David Dawson (actor)

David Robert Dawson (born 7 September 1982) is an English actor. He has had a varied career on television, including roles in The Road to Coronation Street (2010), series 2 of Luther (2011), Ripper Street (2012–2016), The Secret Agent (2016), as King Alfred in The Last Kingdom (2015–2018) and as Joseph Merrick ("The Elephant Man") in Year of the Rabbit (2019).

David Dawson
Dawson in 2010
Born
David Robert Dawson

(1982-09-07) 7 September 1982
EducationRoyal Academy of Dramatic Art
OccupationActor
Years active2003–present

On stage, Dawson received a Laurence Olivier Award nomination for playing Smike in the 2007 production of The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby. Other notable performances have been in the 2009 production of Comedians, the 2010 production of Posh, and the 2011 production of Luise Miller.

Early life

Dawson was born in Widnes, England, and attended Fairfield High School and Warrington Collegiate Institute before being accepted to RADA on the acting programme in 2002. Whilst at secondary school he was a member of the Musketeer Theatre Company where he played Dogberry in William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing amongst other roles. At 17 he wrote a play called Divorced and Desperate which ran at the Queen's Hall Theatre, Widnes, for three nights. A year later he wrote and starred in the play The Boy in the Bed at the Tower Theatre, Islington, with financial backing from Barbara Windsor and Julie Walters to whom he had written for help. Dawson has a younger brother, James.[1]

Roles

After leaving RADA in 2005, Dawson's first professional role was as understudy to Kevin Spacey as the eponymous hero of Shakespeare's Richard II for Trevor Nunn.[1]

Dawson has appeared in the television shows Doc Martin, The Thick of It, Damage and Up Close and Personal. He played Harry Parr-Davies in the BBC drama Gracie! about the life of English singer Gracie Fields. He starred as Coronation Street creator Tony Warren in the BBC drama The Road to Coronation Street.[2] He played Toby Kent in three episodes of the second series of Luther for the BBC.[3]

In 2012, Dawson appeared in two BBC Two literary adaptations, playing Bazzard in The Mystery of Edwin Drood[4] and Poins in Henry IV, Parts I and II.[5] He later appeared in the first three BBC-produced series of Ripper Street.[6] In 2016, he appeared in the BBC One's version of The Secret Agent.[7] Dawson portrayed David Collins in the BBC Two series Banished[8] and King Alfred in BBC America and BBC Two's historical drama series The Last Kingdom.[9]

Theatre

Year Title Venue Role
2019 Fairview (play) Young Vic Theatre Mack
2018 Aristocrats (Brian Friel) Donmar Warehouse Casimir
2015 The Dazzle Found111 Homer
2014 The Duchess of Malfi Shakespeare's Globe Ferdinand
2013 The People of the Town Gielgud Theatre Antoine
2013 The Vortex Rose Theatre, Kingston Nicky Lancaster
2011 Luise Miller Donmar Warehouse Hofmarschall von Kalb
2010 Posh Royal Court Hugo Fraser-Tyrwhitt
2009 Comedians Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith Gethin Price
2009 Romeo and Juliet Royal Shakespeare Company Romeo
2009 The Entertainer The Old Vic Frank Rice
2008 Nicholas Nickleby UK Tour Smike
2008 The Long And The Short And The Tall Sheffield Crucible Whittaker
2007 Richard II The Old Vic The Groom/ Understudy to Richard

Filmography

Year Title Role
2019 Year of the Rabbit Joseph Merrick
2016 The Secret Agent Vladimir
2016 Maigret Marcel Moncin
2015–2018 The Last Kingdom King Alfred
2015 Banished David Collins
2014 The Smoke Dom
2013 Peaky Blinders Roberts
2013 The Borgias The French Ambassador
2013 Dancing on the Edge D.I. Horton
2012–2015 Ripper Street Fred Best
2012 Parade's End Aranjuez
2012 Henry IV, Parts I and II Poins
2012 The Mystery of Edwin Drood Bazzard
2011 Luther Toby Kent
2010 The Road to Coronation Street Tony Warren
2009 London Boulevard Big Issue Seller
2009 Secret Diary of a Call Girl Byron Seebohm
2009 Gracie! Harry Parr Davies
2007 The Thick of It Affers
2007 Damage Tom Byrne
2005 Doc Martin Wallace

Radio

Year Title Role
2013 To Make the Plough Go Before the Horse Esmé Stewart
2013 Eugene Onegin Eugene Onegin

Awards

In 2008 Dawson was nominated for Best Newcomer in a Play at the Olivier Awards for his role as Smike in Nicholas Nickleby. He was also nominated in 2010 for Best Supporting Actor in the What's On Stage awards for his role as Gethin Price in Comedians.

Critical acclaim

Dawson drew critical acclaim for his portrayal of writer Tony Warren in the BBC Four drama The Road to Coronation Street. For the New Statesman Rachel Cooke wrote: "I think he's going to be a huge star. When he is doing his thing, it is hard to take your eyes off him".[10] The Daily Express said "It is David Dawson and some perfectly judged dialogue which brings this drama to light"[11] while The Mirror's Jane Simon called him "absolutely brilliant".[12]

References

  1. Atkins, Tom (10 December 2007). "20 Questions With David Dawson". whatsonstage.com. Retrieved 18 August 2010.
  2. "United Artists Profile Page". Retrieved 18 August 2010.
  3. "United Artists Profile Page". Retrieved 2 March 2011.
  4. "Cast announced for The Mystery of Edwin Drood on BBC Two", BBC Press Office, 2 September 2011. Retrieved 2011-09-02.
  5. "Cast confirmed for BBC Two's cycle of Shakespeare films" (Press release). BBC Drama Publicity. 24 November 2011. Archived from the original on 30 December 2011. Retrieved 2012-07-20.
  6. "Ripper Street characters page". BBC website. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
  7. "Meet the cast of The Secret Agent", Ellie Harrison, Radio Times, London, 17 July 2016'.Retrieved: 18 July 2016.
  8. "Banished cast & characters page". BBC website. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
  9. "The Last Kingdom characters page". BBC website. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
  10. Rachel Cooke "The Road to Coronation Street", New Statesman, 17 September 2010
  11. "Television Express". 17 September 2010.
  12. "Today's TV". 16 September 2010.
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