lycaeum Theatre, Edinburgh, from 10 Jan 97 to 1 Feb 97. Gareth played Gabriel Utterson. Edgar introduced two new characters to the story, Jekyll's widowed sister Katherine and a servant girl called Annie. See More Pictures
7 Feb 1997	Theatre	Rebecca Based on the story by Daphne du Maurier. At the Royal Lycaeum Theatre (Edinbugh), Gareth Played Giles Lacy from 7 Feb 97 to 1 March 97. Reviews See More Pictures
14 May 1997	Theatre	Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams, At the Dundee Rep, 14-31 May 1997, Gareth played Big Daddy. There were also previews on the 10th and 13th. Reviews Newspaper article about Gareth and this role See More Pictures
28 Nov 1997	Theatre	Sleeping Beauty Gareth played the King in a pantomime at the Dundee Rep Theatre from 28th November to 10th January. Review and other things This is a write up of a weekend in Dundee surviving the problems of the fire at Heathrow and other trials and tribulations along the way. This includes a review of Sleeping Beauty. The picture shows Gareth as the King with Janet Michael who plays Mara the nurse. She also stared with Gareth in the production of Cat on a Hot Tin roof at the same theatre, where she played Big Mama, when he played Big Daddy. Gareth with Janet Michael
18 Sep 1998	Theatre	The Crucible by Arthur Miller. Gareth plays Deputy-Governor Danforth. review by Judith Another review by Judith Dates: 18-26 September - Churchill Theatre, Bromley (0181 460 6677) 28 September - 3 October - Marlow Theatre, Canterbury (01227 787787) 5-10 October - Festival Theatre, Malvern (01684 892277) 12-18 October - Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield (0114 276 9922) 19-24 October - Theatre Royal, Nottingham (0115 989 5555) 26-31 October - His Majesty's Theatre, Aberdeen (01224 641122) 2-7 November - King's Theatre, Edinburgh (0131 220 4349) 9-14 November - Civic Theatre, Darlington (01325 486555) 16-21 November - Theatre Royal, Norwich (01603 630000) 23-28 November - New Victoria Theatre, Woking (01483 761144) Danforth (29K) Photo by Mark Douet.
4 Feb 1999	Theatre	Hosts of Rebecca Hosts of Rebecca - Gareth Thomas is playing Tomos Treherne (the narrator/minister) in an adaptation of a Welsh novel by Alexander Cordell. The novel is the second in Cordell's 'Rape of the Fair Country' trilogy. It is set in nineteenth century Wales, a time of struggle for the coal miners and farmers alike. 4/27 February - Theatre Clwyd, Mold (in north Wales) 2/6 March - New Theatre, Cardiff. Review by Chris Blenkarn.
16 Sep 1999	Theatre	The Clearing Gareth Thomas played the charcter Solomon in this production, More details Review by Judith Proctor Review from the Scotsman Review by Ellie Baskerville 16/25 September - Tron Theatre - Glasgow. (BO 0141 552 4267) 28 September/02 October - Dundee Rep - Dundee (BO 01382 223530) 07/23 October - Royal Lyceum Theatre - Edinburgh (BO 0131 248 4848) 02/06 November - Everyman Theatre, Liverpool (BO 0151 709 4776)
27 Jan 2000	Theatre	Twelfth Night Gareth Thomas played Sir Toby Belch in a production of 'Twelfth Night' at the Brunton Theatre, Musselburgh (near Edinburgh) from 27 January to 12 February 2000. Review from The Scotsman (This is their picture) Review from Edinburgh News 16 Jan 2000 Review from Edinburgh News 27 Jan 2000 Review from The Scotsman 31 Jan 2000 Review from Edinburgh News 31 Jan 2000 Review by Julia Jones 5 Feb 2000 More Pictures
24 Mar 2000	Theatre	Equus Gareth Thomas appeared in Equus at Salisbury Playhouse from 24th March to 8th April. He played the psychiatrist. Review By Judith Review from the Financial Times.
8 Sep 2000	Theatre	A Midsummer Night's Dream Gareth Thomas played Oberon/Theseus in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' from 8th September until 21st October at the Nottingham Playhouse and then also a major role in 'Dear Brutus' by J.M. Barrie, which opens 29th September for one week, then the two plays are where in rep until 21st October. On 7th, 14th and 21st of October both plays were acted. Reviews: A Midsummer Night's Dream by Dragonfly. A Midsummer Night's Dream by Janet Hordley. A Midsummer Night's Dream and Dear Brutus by Judith. Dear Brutus by the Daily Telegraph. From "This is Nottingham" From the BBC Photo's
8 Sep 2000	Theatre	A Midsummer Night's Dream Gareth Thomas played Oberon/Theseus in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' from 8th September until 21st October at the Nottingham Playhouse and then also a major role in 'Dear Brutus' by J.M. Barrie, which opens 29th September for one week, then the two plays are where in rep until 21st October. On 7th, 14th and 21st of October both plays were acted. Reviews: A Midsummer Night's Dream and Dear Brutus by Judith. Dear Brutus by the Daily Telegraph. From "This is Nottingham" Photo's
1 Feb 2001	Theatre	Hamlet Gareth appeared in Hamlet playing Polonius, and The Gravedigger, at the Brunton Theatre, Musselburgh (near Edinburgh) from 1st to 17th February 2001.
10 Aug 2001	Theatre	Moving Objects Gareth at the Edinburgh Fastival. Gareth appeared in 'Moving Objects', a play written for him by Mark D. Thompson (who directed him in 'Hamlet' and 'Twelfth Night' at the Brunton theatre). Gareth plays Joseph Leibovitch, an East European refugee from the Holocaust, now working as a pawnbroker. The play ran from 10 - 24 August at the Brunton Theatre, Musselborough, near Edinburgh. In an interview with Jackie McGlone, David Mark Thompson (writer and director of the play) said: "The new play was written with Thomas in mind. "I am not one of those young (well youngish) directors who think older actors come from another planet. I love working with him -- we push each other -- or an actor like Michael Mackenzie. They bring immense craft and guile to their work." Information Joyce McMillan of The Scotsman 2 Reviews By Thom Dibdin
4 Oct 2001	Theatre	Retherford and Son Gareth Thomas played Rutherford in Rutherford and Son at the Playhouse Theatre, Salisbury from 4th to 27th October 2001. Rehearsals began on 10th September. This is directed by Joanna Read, who directed Equus at the same theatre in March 2000. Information Review by Judith Proctor Review by Dee Adcock of the Salisbury Journal Review by Lyn Gardner of The Guardian Review from "This is Wiltshire" Review by Stephen Giles of The Stage
7 Feb 2002	Theatre	French Without Tears Gareth played M Maingot in Terence Rattigan's 'French Without Tears' at the Northcott Theatre, Exeter from 07/23 February 2002. "I'm afraid my part's 95% in French," he says... (he's teaching 3 young English lads to speak French..). Notes By Joyce Bowen. The photo of Maingot is credited to Alan Winn and copyright Northcott Theatre Company 2002.
11 Apr 2002	Theatre	Three Sisters Gareth played Army Medical Officer Doctor Ivan Romanovich Chebutykin in Anton Chekhov's 'Three Sisters', which stared Imogen Stubbs and Dulcie Gray. The play opens at the Nuffield Theatre, Southampton on 11 April for a month, and then a short tour. The dates/venues are: 11 April/11 May 02 - Nuffield Theatre, Southampton. 13/18 May 02 - The Malvern Theatre, Malvern. 20/25 May 02 - New Victoria Theatre, Woking. 27 May/01 June 02 - Theatre Royal, Bath. 03/08 June in Cambridge. There is a review at The Stage.
7 Sep 2002	Theatre	The Playboy of the Western World Gareth played Michael James Flaherty - a fat, jolly publican in 'The Playboy of the Western World' by J M Synge at the Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh from 07/28 September 2002. Reviews.
7 Nov 2002	Theatre	Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Gareth played Big Daddy in Tennessee Williams' classic from 7th to 23rd November at the Byre Theatre, St Andrews, Fife. He played this part a few years ago - see reviews.
24 June 2003	Theatre	Boys Will Be Boys Gareth plays "Gus" in Boys will be Boys. A new play written, directed by and starring Simon Williams. It opens at The Mill, Sonning, Berkshire on 24th June until 2nd August. It then runs from August 4th to 9th at the Theatre Royal Windsor. Play: Romantic fiction, written by a woman for women is what the female species want to read. That's what publishers think! So the very masculine Lenny has been masquerading for a long time as Myrtle Banbury, the queen of romantic novels. But now he has had enough of the fame, the lies, the lipstick, the wig - to say nothing of the high heels. To complicate matters he has fallen desperately in love. He decides to 'kill off' his auntie Myrtle. But Lenny has reckoned without the notorious journalist, Letitia Butters who really believes Lenny has murdered his aunt. Lovelorn and miserably hoist on his own petard, Lenny improvises a hasty reincarnation for Myrtle. During the frantic séance that follows Lenny makes sure that his cross-dressing alter ego will never again come back to haunt him. Review from Henley-on-Thames Leisure Review from the Daily Telegraph Review from the Slough Observer Review from The Times Review from The Stage

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Last updated on 06th of May 2002.