David Ryall

David Ryall (born 5 January 1935) is an English character actor, who has appeared on British television since the 1970s. He has had leading roles in Lytton's Diary and Goodnight Sweetheart, as well as memorable roles in Dennis Potter's The Singing Detective and Andrew Davies's adaptation of To Play the King and The Final Cut, the final two parts in the House of Cards trilogy. --- He received a scholarship to RADA in 1962, during which time he won the Caryl Brahams Award for a Musical. On leaving RADA, he went into repertory work in Salisbury, Bristol, Leicester and Birmingham (including King Lear and The Master Builder) and then into Laurence Olivier's company with the National Theatre at the Old Vic from 1965-73. During this time he was involved with many new and influential plays, including Tom Stoppard's Jumpers and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, The Royal Hunt of the Sun and Tyger. Other, particularly notable, work at the National Theatre includes Guys and Dolls, The Beggar's Opera, Coriolanus and Animal Farm (for which he won the Clarence Derwent Award in 1985), The School for Wives, Wild Oats, Democracy and The UN Inspector. In 1983 he worked on 'A Matter of the Officers' and Jean Seberg with Julian Barry who, despite Ryall missing the press night of the latter due to misjudging a step from a lift onto the stage and breaking his ankle during a blackout, remains a lifelong friend. In 1984 Ryall performed a one man show of stories and poems by Edward Bond at the NT, entitled A Leap in the Light. --- Ryall has one son and two daughters: Jonathan Ryall (born 1966), who was the manager of the Australian band Glide; Imogen Ryall (born 1967), who is a singer and works consistently with the pianist Rod Hart; and Charlotte Ryall (born 1986), who is also an actor.