Paul Shelley

Actor Paul Shelley was born 15 May 1942 in Leeds, Yorkshire, England.

Paul trained at RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art) [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Academy_of_Dramatic_Art] and has made a highly acclaimed theatre career, mainly as a classical actor. He has worked extensively with the Royal National Theatre [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_National_Theatre] and the Royal Shakespeare Company [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Shakespeare_Company] and has appeared in several West End productions.

To the TV audience he is possibly best known for his role in the television drama series "Secret Army" [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secret_Army_(TV_series)] ] as Major Nicholas Bradley, but fans of the science fiction series "Doctor Who" [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_who] will remember his performance as Persuasion in the 1982 serial Four to Doomsday. Other TV credits include: "Special Branch", "Blake's 7" [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blakes_7] , "Inspector Morse" [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inspector_Morse] , "Paradise Postponed" based on book by John Mortimer [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Mortimer] (audiobook-recorded by Paul Shelley as well ) and its sequel "Titmuss Regained" (also audiobook), "A Tale of Two Cities" [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0421465] ] , "The Fourth Arm" [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0196245] , "Revelations", "Heartbeat" [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heartbeat_%28TV_series%29] and "Crossroads" [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossroads_(TV_series)] .

Films include: "Oh, What a Lovely War!" [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt64754] , "It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet" [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079353] , Polanski's "Macbeth" [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067372] and "God's Outlaw" [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091126]

Paul has just finished playing Duncan in Rupert Goold’s [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rupert_Goold] sensational production of "Macbeth" (“the Macbeth of a lifetime” according to critics) which after its sell out runs at Chichester Festival Theatre [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chichester_Festival_Theatre] in summer 2007 was transferred to West End last autumn and then to New York. During the Chichester season 2007 Paul also made a memorable performance as Sir Toby Belch in "Twelfth Night".

Other notable roles are: At Shakespeare’s Globe: "Julius Caesar" (title), Antony in "Antony and Cleopatra", three Tom Stoppard [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Stoppard] plays (West End ): "The invention of love" (Oscar Wilde), "Arcadia" (Bernard), "The real thing" (Henry), at Royal National Theatre: "Secret Rapture" (Tom French), "Hedda Gabler" (Tesman), "The Crucible" (Hale), "Lady in the dark" (Kendal), at Royal Shakespeare Company: "Romeo and Juliet" (Tybalt), "King Lear" (Edmund), "The Winter’s tale" (Leontes), "Troilus and Cressida" (Achilles), "Les liaisons dangereuses" (Valmont). Paul has also often worked at the "Orange Tree Theatre" [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orange_Tree_Theatre] in Richmond, as an actor and director, on such plays as "Uncle Vanya" and "King Lear". At Fortune Theatre and for nine months Paul played Arthur Kipps in the thriller "The woman in black" (2006/07).

Paul played Elyot Chase in Noël Coward’s [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noel_Coward] "Private Lives" [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Private_Lives] at York Theatre Royal [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/York_Theatre_Royal] some years ago and has now returned to York to direct Robert Bolt’s [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Bolt] "A man for all seasons" [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Man_For_All_Seasons] , running 7 – 28 June 2008. Paul played the Duke of Norfolk in "A man for all seasons", on tour and at Haymarket [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haymarket_Theatre] in 2005/2006.

Paul has toured and taught at various universities in the USA.

He is also a well-known and much appreciated audiobook narrator and has recorded some 30 audiobooks, among them John Fowles’ [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Fowles] "The French Lieutenant’s Woman", Kingsley Amis’ [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingsley_Amis] "Lucky Jim", several of Robert Goddard’s [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Goddard_(novelist)] novels, Nicholas Crane’s [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_Crane] "Two degrees west" and "Staying on" by Paul Scott [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Scott] . He has been called “the best reader there is” and has three times won the Audiofile Earphones Award.

Paul is married to actress Paula Stockbridge and has two sons from his previous marriage.

External links

*imdb name|id=0791221|name=Paul Shelley