Blake Adam Ritson (born 14 January 1978) is an English actor and director.
Early life
Blake was born on 14, June, 1978 in London and attended the
Dolphin School in Reading, Berkshire until 1993, before going to
St Paul's School in
West London
West London is the western part of London, England, north of the River Thames, west of the City of London, and extending to the Greater London boundary.
The term is used to differentiate the area from the other parts of London: North London ...
on an academic scholarship. He then attended
Jesus College, Cambridge
Jesus College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's full name is The College of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint John the Evangelist and the glorious Virgin Saint Radegund, near Cambridge. Its common name comes fr ...
, where he studied English and Medieval Italian, graduating in 2000.
While a student he acted on both stage and screen,
playing Paul Etheridge in ''White Chameleon'',
Fleance
Fleance (also spelled Fléance, ) is a figure in legendary Scottish history. He was depicted by 16th-century historians as the son of Lord Banquo, Thane of Lochaber, and the ancestor of the kings of the House of Stuart. Fleance is best known a ...
in ''Macbeth'', and Augustus in
Tom Stoppard
Sir Tom Stoppard (born , 3 July 1937) is a Czech born British playwright and screenwriter. He has written for film, radio, stage, and television, finding prominence with plays. His work covers the themes of human rights, censorship, and politi ...
's ''Arcadia'' (1996) at the National Theatre in productions directed by
Richard Eyre
Sir Richard Charles Hastings Eyre (born 28 March 1943) is an English film, theatre, television and opera director.
Biography
Eyre was born in Barnstaple, Devon, England, the son of Richard Galfridus Hastings Giles Eyre and his wife, Minna Ma ...
and
Trevor Nunn
Sir Trevor Robert Nunn (born 14 January 1940) is a British theatre director. He has been the Artistic Director for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal National Theatre, and, currently, the Theatre Royal, Haymarket. He has directed dramas f ...
.
Career
Ritson is best known in recent years for playing King Edward III in the TV miniseries ''
World Without End'' (2012), the Duke of Kent in
''Upstairs Downstairs'' (2010–2012), Mr Elton in the
2009 BBC adaptation of ''Emma'', Edmund Bertram in the
2007 ITV adaptation of ''Mansfield Park'', Giles Vicary in the BBC series ''
Red Cap'' and for portraying sidekick Robert Presley in ''
A Touch of Frost
A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes'' ...
''. He also played the part of Justin in ''
The League of Gentlemen
''The League of Gentlemen'' is a surreal British comedy horror sitcom that premiered on BBC Two in 1999. The programme is set in Royston Vasey, a fictional town in northern England, originally based on Alston, Cumbria, and follows the lives o ...
'', Idek in ''
God on Trial
''God on Trial'' is a 2008 British television play written by Frank Cottrell-Boyce, starring Antony Sher, Rupert Graves and Jack Shepherd. The play takes place in Auschwitz during World War II. The Jewish prisoners put God on trial ''in abse ...
'', and the comic lead in ''
For Elsie'', an Oscar-winning short film, which he also co-produced. He also portrayed the main antagonist in David Goyer’s ''
Da Vinci’s Demons'' (2013).
In 2013, Ritson appeared as Colonel Brandon in
Helen Edmundson's
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
adaptation of ''
Sense and Sensibility
''Sense and Sensibility'' is a novel by Jane Austen, published in 1811. It was published anonymously; ''By A Lady'' appears on the title page where the author's name might have been. It tells the story of the Dashwood sisters, Elinor (age 19) a ...
''. in 2020, he starred in the
Big Finish reboot of cult adventure series ''
Adam Adamant Lives!
''Adam Adamant Lives!'' is a British adventure television series that ran from 1966 to 1967 on BBC 1, starring Gerald Harper in the title role. The series was created and produced by several alumni from ''Doctor Who''. Proposing that an adventur ...
''. He had lent his voice to several other productions for the company.
In 2022, Ritson starred as Oscar Van Rijn in ''
The Gilded Age'' on
HBO
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...
.
As director
Ritson writes and directs with his brother, Dylan. The brothers first directed the short film ''
Out of Time''. Starring
Mark Heap
Mark Heap (born 13 May 1957) is an English actor and comedian. He is known for his roles in television comedies, including, ''Brass Eye'', ''Big Train'', ''Spaced'', ''Jam (TV series), Jam'', ''Green Wing'', ''Friday Night Dinner'', ''Upstart ...
and
Raquel Cassidy
Raquel Cassidy is an English actress. She played the role of Phyllis Baxter in the television series ''Downton Abbey'' (2013–2015), winning a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series. She has re ...
, the film won the Global Audience Award at the first
CON-CAN Movie Festival and was runner up at Minimalen and the Berlin Film Festival. It also screened at the London, São Paulo and Dresden film festivals. Their second short film, ''More More More'', starring The League of Gentlemen's
Mark Gatiss
Mark Gatiss (; born 17 October 1966) is an English actor, comedian, screenwriter, director, producer and novelist. His work includes writing for and acting in the television series ''Doctor Who'', '' Sherlock'', and '' Dracula''. Together with ...
, was a runner-up in the Turner Classic Movies Competition. Their third film, shot in 2009, was entitled ''Love Hate'', and starred
Ben Whishaw
Benjamin John Whishaw (born 14 October 1980) is an English actor and producer. After winning a British Independent Film Award for his performance in ''My Brother Tom'' (2001), he was nominated for an Olivier Award for his portrayal of the titl ...
and
Hayley Atwell
Hayley Elizabeth Atwell (born 5 April 1982) is a British and American actress. Born and raised in London, Atwell studied acting at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and made her stage debut in a 2005 production of James Kerr's translation ...
. It was chosen for the
Edinburgh International Film Festival
The Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) is a film festival that runs for two weeks in June each year. Established in 1947, it is the world's oldest continually running film festival. EIFF presents both UK and international films (all ti ...
, Palm Springs Film Festival, London BFI Film Festival, Edinburgh International Film Festival, Foyle, Omaha, Encounters,
Berkshire International Film Festival, Sofia Film Fest (Bulgaria),
Tofifest
The TOFIFEST International Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Toruń, Poland.
It is one of the fastest growing film festivals in Poland and the mission of the Festival is to promote independent cinema. The festival comb ...
International Film Festival (Poland), West Hollywood International, LA Shorts Fest and Short Shorts Film Festival (Japan). It won the Jury Award at Palm Springs International Shortsfest and won the Best International Short award at Cinema St. Louis Film Festival.
The Ritson brothers have also shot a fourth short film, ''Good Boy'', starring
Jessica Hynes
Tallulah Jessica Elina Hynes (''née'' Stevenson; born 30 October 1972) is an English actress, director and writer. Known professionally as Jessica Stevenson until 2007, she was one of the creators, writers and stars of the British sitcom ''Spac ...
(née Stevenson),
Reece Shearsmith
Reeson Wayne "Reece" Shearsmith (born 27 August 1969) is an English actor, writer and comedian. He is best known for being a member of ''The League of Gentlemen'', alongside Steve Pemberton, Mark Gatiss, and Jeremy Dyson. With Pemberton, he lat ...
,
Nicholas Burns,
Joanna Page
Joanna Louise Page (born 23 March 1977) is a Welsh actress and presenter. She appeared as Stacey Shipman in the BAFTA-winning television series ''Gavin & Stacey''. She played Dora Spenlow in the 1999 adaptation of ''David Copperfield'', and f ...
and Blake Ritson's fiancée
Hattie Morahan
Harriet Jane Morahan (born 7 October 1978) is an English actress. Her roles include Sister Clara in The Golden Compass (film), ''The Golden Compass'' (2007), Gale Benson in ''The Bank Job'' (2008), Alice in ''The Bletchley Circle'' (2012–2014 ...
.
The Ritson Brothers were selected for the front cover of
Screen International
''Screen International'' is a British film magazine covering the international film business. It is published by Media Business Insight, a British B2B media company.
The magazine is primarily aimed at those involved in the global film business. ...
's ''Stars of Tomorrow 2009''.
Personal life
Ritson is engaged to actress
Hattie Morahan
Harriet Jane Morahan (born 7 October 1978) is an English actress. Her roles include Sister Clara in The Golden Compass (film), ''The Golden Compass'' (2007), Gale Benson in ''The Bank Job'' (2008), Alice in ''The Bletchley Circle'' (2012–2014 ...
, whom he met at Cambridge University. They have a daughter, Amity, born in August 2016 and are living in North London. Ritson is the brother of Dylan Ritson, with whom he directs and writes.
Ritson played the
banjolele
The banjo ukulele, also known as the banjolele or banjo uke, is a four-stringed musical instrument with a small banjo-type body and a fretted ukulele neck. The earliest known banjoleles were built by John A. Bolander and by Alvin D. Keech, both ...
on
Douglas Hodge
Douglas Hodge is an English actor, director, and musician who has had an extensive career in theatre, as well as television and film where he has appeared in '' Robin Hood'' (2010), '' Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return'' and '' Diana'' (2013), '' ...
's 2006 album ''Cowley Road Songs'',
which was recorded in four days at the Blue Moon Studios in Banbury. He describes the banjolele as "a hybrid instrument between a ukulele and a banjo; teamed up with the gazoo it’s a winning combination."
Filmography
Stage
* ''
Rope
A rope is a group of yarns, plies, fibres, or strands that are twisted or braided together into a larger and stronger form. Ropes have tensile strength and so can be used for dragging and lifting. Rope is thicker and stronger than similarly ...
'' – Brandon (Almeida, dir. Roger Michell)
* ''Tender'' – (Donmar Warehouse, dir. Seth Sklar-Heyn)
* ''Violet'' – Mio (Royal Court, dir. Indu Rubasingham)
* ''Love Is Blind'' – Manolito Trevelez (Royal Court, dir. Nathalie Abrahami)
''The Importance of Being Earnest''– Jack Worthing (ADC Theatre, 1999, dir. Phillip Breen)
* ''
Arcadia
Arcadia may refer to:
Places Australia
* Arcadia, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney
* Arcadia, Queensland
* Arcadia, Victoria
Greece
* Arcadia (region), a region in the central Peloponnese
* Arcadia (regional unit), a modern administrative un ...
'' – Septimus (Bristol Old Vic, dir. Rachel Kavanaugh)
* ''HappyTime Park'' – Xavier (Riverside Studios, devised and dir. Dylan Ritson)
* ''
In Praise of Love'' – Joey (Theatre Royal Bath, dir. Deborah Bruce)
* ''
Arcadia
Arcadia may refer to:
Places Australia
* Arcadia, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney
* Arcadia, Queensland
* Arcadia, Victoria
Greece
* Arcadia (region), a region in the central Peloponnese
* Arcadia (regional unit), a modern administrative un ...
'' – Augustus (Theatre Royal Haymarket, – National Theatre/
Michael Codron
Sir Michael Victor Codron (born 8 June 1930) is a British theatre producer, known for his productions of the early work of Harold Pinter, Christopher Hampton, David Hare, Simon Gray and Tom Stoppard. He has been honoured with a Laurence Olivi ...
– dir. Trevor Nunn)
* ''
Macbeth
''Macbeth'' (, full title ''The Tragedie of Macbeth'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. It is thought to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those w ...
'' – Fleance (National Theatre, Olivier, dir. Richard Eyre)
* ''White Chameleon'' – Paul Etheridge (National Theatre, Cottesloe, dir. Richard Eyre)
* ''The Luke Files'' – Bartholomew (RT Productions, dir. Paul McKusker)
* ''
Romeo and Juliet
''Romeo and Juliet'' is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetim ...
'' – Benvolio (Immersive, dir. Mark Rosenblatt)
Radio and audio drama
* ''
The War of the Worlds
''The War of the Worlds'' is a science fiction novel by English author H. G. Wells, first serialised in 1897 by ''Pearson's Magazine'' in the UK and by ''Cosmopolitan (magazine), Cosmopolitan'' magazine in the US. The novel's first appear ...
'' – Robert (BBC Radio 4, dir. Marc Beeby)
* ''Publish and be Damn'd'' – Argyle (BBC Radio 4, Ellen Dryden)
* ''
The Go-Between
''The Go-Between'' is a novel by L. P. Hartley published in 1953. His best-known work, it has been adapted several times for stage and screen. The book gives a critical view of society at the end of the Victorian era through the eyes of a naïv ...
'' – Hugh Trimingham (BBC Radio 3, Matt Thompson)
* ''Gods And Monsters'' – Hurmzid (Big Finish, Ken Bentley)
* ''The Diary of Samuel Pepys'' – Edward Montagu (BBC Radio 4, Kate McAll)
* ''Doctor Who – Foe from the Future'' – Shibac (Big Finish, Ken Bentley)
* ''Freud: The Case Histories: The Wolf Man'' – Sergei Pankejeff (BBC Radio 4, Nadia Molinari)
* ''
Richard II
Richard II (6 January 1367 – ), also known as Richard of Bordeaux, was King of England from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. He was the son of Edward the Black Prince, Prince of Wales, and Joan, Countess of Kent. Richard's father died ...
'' – Henry Bolingbroke (BBC Radio 4, Jessica Dromgoole and Jeremy Mortimer)
* ''Money'' – Evelyn (BBC Radio 3,
Samuel West
Samuel Alexander Joseph West (born 19 June 1966) is an English actor, narrator and theatre director. He has directed on stage and radio, and worked as an actor across theatre, film, television and radio. He often appears as reciter with orche ...
)
* ''The American Senator'' – John Morton (BBC Radio 4, Tracey Neale)
* ''Poetry Please'' – Various Roles (BBC Radio 4, Christine Hall)
''Death in Genoa''– Dr. Carlo Bazzani (Independent Drama, written Thomas Wright)
* ''The Absolutist'' – Reader (BBC Book at Bedtime, dir. Heather Larmour)
* ''
Saint Joan'' – Charles (BBC Radio 3, dir. Jonquil Panting)
* ''Sunk'' – Bert Selphin (BBC Radio 4, dir. Gemma McMullan)
* ''Leverage'' – David (BBC Radio 4, dir. Sasha Yevtushenko)
* ''
A Month in the Country'' – Moon (BBC Radio 4, dir. David Hunter)
* ''
The Far Pavilions
''The Far Pavilions'' is an epic novel of British-Indian history by M. M. Kaye, published in 1978, which tells the story of an English officer during the British Raj. There are many parallels between this novel and Rudyard Kipling's ''Kim'' th ...
'' – Ash (BBC Radio 4, dir. Jessica Dromgoole and Marc Beeby)
* ''With Great Pleasure'' – Reader (BBC Radio 4, dir. Christine Hall)
* ''The Ordeals of Sherlock Holmes'' – Christopher Thrale (Big Finish, Ken Bentley)
* ''Aunts Aren't Gentlemen'' – Reader (BBC Radio 4, Mark Beeby & Emma Harding)
* ''Billions'' – Mark (BBC Radio 4, Jonquil Panting)
* ''The Barchester Chronicles'' – Crosbie (BBC Radio 4, Gary Brown)
* ''The Shadow of Dorian Gray'' – John Gray (BBC Radio 4, Abigail Le Fleming)
* ''Bonnie Prince Charlie'' – Charles Edward Stuart (BBC Radio 4, Sasha Yevtushenko)
* ''The Trespasser's Guide to the Classics'' – Dorian Gray (BBC Radio 4, Sasha Yevtushenko)
* ''Artist Descending a Staircase'' – Beauchamp (BBC Radio 3, Gordon House)
* ''Two on a Tower'' – Swithin St.Cleeve (BBC Radio 4, dir. Stefan Escreet)
* ''Vincent Price and the Horror of the English Blood Beast'' – (BBC Radio 4, dir. Sam Hoyle)
* ''
The Wings of the Dove
''The Wings of the Dove'' is a 1902 novel by Henry James. It tells the story of Milly Theale, an American heiress stricken with a serious disease, and her effect on the people around her. Some of these people befriend Milly with honourable ...
'' – (BBC Radio 4, dir. Nadia Molinari)
* ''The Killing'' – (BBC Radio 4, dir. Sasha Yevtushenko)
* ''The Man Who Shot the 60s'' – (BBC4, dir. Linda Brusasco)
* ''The Embrace'' – Dan (BBC Radio 4, dir. Nadia Molinari)
* ''
Sense and Sensibility
''Sense and Sensibility'' is a novel by Jane Austen, published in 1811. It was published anonymously; ''By A Lady'' appears on the title page where the author's name might have been. It tells the story of the Dashwood sisters, Elinor (age 19) a ...
'' – Colonel Brandon – (BBC Radio 4, adapted by
Helen Edmundson)
* ''Six Windows of the Muslim World'' – (Crescent Films, dir. Ned Williams)
* ''Adam Adamant Lives! Volume 01: A Vintage Year for Scoundrels '' – Adam Adamant (Big Finish, written by
Guy Adams
Guy Adams (born 6 January 1976) is an English author, comedian, and actor, possibly best known for the novel ''The World House''. Adams is also a regular writer for Big Finish productions, who produce audio plays based on ''Doctor Who'', as we ...
)
*''
The Divine Comedy
The ''Divine Comedy'' ( it, Divina Commedia ) is an Italian narrative poem by Dante Alighieri, begun 1308 and completed in around 1321, shortly before the author's death. It is widely considered the pre-eminent work in Italian literature and ...
'' – Dante the Poet (BBC Radio 4, dir.
Stephen Wyatt
Stephen Wyatt, born 4 February 1948 in Beckenham, Kent (now Greater London), is a British writer for theatre, radio and television.
Early life and education
Wyatt was raised in Ealing, West London. He was educated at Latymer Upper School and ...
)
Video games
*''
Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King'' – Angelo
*''
Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire''
*''
Killzone: Liberation'' – Colonel Cobar
*''
Xenoblade Chronicles
is a series of action role-playing games developed by Monolith Soft and published by Nintendo. It is a part of the '' Xeno'' metaseries created by Tetsuya Takahashi, but was formed after Nintendo's acquisition of Monolith Soft in 2007. The se ...
'' – Alvis
*''
Dark Souls
is a series of action role-playing games created by Hidetaka Miyazaki of FromSoftware and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. The series began with the release of ''Dark Souls'' (2011) and has seen two sequels, ''Dark Souls II'' (2014) a ...
'' – Griggs of Vinheim
*''
Final Fantasy XIV
''Final Fantasy XIV'' is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed and published by Square Enix. Directed and produced by Naoki Yoshida, it was released worldwide for Windows and PlayStation 3 in August 2013, as a rep ...
'' – Aymeric
*''
El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron'' – Enoch
*''
The Last Story
is a Japanese action role-playing game, developed by Mistwalker and AQ Interactive for the Wii video game console. Nintendo published the title in all regions except for North America, where it was published by Xseed Games. Initially released in ...
'' – Jirall, additional voices
*''
Soul Sacrifice'' – Magusar
*''
Dark Souls II
is a 2014 action role-playing game developed by FromSoftware and published by Bandai Namco Games. An entry in the ''Dark Souls'' series, it was released for Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. Taking place in the kingdom of Drangleic, the gam ...
'' – Royal Sorcerer Navlaan
*''
The Order: 1886'' – Additional voices
*''
Dark Souls III
is a 2016 action role-playing game developed by FromSoftware and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows. The third and final entry in the ''Dark Souls'' series, it is played in a Virtual camera system# ...
'' – Hawkwood the Deserter
References
External links
Jane Austen and Performance*
God on Trial: Blake Ritson Plays IdekVoice Overs Blake RitsonThe Big Interview: Blake Ritson, 2009
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ritson, Blake
English male child actors
English film directors
English male stage actors
English male radio actors
English screenwriters
English male screenwriters
English male television actors
English male video game actors
English male voice actors
Living people
English male Shakespearean actors
1980 births
People educated at St Paul's School, London
Alumni of Jesus College, Cambridge