Jeffery Kissoon Explained

Jeffery Kissoon
Birth Date:1947 9, df=yes
Birth Place:Trinidad, British Windward Islands
Education:Christopher Wren School
Occupation:Actor
theatre director
Years Active:1970–present
Awards:Peloponnesian International Film Festival Best Lead Actor Award (2012)
Organization:Royal Shakespeare Company
Royal National Theatre
Citizens Theatre Company
Boards:Shared Experience

Jeffery Kissoon (born 4 September 1947) is an actor with credits in British theatre, television, film and radio. He has performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company at venues such as the Royal National Theatre, under directors including Peter Brook, Peter Hall, Robert Lepage, Janet Suzman, Calixto Bieito and Nicholas Hytner.[1] He has acted in genres from Shakespeare and modern theatre to television drama and science fiction, playing a range of both leading and supporting roles, from Mark Antony in Antony and Cleopatra and Prospero and Caliban in The Tempest, to Malcolm X in The Meeting and Mr Kennedy in the children's TV series Grange Hill.

A regular director of theatre, Kissoon is a member of the board of directors of the Shared Experience company and the Warehouse Theatre in Croydon, London. He has tutored younger actors, writers and directors, and values the rehearsal process.[2] He played the lead role in the Mark Norfolk film Ham and the Piper (2012), and also directed Norfolk's theatre productions Knock Down Ginger, staged in 2003, Naked Soldiers, 2010 and Where the Flowers Grow, 2011, at the Warehouse Theatre.[3] He reprised his role as Antony in Suzman's production of Antony and Cleopatra, appearing opposite Kim Cattrall as Cleopatra, at the Liverpool Playhouse in 2010.[4] [5]

Notes and References

  1. Adrian Hamilton, The Independent, 20 August 2005.
  2. http://www.sharedexperience.org.uk/media/education/orestes_edpack.pdf Shared Experience Education Pack.
  3. Web site: by at - - London UK - more on OffWestEnd.com - Listings and showtimes for over 80 Off West End theatres in London UK . Offwestend.com . 2016-12-21.
  4. http://www.everymanplayhouse.com/News/Kim_Cattrall_and_Jeffery_Kissoon_in_Antony_and_Cleopatra/110.aspx Kim Cattrall and Jeffery Kissoon in Antony and Cleopatra
  5. Terri Paddock, "Kim Cattrall, Jeffrey Kissoon to Star in Antony and Cleopatra at Liverpool Playhouse", Theater Mania, 30 April 2010.
  6. BWW News Desk, "Cattrall & Kissoon Confirmed for ANTHONY & CLEOPATRA in Liverpool, 10/8-11/13", Broadwayworld.com, 30 April 2012.
  7. Mark Shenton, "Kim Cattrall Confirmed to Play Cleopatra in Liverpool; Dates Announced", Playbill.com, 30 April 2010.
  8. http://www.w12newera.org.uk/memories.html Memories of White City.
  9. http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/263339 British Film Institute Film and Television Database.
  10. Web site: Welcome to nginx . 2010-04-14 . dmy-all . 25 December 2012 . https://archive.today/20121225183907/http://laurancerudic.wordpress.com/giles-havergals-glasgow-citizens-theatre-company/the-citz-season-1972-73/ . dead .
  11. http://www.hunwicks.ndo.co.uk/page167.html Michael Pennington's website.
  12. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0457436/ Jeffery Kissoon
  13. https://archive.today/20120910011136/http://www.space1999.net/catacombs/main/crguide/vcb.html Catacombs Credit Guide.
  14. Frank Rich, New York Times, October 1987.
  15. Michael Billington in The Guardian, 20 December 2000.
  16. Web site: Oedipus . Alanhoward.org.uk . 2016-12-21.
  17. Michael Coveney, "Alan Howard was not immune to the curse of Thebes. He fell off the stage and broke his wrist", The Observer, 8 September 1996.
  18. https://www.bbc.co.uk/london/entertainment/theatre/wrongplace_diary.shtml BBC London.
  19. Web site: Sylvester Williams. IMDb.
  20. Web site: Ham & the Piper. IMDb. 7 April 2013.
  21. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0457436/ Internet Movie Database (IMDb)
  22. Web site: Ham & the Piper (2012) | BFI. https://web.archive.org/web/20200617193959/https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/5a78f8998c8cf. dead. 17 June 2020.
  23. Web site: Howard. Loxton . Where the Flowers Grow . British Theatre Guide . 2011 . 28 March 2022.
  24. http://www.everymanplayhouse.com/Show/Antony_and_Cleopatra/120/Info.aspx Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse.
  25. News: Theatre: Hamlet at Watford Palace Theatre. Marlowe. Sam. The Sunday Times. 16 September 2016.
  26. Web site: Black Theatre Live.
  27. Web site: Theatre review: Dare to do (The Bear Maxim) at the Space. British Theatre Guide.
  28. Web site: Review of Dare to do (The Bear Maxim) at the Space. Chris. Omaweng. LondonTheatre1. 31 May 2018.
  29. Web site: Seven Dials Playhouse presenting world-class theatre.
  30. http://www.comedy.co.uk/guide/radio/rudys_rare_records/ Rudy's Rare Records
  31. http://www.ahds.rhul.ac.uk/ahdscollections/docroot/shakespeare/performancedetails.do?performanceId=11483 AHDS Performing Arts.
  32. http://www.randomhouse.com/modernlibrary/rsc/histories.html Random House Modern Library RSC Stagings History.
  33. http://www.phyllis.demon.co.uk/theatricalia/08plays/plays7079.htm Rob Wilton: Theatricalia, 1970–1979.
  34. http://calm.shakespeare.org.uk/dserve/dserve.exe?dsqIni=Dserve.ini&dsqApp=Archive&dsqCmd=Show.tcl&dsqDb=Roles&dsqSearch=(Name=='Kissoon,%20Jeffery')&dsqPos=3 RSC Archive Catalogue.
  35. http://www.royalexchange.co.uk/history/index.htm "17 Sept – 24 Oct 1981, Dr Faustus"
  36. Web site: Library Services - Information Services - University of Kent . Library.kent.ac.uk . 2016-12-14 . 2016-12-21.
  37. Web site: Welcome to nginx . 2010-04-14 . dmy-all . 9 July 2012 . https://archive.today/20120709144309/http://laurancerudic.wordpress.com/giles-havergals-glasgow-citizens-theatre-company/the-citz-season-1983-84/ . dead .
  38. http://www.warehousetheatre.co.uk/warehouse%20theatre%20history.html History of the theatre 1977–2005.
  39. http://www.rscshakespeare.co.uk/troilusAndCressida.html "The Tragedy of Troilus and Cressida"
  40. http://www.vam.ac.uk/vastatic/theatre/archives/ttcf.html Victoria and Albert Museum Catalogue.
  41. http://ahds.ac.uk/ahdscollections/docroot/shakespeare/performancedetails.do?performanceId=11604 AHDS Performing Arts Database.
  42. http://www.kimdambaek.dk/?THEATRE:GALLERY Gallery, Kim Dambaek website.
  43. http://www.talawa.com/productions/antonyandcleopatra/index.html Talawa Theatre Company Website.
  44. Sheridan Morley, "The Trinidad Follies", The New York Times, 24 July 1991.
  45. http://www.canadianshakespeares.ca/Production_Shakespeare/SearchPublicShowPlay.cfm?PlayID=400 Canadian Adaptations of Shakespeare Project.
  46. http://estage.org.uk/pages.php?pid=1&sid=8&cid=15&paid=114 "Interview: Jeffrey Kissoon on playing Oberon"
  47. http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/cs/Satellite?c=Page&childpagename=Lib-Central-Information-Services%2FPageLayout&cid=1223092632787&pagename=BCC%2FCommon%2FWrapper%2FWrapper Othello, Birmingham City Council.
  48. Web site: Shakespeare Birthplace Trust . www.shakespeare.org.uk . 17 January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20060127000614/http://www.shakespeare.org.uk/content/view/234/234/ . 27 January 2006 . dead.
  49. http://www.rscshakespeare.co.uk/juliusCaesar.html "The Tragedy of Julius Caesar"
  50. Irving Wardle, "THEATRE / The best little whorehouse in Dublin", The Independent on Sunday, 18 September 1994.
  51. http://www.complicite.org/productions/detail.html?id=10 Complicite website.
  52. http://theater.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html?html_title=&tols_title=LIFE%2BIS%2BA%2BDREAM%2B(PLAY)&pdate=19991014&byline=By%2BBEN%2BBRANTLEY&id=1077011430574 Ben Brantley for The New York Times
  53. http://www.warehousetheatre.co.uk/ipfhistory.html International Playwriting Festival history
  54. Kate Bassett, "Chekhov plays away", The Telegraph, 14 March 2000.
  55. Karen Peterson, University of Wales for Shaksper, The Global Electronic Shakespeare Conference.
  56. http://www.warehousetheatre.co.uk/history.html Warehouse Theatre Website.
  57. Michael Billington, "Nathan the Wise" (review), The Guardian, 3 May 2003.
  58. Terry Grimley, "Culture..."Birmingham Post & Mail, 2003.
  59. Michael Billington, "Fix Up" (review), The Guardian, 17 December 2004.
  60. http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/?lid=9853&dspl=reviews Fix Up reviews
  61. https://archive.today/20120721185554/http://search.ft.com/search?queryText=David+Pang FT.com, "The Bitter Sweet Refrain of Life's Transience"
  62. Philip Fisher, "Tamburlaine" (review), British Theatre Guide, 2005.
  63. Michael Coveney for FirstPost, November 2006.
  64. Web site: Vassa's Legacy. Equiano's World. 24 May 2022.
  65. http://www.nitrobeat.co.uk/projects/african-cargo/ "An African Cargo"
  66. https://web.archive.org/web/20180923163407/http://bbcattic.org/africabeyond/events/200710/ "Intro to Nitro: An African Cargo"
  67. Rhoda Koeni, "War and Peace, Hampstead Theatre, London", The Independent, 16 April 2008.
  68. http://www.amazonia-london.com/index.php?pid=66 Amazonia Website.
  69. http://www.warehousetheatre.co.uk/history.html Warehouse Theatre.
  70. http://www.suttonelms.org.uk/greeks.html Greeks: Radio Plays.
  71. https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/rudysrarerecords/pip/jtkyx/ Rudy's Rare Records
  72. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00fh20m "Tamburlaine: Shadow of God by John Fletcher"
  73. http://www.imagedissectors.com/audiontube/episode.php?q=8242 The City Speaks 1/2 (Pushing By/I Am Not You Are Not Me/Broken Chain)
  74. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00rd55d "Gone by Debbie Tucker Green"
  75. http://www.britfilms.com/britishfilms/catalogue/browse/?id=D5D44D521d71c27D95lUp29AA3D2 British Council Britfilms Catalogue.
  76. http://www.stripedentertainment.com/?page_id=410 Ham and the Piper, Drama.
  77. Catherine Jones, "Sex And The City's Kim Cattrall to make Liverpool stage debut as Cleopatra", Liverpool Echo, 30 April 2010.[5] [6] [7]

    Early life and career

    Born in Trinidad, British Windward Islands (now Trinidad and Tobago) Kissoon, of Dougla heritage, emigrated to London with his parents at an early age. While attending the Christopher Wren School in Shepherd's Bush,[8] he joined the student drama group. In 1970, under Robert Tanitch and Eric Rickman, he made his first appearance as an actor in the film Like You, Like Me,[9] an inter-racial romance.

    Although he trained as a drama teacher, Kissoon has worked as an actor since the early 1970s. In 1972, he joined the Glasgow Citizens Theatre Company and, for two years thereafter, played leading roles in a number of productions, including Christopher Marlowe's Tamburlaine The Great and Bertolt Brecht's Threepenny Opera.[10] During this period, he worked with director Keith Hack, who cast him as Tamburlaine for the 1972 Edinburgh Festival, and as Caliban for the Royal Shakespeare Company's 1974 production of The Tempest at The Other Place in Stratford-upon-Avon.[11] Kissoon had his first prominent television role playing Sam in Beryl's Lot for Yorkshire Television (in 1975),[12] after which he played PC Robbins in an episode of Z-Cars and Sonny in a BBC Play for Today titled "Rocky Marciano is Dead" (both in 1976). He portrayed Dr. Ben Vincent in seven episodes of Gerry Anderson's science-fiction series Space 1999 between 1976 and 1977.[13]

    In 1985, Kissoon played Karna in Peter Brook's nine-hour stage adaptation of The Mahabharata.[14] The three-year project opened at the Festival d'Avignon in France and completed a world tour, ultimately leading to a film adaptation running to six hours. It also resulted in a lasting professional association between Kissoon and Brook, which witnessed Kissoon play two roles in the director's production of Shakespeare's Hamlet.[15] Kissoon is a veteran cast member of both RSC and Royal National Theatre productions, regularly collaborating with director Sir Peter Hall.[16] [17] In 2002, he participated in a rehearsed reading of Wrong Place at the Soho Theatre,[18] continuing his association with playwright Mark Norfolk whose play ″Knock Down Ginger″ he later directed at the Warehouse Theatre the following year. The play starred former EastEnders actors Judith Jacob, Sylvester Williams [19] and marked the stage debut of Troy Glasgow.

    Kissoon's more recent screen and stage credits include W1A (TV series) (BBC, 2017), , EastEnders (BBC, 2015), Julius Caesar (Royal Shakespeare Company), Ham & The Piper (Mark Norfolk, 2013)[20] Dirty Pretty Things (Stephen Frears, 2002), Crossing Bridges (Mark Norfolk, 2006), Holby City (BBC, 2006), Casualty (BBC, 2008), War and Peace (Hampstead Theatre, 2008), Amazonia (Old Vic, 2009) and The Meeting (Warehouse Theatre, 2009).[21] He played the lead role in Norfolk's film Ham and the Piper (2013),[22] for which he won the Best Lead Actor Award at the 2012 Peloponnesian International Film Festival, after having directed Ewart James Walters, Elisabeth Dahl and Adam Sopp in Norfolk's play Naked Soldiers at the Warehouse Theatre the previous year. He later won a Best Actor at the Eko International Film Festival, Nigeria for his performance in Ham & The Piper. In 2011, Kissoon directed Norfolk's Where the Flowers Grow, again at the Warehouse Theatre.[23] Kissoon reprised his Mark Antony, opposite Kim Cattrall's Cleopatra, in a production of Antony and Cleopatra, directed by Janet Suzman and performed at the Liverpool Playhouse, in October 2010.[24] This was followed by Waiting For Godot at the West Yorkshire Playhouse (co-starring Patrick Robinson) and the RSC's production of Julius Caesar (in the title role). In 2016 Kissoon featured in the Unicorn Theatre's My Father, Odysseus written by Timberlake Wertenbaker and later directed a stunning Hamlet [25] in a contemporary adaptation by Mark Norfolk. The Egyptian-themed production for Black Theatre Live[26] toured nationally in the UK and was noted for its narrative clarity as well as being the first all black company of Shakespeare's tragedy in Britain, including an all black creative team. Kissoon utilised the ancient African martial art form, Ka Zimba during rehearsals, employing professional drumming and movement practitioners to explore how the breath and the natural spirit combine to conjure up character. He and writer, Norfolk maintained their collaboration in 2018 with Kissoon directing Norfolk's play about the world of finance, Dare To Do (The Bear Maxim) [27] [28] for Ka Zimba Theatre at the Space. Rehearsals took place in Notting Hill as a way of engaging with a traumatised community after the recent Grenfell Fire tragedy and they later teamed up again, producing staged readings of edgy new plays at the Muse Gallery & Performance Space in Notting Hill, London, including plays such as The Misclarification of Sulieman Dewani and short plays Dinner With Bono by Mark Norfolk based on the short story by Jackee Butesta Batanda and Birdbath by Leonard Melfi. In 2019 he also directed Norfolk's post Windrush 3-hander What A' Fe' Yu which performed over three nights at the Actors Centre, Tower Street, London as part of its Johnthreehaw Initiative under the theme of Motherhoods.[29] The cast featured Linda Mathis, Benjamin Cawley and Lenox Kambaba in a narrative that explored family expectations and legacy in contemporary Britain and went on to perform at the Muse Gallery. More recently Kissoon has been appearing as Justice Wainwright on the west end in Agatha Christie's Witness For The Prosecution at County Hall, London.

    Kissoon performed in the BBC Radio 4 sitcom Rudy's Rare Records (2008–12) as Rudy's friend Clifton.[30] He also featured in Norfolk's "Broken Chain", a segment of Radio 4's The City Speaks (2008), which is credited as the first "feature film for radio" produced in collaboration with Film London and Arts Council England.

    In 2001, Kissoon joined the cast of the BBC soap opera, EastEnders, in which he played a friend of Patrick Trueman (Rudolph Walker). In 2015, Kissoon returned to EastEnders, this time playing the part of Judge Anthony Abego who oversees Max Branning's (Jake Wood) murder trial. A year later, he reprised his role of the judge, this time overseeing the murder trial of the killers of Paul Coker (Jonny Labey).

    Work

    Theatre

    Radio

    Film

    Television

    External links