Donald Burton

Donald Graham Burton (10 February 1934 – 8 December 2007) was an English theatre and television actor. Burton was the husband of actress Carroll Baker. --- Donald was born in Norwich, England, on 10 February 1934. He attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts on a scholarship. He worked was an Associate Artiste of the Royal Shakespeare Company for many years. He appeared in such famous Shakespeare plays as The Wars of the Roses and Henry IV, Part 1 and 2. He played the character of the Duke of Exeter in the whole series of the 8 Shakespeare 'History' plays which were performed at the R.S.C. in 1964. In 1965 he appeared in the outstandingly successful RSC production of Gogol's The Government Inspector at the Aldwych Theatre, London, with Paul Scofield, Eric Porter, Paul Rogers, Stanley Lebor, Bruce Condell and other outstanding Shakespearian actors of the period. Burton's television roles included Warship, The Duchess of Duke Street; The Doombolt Chase; Upstairs, Downstairs, Public Eye, Minder (Gunfight at the O.K. Laundrette) and Fraud Squad. His more contemporary theatre roles included How the Other Half Loves and Educating Rita. He would have been best known amongst the British public for his role as Commander Mark Nialls, captain of the fictional HMS Hero in the BBC television drama Warship.