David Rintoul is one of
Britain’s most experienced
actors with over fifty years
in the profession under his belt.
Currently:
Hamlet at Park Avenue Armory, New York
Education
and Training
1953-1966 Robert Gordon’s College, Aberdeen.
1966-1969 Edinburgh University.
While there, directed six plays and acted in thirty for the EUDS. Was not a good student of philosophy. Scraped up an MA by the skin of his teeth.
1969-1971 Scholarship to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.
Joint Stock &
Out Of Joint
Spent eight years during the seventies with the influential new writing company Joint Stock, working with directors William Gaskill and Max Stafford Clark and such writers as David Hare, Howard Brenton, Barrie Keefe and Caryl Churchill in Fanshen, The Speakers, Devil’s Island, A Mad World My Masters, Epsom Downs, An Optimistic Thrust. Later, he worked with Max Stafford Clark and Out of Joint in Andersen’s English and The Big Fella.
Photo: The Speakers, Joint Stock
Royal Shakespeare Company & National Theatre
Royal Shakespeare Company
Prince Hal in Henry IV pts, I and II; Edward III (title role); The Island Princess (winners Olivier award for the season); The American Pilot; Breakfast with Mugabe; Montecelso in The White Devil; The Roaring Girl; The Witch of Edmonton; Keepers of the Flame; Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (with Garsington Opera); Gremio in The Taming of the Shrew.
National Theatre
The World Turned Upside Down, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Demetrius opposite Paul Scofield as Oberon), The Rivals (Falkland), Paris in Giraudoux’s The Trojan War Will Not Take Place directed by Harold Pinter, The Baron de Charlus in Proust’s Remembrance of Things Past, adapted by Di Trevis and Harold Pinter.
Photo: Prince Hal, Henry IV, RSC
Theatre In London
West End
Geilgud: A Map of the Heart, Edward III, The Island Princess / Duchess: Breakfast with Mugabe. / Phoenix: Richard II, Richard III (playing all the other kings; Henry IV, Edward IV and Henry VII opposite Derek Jacobi). / Apollo: Nell Gwynn. / Harold Pinter: Hamlet. / St Martins: The Mousetrap.
Orange Tree Theatre: Absolute Hell, Little Eyolf, Fear Loathing and Misery, Vaclav Havel’s The Conspirators. / Riverside Studios: The Changeling. / Arts Theatre: Candida, A British Subject. / Finborough: Dr Angelus. / Stratford East: Blood Red Roses for John McGrath and 7:84. / Lyric Hammersmith: Boraccio in The White Devil, Aimwell in The Beaux Stratagem, The Prince in Marivaux’s infidelities / The Old Vic: Sir Robert in An Ideal Husband, director Peter Hall / The Royal Court: Sgt. Ola and His Followers, Etta Jenks. / Shakespeare’s Globe: As You Like It (the two Dukes), A Mad World My Masters (Penitent Brothel), Nell Gwynn (Lord Arlington). / Almeida: Hamlet (The Ghost, The Player King). / Menier Chocolate Factory: David Hare’s The Bay At Nice, (director Richard Eyre). / Rose Kingston: Much Ado About Nothing (Leonato).
Photo: The Bay At Nice, Menier Chocolate Factory
credit: Catherine Ashmore
Theatre Outside of London
Worthing: First professional job in Aladdin as a sea monster, a stilt-walking Chinese citizen and the inside of Widow Twankey’s washing machine.
Newcastle: a year with the University Theatre Company; many plays including the title role in Hamlet and Ferdinand in The Tempest.
Chester: Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights.
Edinburgh: Young Lyceum Company- Oberon in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’
Royal Lyceum Company: The Soldiers Fortune, The Miser, The Government Inspector (assistant director to William Gaskill), Gaslight, Claudio in Much Ado About Nothing, Theseus in Phaedra (Theatre Managers Association Best Actor nomination)
Traverse Theatre: The Speculator.
Scottish Theatre Company: four appearances in Ane Satyre of the Thrie Estaites; once as flag carrier, twice as King Humanitie and once as Tom Fleming’s assistant director and Divine Correction.
Ludlow: Macbeth in Macbeth
Bristol Old Vic: John Bull, directed by Roger Rees.
Liverpool Playhouse: The Mysterious Mr Love.
Birmingham Rep: Orlando in As You Like It.
Chichester Festival Theatre: Lord Darlington in Lady Windermere’s Fan, Sir Robert in The Winslow Boy.
Photo: Macbeth, Ludlow Festival
Musicals
RADA: Oklahoma.
Worthing: Lock Up Your Daughters.
Newcastle: The Threepenny Opera.
Sheffield: Funny Girl (Nicky Arnstein opposite Marti Caine as Fanny Brice).
Chichester Minerva: Sondheim’s Putting It Together.
London Palladium: A Night with the Stars
Aldwych: two years as Jake Houseman in the Original London Cast of Dirty Dancing
Also three years in commercial pantomimes: Baron Hardup in Cinderella and Abanazer in Aladdin at HM Theatre, Aberdeen and Abanazer again at The Kings, Edinburgh.
Photo: Aladdin, His Majesty’s Aberdeen
With his wife, Vivien Heilbron
Work Outside The UK
INDIA: Charles Surface in School for Scandal (Greenwich Theatre)
USA: Macbeth in Macbeth (Old Vic)
USA: Peer Gynt in Peer Gynt (University of Illinois)
JAPAN: As You Like It (Tokyo Globe)
ITALY, GERMANY, NETHERLANDS: As an occasional member of the Italian group La Zattere Di Babele, including appearing in their Samuel Beckett compilation “Primo Amore”.
With Actors from the London Stage
(Five actor, full text Shakespeare tours)
USA: Edgar / Edmund in King Lear
USA: Hamlet in Hamlet
EGYPT / TURKEY: Malvolio / Aguecheek in Twelfth Night
INDONESIA / MALAYSIA: Oberon / Lysander in A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Television
Includes leading parts in Weir of Hermiston, The Flight of the Heron, Lord Peter Wimsey, Warship, The Mallens, Prince Regent, The Cherry Orchard, Dialogue in the Dark, Rabbit Pie Day, The Dunroamin’ Rising, Poirot, Taggart, The Inspector Alleyn Mysreries, Hornblower, The Bible, Midsomer Murders.
David played Mr Darcy in the 1980 BBC Pride and Prejudice and the title role in four series of ITV’s Doctor Finlay.
He was The Queen (Olivia Coleman)’s Private Secretary, Sir Michael Adeane, in Series 3 of The Crown (SAG Ensemble Award) and King Aerys II in Game of Thrones.
King Aerys II, Game of Thrones, HBO
Mr Darcy, Pride and Prejudice, BBC
Photo: Sir Michael Adeane, The Crown, Netflix
Film
Legend of the Werewolf (title role opposite Peter Cushing and Ron Moody) Is Anybody There? (with Michael Caine) Ironclad II, Crystal Skulls, My Week with Marylin (with Michelle Williams and Eddie Redmayne), Unrelated (Foreign Critics Award, London Film Festival), Polanski’s The Ghost Writer, The Man with the Iron Heart, The Iron Lady (with Meryl Streep), The Protégé (with Maggie Q, Michael Keating and Samuel L Jackson).
Photo: Title Role, Legend of the Werewolf
Voice
Much for BBC Radio. Has voiced numerous video games and can be heard on many cartoon series, including Captain Pugwash (Cut Throat Jake),Wispa, Mimi’s World, the Big Knights, and Peppa Pig (Doctor Brown Bear, Grandpa Dog and Mr. Bull) as well as the animated features Jungle Beat I and II. David has recorded over 300 audio books.
Photo: Mr Bull, Peppa Pig
Personal Life: Family
David is married to the Emmy-nominated actress Vivien Heilbron, who played Chris Guthrie in the much-admired BBC adaptation of Grassic Gibbon’s great novels Sunset Song, Cloud Howe and Grey Granite. She is an Honorary Fellow of The Shakespeare Institute, Stratford-upon-Avon.
His father was Dr Leslie Wilson, who served as a major in the Chindits, the WW2 special forces in Burma and then founded and ran the geriatric service for Aberdeen and the North East. His mother was Helen Rintoul, a PE teacher with a particular interest in dance and later in remedial work with disabled children. She was a fine horsewoman.
David had to change his name as there already was a David Wilson when he joined Equity so took his mother’s surname.
His sister Dorothy is a retired translator with the European Commission, married to the distinguished French painter Alain Senez. (www.alainsenez.com)
His brother Dougie also works in the theatre as a stage/company manager. He won a quarter of a million pounds on Who Wants to be a Millionaire.
Photo: Aimwell, The Beaux Stratagem
Personal Life: Sport
David captained his school (field) hockey team from goal, played for North of Scotland schoolboys and was an international schoolboy trialist. He kept goal for the Edinburgh University side which won the 1967 Scottish League. (on penalties- his finest hour).
Briefly, he boxed welterweight for the University.
He has ridden horses since childhood and was for ten years a civilian rider for the Blues and Royals Squadron of The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment. He was twice winner of the John Palmer show jumping cup for The Honourable Artillery Company Saddle Club.
Personal Life: Other
Music: a Promenader for several years. Played trombone with the Newcastle Big Band. Was a guest on Michael Barclay’s Private Passions
Bridge: a member of the Andrew Robson Club.
Sailing: windsurfing, dingy and keelboat. International Certificate of Competence for sail and power. Competed in the Scottish Peaks Race.
He founded and ran the RADA ‘Buddy’ (mentoring) scheme, is a patron of The Scoliosis Association UK, The Scottish Youth Theatre and a vice chair of The Actor’s Children’s Trust.