Richard McCabe

Richard McCabe is a Scots-born actor from Glasgow (his mother was French) and educated at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) where he won several awards. He grew up in Sussex following the early death of his father and his mother's re-marriage. His love of music and acting were an escape from his step-father.

Although he has appeared in several high-profile films including "The Duchess" (2008) "Master and Commander", "The Constant Gardener", "Notting Hill" and the BBC "Jane Eyre" (2007), McCabe is primarily a classical actor and an Associate Artist of the Royal Shakespeare Company since 1997. He is also an accomplished musician and composer, and plays various keyboards including the piano and the accordian. He was a member of Ten Pole Tudor in 1980's, before their chart topping success with 'Swords of a Thousand Men', and always intended to be a musician rather than an actor.

His greatest successes have come from his regular performances in leading roles for the Royal Shakespeare Company, notably his Iago in "Othello", directed by Michael Attenborough in 1999, and his "King John" for the 2006 production directed by Josie Rourke. His roles at the Royal National Theatre have included Ford in "Merry Wives of Windsor" (Terry Hands 1995), Plotwell in Sheridan's "The Way of the World" and Herald/narrator in "Marat/Sade".

His fine Hamlet for Birmingham Rep. (Bill Alexander, 1998) was revived for a national UK tour in 2000 and featured at the Elsinore Hamlet Festival at Elsinore Castle in 2001.

McCabe has also performed classical roles in many of Great Britain's major playhouses such as the Sheffield Crucible, Bolton Octagon, Plymouth Theatre Royal, Leeds Playhouse, Birmingham Rep, Manchester Royal Exchange. In 2006 he played the title role in Moliere's ''Scapino" at Chichester Festival. His first success with the RSC which brought him to the notice of both the critics and the public was as Puck in John Caird's anarchic "Midsummer Night's Dream" in 1989. Other roles followed including Autolycus in "The Winter's Tale" (Adrian Noble, 1992) and nominated for an Olivier award as Best Supporting Actor in a Revival; Tranio in "The Taming of the Shrew" (Bill Alexander, 1992), Christopher Marlowe in Peter Whelan's "School of Night" (1992); Flamineo in Webster's "The White Devil" (Deborah Warner, 1997), and Thersites in "Troilus and Cressida" (Ian Judge, 1997).

McCabe has also played some distinguished roles in radio plays and also Caliban ("The Tempest") and Edgar ("King Lear") for Shakespeare audio tapes series, the latter with Paul Scofield as Lear.

McCabe has recently appeared in an episode of Midsomer Murders entitled "Four Funerals and a Wedding" and in "Lewis", broadcast in March 2008. From April 2008 he will be filming a part in "Wallander" on location in Sweden.

External links

* [http://www.rsc.org.uk/newsandevents/events/2201.aspx Royal Shakespeare Company]
* [http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/stratfordians/stmccric.htm A Dictionary of the Royal Shakespeare Company by Simon Trowbridge]
* [http://www.cft.org.uk/cft-productions_talents.asp?tid=86 Chichester Festival Theatre]
* [http://www.rsc.org.uk/picturesandexhibitions/action/viewExhibition?typeid=themes&exhibitionid=9&sectionid=2 Iago in RSC Othello ]
* [http://www.rsc.org.uk/searcharchives/item/image_zoom.jsp?item_id=5351&zoom=2 Puck in RSC A Midsummer's Night Dream]