David Lyn Jenkins (30 April 1927 – 4 August 2012), known professionally as David Lyn, was a

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

television, filmFilmography of David Lyn

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery (United Kingdom), National Lot ...

Database and stage actor and director who in his 40 year career was at the forefront in the development of professional

Welsh language Welsh ( or ) is a Celtic language of the Brittonic subgroup that is native to the Welsh people. Welsh is spoken natively in Wales, by some in England, and in Y Wladfa (the Welsh colony in Chubut Province, Argentina). Historically, it has ...

theatre in

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

in the 1960s and 70s and won a BAFTA Cymru award.

Early life

David Lyn Jenkins was born on 30 April 1927 in Porth,

Rhondda Cynon Taf Rhondda Cynon Taf (; RCT; also spelt as Rhondda Cynon Taff) is a county borough in the south-east of Wales. It consists of five valleys: the Rhondda Fawr, Rhondda Fach, Cynon, Taff (Welsh: ''Taf'') and Ely valleys, plus a number of towns and vill ...

, one of three children and the only son of Violet Margaret ''née'' Evans (1904–1992) and David Jenkins (1896–), Theirs was an English-speaking family, although the children picked up the rudiments of the

. Lyn was raised on a

smallholding A smallholding or smallholder is a small farm operating under a small-scale agriculture model. Definitions vary widely for what constitutes a smallholder or small-scale farm, including factors such as size, food production technique or technology ...

Cynwyl Elfed Cynwyl Elfed (; sometimes Conwyl and formerly anglicised as Conwil Elvet or Conwil in Elvet) is a village and community in the county of Carmarthenshire, Wales. The community includes the villages of Cynwyl Elfed, Blaenycoed and Cwmduad. It is si ...

Carmarthenshire Carmarthenshire ( cy, Sir Gaerfyrddin; or informally ') is a county in the south-west of Wales. The three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford. Carmarthen is the county town and administrative centre. The county is known as ...

, an area steeped in poverty, and his own early family life was one of struggle; after winning a place at the local grammar school he went on to attend the teacher-training course at Trinity College, Carmarthen. He later joined a weekend drama course where a tutor from the Royal Academy of Music (RAM) recognised his dramatic gifts and persuaded him to move to London to study. Lyn spent two years at the RAM and decided to take a career as an actor, making his début in experimental theatre clubs such as the Watergate Theatre, where the actors would on occasion improvise and where directors were not afraid to take risks.

Career

Early career

In 1964 Lyn acted in ''

The Wars of the Roses The Wars of the Roses (1455–1487), known at the time and for more than a century after as the Civil Wars, were a series of civil wars fought over control of the English throne in the mid-to-late fifteenth century. These wars were fought bet ...

'', the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

's ''Henry VI'' trilogy ('' 1 Henry VI'', '' 2 Henry VI'', ''

3 Henry VI ''Henry VI, Part 3'' (often written as ''3 Henry VI'') is a history play by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1591 and set during the lifetime of King Henry VI of England. Whereas '' 1 Henry VI'' deals with the loss of Eng ...

'') and '' Richard III'' - the four plays having been conflated into a trilogy. The production was filmed by the

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...

...

Theatre in Wales

Pinter Harold Pinter (; 10 October 1930 – 24 December 2008) was a British playwright, screenwriter, director and actor. A Nobel Prize winner, Pinter was one of the most influential modern British dramatists with a writing career that span ...

The Caretaker ''The Caretaker'' is a play in three acts by Harold Pinter. Although it was the sixth of his major works for stage and television, this psychological study of the confluence of power, allegiance, innocence, and corruption among two brothers a ...

Cwmni Theatr Cymru

Welsh Theatre Company The Welsh Theatre Company was a professional theatrical company that performed in English in Wales. The Welsh language section of the company was Cwmni Theatr Cymru and the two shared workshops and technical facilities until 1973. ...

Absurdist

Gwenlyn Parry

Zambezi The Zambezi River (also spelled Zambeze and Zambesi) is the fourth-longest river in Africa, the longest east-flowing river in Africa and the largest flowing into the Indian Ocean from Africa. Its drainage basin covers , slightly less than hal ...

As a boy Lyn had gained only a smattering of the

, and during this period he worked hard at the script to get his Welsh up to the standard necessary for him to be able to deliver the long speeches fluently. In this he was supported by his fellow cast members who made allowances for him at rehearsals. Over the ensuing years Lyn improved his knowledge of Welsh to such an extent that eventually he was able to act in and direct plays for Cwmni Theatr Cymru fluently in that language; among the plays he directed were: ''Pethe Brau'' (1972), a Welsh language version of ''

The Glass Menagerie ''The Glass Menagerie'' is a memory play by Tennessee Williams that premiered in 1944 and catapulted Williams from obscurity to fame. The play has strong autobiographical elements, featuring characters based on its author, his Histrionic persona ...

'' by

Tennessee Williams Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983), known by his pen name Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright and screenwriter. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the thr ...

; ''Esther'' by

Saunders Lewis Saunders Lewis (born John Saunders Lewis) (15 October 1893 – 1 September 1985) was a Welsh politician, poet, dramatist, Medievalist, and literary critic. He was a prominent Welsh nationalist, supporter of Welsh independence and was a co-founde ...

(1973) and ''Y Twr'' (1978) by Gwenlyn Parry. Lyn became both impatient with the attitude of some of the older members of the drama committee of the

Welsh Arts Council The Arts Council of Wales (ACW; cy, Cyngor Celfyddydau Cymru) is a Welsh Government-sponsored body, responsible for funding and developing the arts in Wales. Established within the Arts Council of Great Britain in 1946, as the Welsh Arts ...

who expressed the hope that internationally acclaimed Welsh actors might be persuaded to return to perform in Wales, as well with the

which produced plays with English actors and Welsh actors who lived and mainly worked in England but who acted in Wales only when they couldn't find work in England. To promote a professionalism in Welsh theatre Lyn founded a Welsh Actors' Society, of which he wrote in 1977, "Whenever it spoke it almost frightened itself to death. It eventually made itself articulate on some important union matters after it had converted itself into the Welsh Committee of Equity. On theatre policy it was quite without courage." In the 1960s he was at the forefront of a group of Welsh actors who worked towards founding a National Theatre in Wales. Lyn almost succeeded in this aim when in 1966 he was among those who founded Theatr yr Ymylon, a bilingual touring theatre company based in Bangor which it was intended would grow into a national theatre for Wales. Lyn was the artistic director but the company folded in 1978 as the result of in-fighting over what constituted a "national theatre".'David Lyn: Actor who fought for Welsh theatre'
''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publish ...

'', 17 October 2012 Lyn returned to acting in television, most notably playing

Joseph Parry Joseph Parry (21 May 1841 – 17 February 1903) was a Welsh composer and musician. Born in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, he is best known as the composer of " Myfanwy" and the hymn tune "Aberystwyth", on which the African song " Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika" ...

in '' Off to Philadelphia in the Morning'' (1978) for the

...
. By now disillusioned with the theatre scene in Wales he and his family sailed their trawler the ''Tolga'' from

Barry Barry may refer to: People and fictional characters * Barry (name), including lists of people with the given name, nickname or surname, as well as fictional characters with the given name * Dancing Barry, stage name of Barry Richards (born c. 19 ...

St Katharine Docks St Katharine Docks is a former dock and now a mixed-used district in Central London, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and within the East End. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, immediately downstream of the Tower of London an ...

Tower Bridge Tower Bridge is a Grade I listed combined bascule and suspension bridge in London, built between 1886 and 1894, designed by Horace Jones and engineered by John Wolfe Barry with the help of Henry Marc Brunel. It crosses the River Thames clos ...

. Lyn turned his back on acting, preferring to work in London as a taxi driver while his wife Sally worked as a picture editor on ''

Newsnight ''Newsnight'' (or ''BBC Newsnight'') is BBC Two's news and current affairs programme, providing in-depth investigation and analysis of the stories behind the day's headlines. The programme is broadcast on weekdays at 22:30. and is also availa ...

'', with the couple living on the boat in the wheel house. In 1982 with the advent of S4C the two returned to Wales where Lyn learned how to direct for television and film. The ''Tolga'' sank in a dock in

Wapping Wapping () is a district in East London in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Wapping's position, on the north bank of the River Thames, has given it a strong maritime character, which it retains through its riverside public houses and steps, ...

and later was raised and taken to a dock on the Thames where eventually she was scuttled. In 1984 Lyn founded Penadur, his television and film company.David Lyn and Penadur
cbetta.com: Fastest source of information about UK company directors

Later years

Lyn produced plays for Theatr Powys and also produced and directed dramas for the stage and television, sometimes with Hannah and Tim Lyn, two of his five children. For Welsh television Lyn directed a 1993 adaptation of the novel ''

Traed mewn cyffion ''Traed mewn cyffion'' ("Feet in the stocks") is a novel by Kate Roberts, written in the Welsh language and first published in 1936. Plot summary The action takes place in the period between 1880 and 1914 against the background of the slate qua ...

'' and various other series and dramas. In 1994 Lyn purchased Pilroath, a rundown mansion in

Llangain Llangain is a village and community in Carmarthenshire, in the south-west of Wales. Located to the west of the River Towy, and south of the town of Carmarthen, the community contains three standing stones, and two chambered tombs as well as the ...

which had large outbuildings in which he built studios and back stage areas. Here he based Penadur, which produced the acclaimed Welsh-language series ''Pris y Farchnad'' (1995) about auctioneers in

Carmarthen Carmarthen (, RP: ; cy, Caerfyrddin , "Merlin's fort" or "Sea-town fort") is the county town of Carmarthenshire and a community in Wales, lying on the River Towy. north of its estuary in Carmarthen Bay. The population was 14,185 in 2011, ...

and which won him a BAFTA Cymru award. Lyn's television company Penadur was doing well until Huw Jones, the new chief executive of S4C who had been appointed in 1994, had the idea to create large production companies, created from the amalgamation of smaller companies. Lyn was not in favour of this move, arguing that it would create a 'jobs for the boys' environment that would impact on truly Welsh programme making. He was concerned that S4C would produce bi-lingual carbon-copies of television programmes from other countries instead of producing original Welsh dramas. He was also concerned that, as in the 1970s, actors and television makers would come to work in Wales only for their own personal gain - at the expense of home-grown talent. After the changes at S4C Penadur did not get any more work which resulted in the company folding in January 1999 following which Lyn returned to renovating old houses. He sold Pilroath, the family home with its outbuildings and used the money to support himself and his wife, with the two moving into one of the outbuildings. His career as a pioneer and campaigner for Welsh-language drama and theatre was largely forgotten. His son Tim Lyn directed him in the 2001 S4C television drama series ''Fondue Rhyw a Dinasors'' (''Fondue, Sex and Dinosaurs'') which followed the plight of six people in their thirties living in the fictional rural Welsh village of Llaneden and in which he played John Prosser.

Personal life

Lyn lived in London for 15 years married to Faith Owen in 1950, and with whom he had a son, Adam. He married again in 1965 to Sally Pepper (1937–2011), with whom he had four children: Sian, Timothy, Bronwen and Hannah Lyn.

Ill health and death

David Lyn was diagnosed with early onset dementia.TOP TV DIRECTOR TIM REUNITED WITH OLD SCHOOL PAL TO MAKE TOUCHING PROGRAMME ABOUT LIVING WITH ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
''West Wales Chronicle'', 20 January 2020 Lyn later died at the

University Hospital of Wales University Hospital of Wales ( cy, Ysbyty Athrofaol Cymru) (UHW), also known as the Heath Hospital, is a major 1,000-bed hospital in the Heath district of Cardiff, Wales. UHW is a teaching hospital of Cardiff University School of Medicine. Constr ...

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...

in August 2012 aged 85. His funeral service was held at St Ystyffan's church in

Llansteffan Llansteffan, is a village and a community situated on the south coast of Carmarthenshire, Wales, lying on the estuary of the River Tywi, south of Carmarthen. Description The community includes Llanybri and is bordered by the communities of: ...

where he was buried in the churchyard with his late wife.The obituary notice of David Lyn Jenkins
South Wales, Published in: Media Wales Group He lived to see the founding of

Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru is the Welsh language national theatre of Wales, founded in 2003. It has a counterpart in National Theatre Wales, the English language national theatre company of Wales, founded in 2009. Together the two theatre companie ...

, the

national theatre of

, founded in 2003, and its counterpart in

National Theatre Wales National Theatre Wales (NTW) is a theatre company known for its large-scale site-specific productions and its grassroots work with diverse Welsh communities. It is the English-language national theatre of Wales, and refers to Theatr Genedlaet ...

, the

English language English is a West Germanic language of the Indo-European language family, with its earliest forms spoken by the inhabitants of early medieval England. It is named after the Angles, one of the ancient Germanic peoples that migrated to the ...

national theatre company of Wales, founded in 2009. Together the two theatre companies provide a national platform for professional drama in Wales.

Television and film credits

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lyn, David 1927 births 2012 deaths 20th-century Welsh male actors 21st-century Welsh male actors Alumni of the Royal College of Music People from Porth Welsh male film actors Welsh male stage actors Welsh male television actors Welsh-speaking actors