Michael Vivian Fyfe Pennington (born 7 June 1943) is a British actor, director and writer. Together with director

Michael Bogdanov Michael Bogdanov (15 December 1938 – 16 April 2017) was a British theatre director known for his work with new plays, modern reinterpretations of Shakespeare, musicals and work for young people. Early years Bogdanov was born Michael Bogd ...

, he founded the

English Shakespeare Company The English Shakespeare Company was an English theatre company founded in 1986 by Michael Bogdanov and Michael Pennington to present and promote the works of William Shakespeare on both a national and an international level. Funding came from th ...

in 1986 and was its Joint Artistic Director until 1992. He has written ten books, directed in the UK, US, Romania and Japan, and is an Honorary Associate Artist of the

Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and produces around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, St ...

. He is popularly known as

Moff Jerjerrod This incomplete list of characters from the ''Star Wars'' franchise contains only those which are considered part of the official ''Star Wars'' canon, as of the changes made by Lucasfilm in April 2014. Following its acquisition by The Walt Dis ...

in the original Star Wars trilogy film ''

Return of the Jedi ''Return of the Jedi'' (also known as ''Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi'' is a 1983 American epic space opera film directed by Richard Marquand. The screenplay is by Lawrence Kasdan and George Lucas from a story by Lucas, who ...

''.

Background

Pennington was born in

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...

, the son of Vivian Maynard Cecil Pennington (died 1984) and Euphemia Willock, née Fyfe (died 1987), and grew up in London. He was educated at

Marlborough College Marlborough College is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English Independent school (United Kingdom), independent boarding school) for pupils aged 13 to 18 in Marlborough, Wiltshire, England. Founded in 1843 for the sons of Church ...

, became a member of the

National Youth Theatre The National Youth Theatre of Great Britain (NYT) is a youth theatre and registered charity in London. Its aim is to develop and nurture young people through creative arts and theatrical productions. Founded in 1956 as the world's first youth th ...

and then read English at

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by Henry VIII, King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any college at either Cambridge ...

Theatre work

He joined the

on graduation and remained in a junior capacity from 1964 to 1966, playing among other things

Fortinbras Fortinbras is either of two minor fictional characters from William Shakespeare's tragedy ''Hamlet''. The more notable is a Norwegian crown prince with a few brief scenes in the play, who delivers the final lines that represent a hopeful future ...

David Warner David or Dave Warner may refer to: Sports * Dave Warner (strongman) (born 1969), Northern Ireland strongman competitor * David Bruce Warner (born 1970), South African alpine skier * David Warner (cricketer) (born 1986), Australian cricketer Oth ...

's 1965 ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

''. He then left the company for eight years and worked in London, both on the stage (in

John Mortimer Sir John Clifford Mortimer (21 April 1923 – 16 January 2009) was a British barrister, dramatist, screenwriter and author. He is best known for novels about a barrister named Horace Rumpole. Early life Mortimer was born in Hampstead, London, ...

's ''The Judge'',

Christopher Hampton Sir Christopher James Hampton ( Horta, Azores, 26 January 1946) is a British playwright, screenwriter, translator and film director. He is best known for his play ''Les Liaisons Dangereuses'' based on the novel of the same name and the film ...

's ''Savages'' and

Tony Richardson Cecil Antonio "Tony" Richardson (5 June 1928 – 14 November 1991) was an English theatre and film director and producer whose career spanned five decades. In 1964, he won the Academy Award for Best Director for the film ''Tom Jones (1963 film ...

's production of ''Hamlet'' with

Nicol Williamson Thomas Nicol Williamson (14 September 1936 – 16 December 2011) was a Scottish actor, once described by playwright John Osborne as "the greatest actor since Marlon Brando". He was also described by Samuel Beckett as "touched by genius" and view ...

), and on TV in many single dramas. He returned to the RSC in 1974 to play Angelo in ''

Measure for Measure ''Measure for Measure'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1603 or 1604 and first performed in 1604, according to available records. It was published in the ''First Folio'' of 1623. The play's plot features its ...

'', beginning a relationship with the company as a leading actor which culminated in his own performance of Hamlet in 1980/81: he also played Berowne in ''

Love's Labour's Lost ''Love's Labour's Lost'' is one of William Shakespeare's early comedies, believed to have been written in the mid-1590s for a performance at the Inns of Court before Elizabeth I of England, Queen Elizabeth I. It follows the King of Navarre and ...

'', Edgar in ''

King Lear ''King Lear'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his power and land between two of his daughters. He becomes destitute and insane an ...

'', and in new work by

David Rudkin James David Rudkin (born 29 June 1936) is an English playwright . Early life Rudkin was born in London. Coming from a family of strict evangelical Christians, he was educated at King Edward's School, Birmingham and read Mods and Greats at St ...

, David Edgar and

Howard Brenton Howard John Brenton FRSL (born 13 December 1942) is an English playwright and screenwriter. While little-known in the United States, he is celebrated in his home country and often ranked alongside contemporaries such as Edward Bond, Caryl Chur ...

and classic works by

Sean O'Casey Sean, also spelled Seán or Séan in Irish English, is a male given name of Irish origin. It comes from the Irish versions of the Biblical Hebrew name ''Yohanan'' (), Seán (anglicized as ''Shaun/ Shawn/ Shon'') and Séan (Ulster variant; anglici ...

Euripides Euripides (; grc, Εὐριπίδης, Eurīpídēs, ; ) was a tragedian Tragedy (from the grc-gre, τραγῳδία, ''tragōidia'', ''tragōidia'') is a genre of drama based on human suffering and, mainly, the terrible or sorrowful e ...

and

William Congreve William Congreve (24 January 1670 – 19 January 1729) was an English playwright and poet of the Restoration period. He is known for his clever, satirical dialogue and influence on the comedy of manners style of that period. He was also a min ...

. He then left the company for a further eight years before appearing in

Stephen Poliakoff Stephen Poliakoff (born 1 December 1952) is a British playwright, director and screenwriter. In 2006 Gerard Gilbert of ''The Independent'' described him as the UK's "pre-eminent TV dramatist" who had "inherited Dennis Potter's crown". Early ...

's ''Playing with Trains'', and ten years after that in the title role of ''

Timon of Athens ''Timon of Athens'' (''The Life of Tymon of Athens'') is a play written by William Shakespeare and probably also Thomas Middleton in about 1606. It was published in the ''First Folio'' in 1623. Timon lavishes his wealth on parasitic companion ...

''. In the meanwhile he appeared at the National Theatre in 1984 in

Tolstoy Count Lev Nikolayevich TolstoyTolstoy pronounced his first name as , which corresponds to the romanization ''Lyov''. () (; russian: link=no, Лев Николаевич Толстой,In Tolstoy's day, his name was written as in pre-refor ...

's '' Strider'', for which he was nominated for an

Olivier Award The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital. The awards were originally known as ...

, in

Thomas Otway Thomas Otway (3 March 165214 April 1685) was an English dramatist of the Restoration period, best known for ''Venice Preserv'd'', or ''A Plot Discover'd'' (1682). Life Otway was born at Trotton near Midhurst, the parish of which his father, H ...

's ''

Venice Preserv'd ''Venice Preserv'd'' is an English Restoration play written by Thomas Otway, and the most significant tragedy of the English stage in the 1680s. It was first staged in 1682, with Thomas Betterton as Jaffeir and Elizabeth Barry as Belvidera. The ...

'', and also premiered his solo show ''Anton Chekhov'' which he has been regularly touring internationally ever since. He also played Raskolnikov in

Yuri Lyubimov Yuri Petrovich Lyubimov (russian: Ю́рий Петро́вич Люби́мов; 5 October 2014) was a Soviet and Russian stage actor and director associated with the internationally renowned Taganka Theatre, which he founded in 1964. He was one ...

's famous adaptation of ''

Crime and Punishment ''Crime and Punishment'' ( pre-reform Russian: ; post-reform rus, Преступление и наказание, Prestupléniye i nakazániye, prʲɪstʊˈplʲenʲɪje ɪ nəkɐˈzanʲɪje) is a novel by the Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky. ...

'', and Henry 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 ''

The Real Thing The Real Thing or Real Thing may refer to: Film and television * The Real Thing (film), ''The Real Thing'' (film) or ''Livers Ain't Cheap'', a 1996 American film * ''The Real Thing'', a 1980 television documentary by James Burke (science historian) ...

'' in London's West End and played the title role in

Sophocles Sophocles (; grc, Σοφοκλῆς, , Sophoklễs; 497/6 – winter 406/5 BC)Sommerstein (2002), p. 41. is one of three ancient Greek tragedians, at least one of whose plays has survived in full. His first plays were written later than, or co ...

' ''

Oedipus Rex ''Oedipus Rex'', also known by its Greek title, ''Oedipus Tyrannus'' ( grc, Οἰδίπους Τύραννος, ), or ''Oedipus the King'', is an Athenian tragedy by Sophocles that was first performed around 429 BC. Originally, to the ancient Gr ...

'' on BBC TV in 1985. In 1986, Pennington and director

together founded the

. As joint artistic director, he starred in the company's inaugural productions of ''The Henrys'' and, in 1987, the seven-play history cycle of

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 ...

, which toured worldwide and was televised. Pennington played such parts as Richard II, Prince Hal/Henry V and Jack Cade (Olivier Award Nomination). In subsequent seasons with the ESC, he played Leontes in The Winter's Tale and the title roles in Macbeth and Coriolanus (Olivier Award Nomination) and directed Twelfth Night, which he then also directed for the

Haiyuza Theatre Company The is a Japanese theatre company based in Tokyo, Japan. Along with the Mingei Theatre Company and Bungakuza it is considered one of the "Big Three" among Shingeki theatre troupes. Former Members *Eijirō Tōno *Koreya Senda *Eitaro Ozawa ...

in Tokyo and for the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre. Since the 1970s, he has appeared frequently with

Judi Dench Dame Judith Olivia Dench (born 9 December 1934) is an English actress. Regarded as one of Britain's best actresses, she is noted for her versatile work in various films and television programmes encompassing several genres, as well as for her ...

and also with her husband Michael Williams. The third time he played opposite Dench was in

Peter Shaffer Sir Peter Levin Shaffer (; 15 May 1926 – 6 June 2016) was an English playwright, screenwriter, and novelist. He wrote numerous award-winning plays, of which several were adapted into films. Early life Shaffer was born to a Jewish family in L ...

's play ''The Gift of the Gorgon'', in 1992, in which they appeared as a married couple. His other West End work in the 1990s included Archie Rice in ''The Entertainer'', Claudius and the Ghost in ''Hamlet'', Major Arnold in ''Taking Sides'' (Ronald Harwood), Oscar Wilde in ''Gross Indecency'', Sir John Brute in Farquhar's''The Provok’d Wife'', Henry Trebell in Harley Granville Barker's ''Waste'', Trigorin in ''The Seagull'', and the title role in Molière's ''The Misanthrope''. In the first

Harold 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 spanne ...

Festival in Dublin he played in Pinter's ''Old Times'' and ''One for the Road''. In 1998, he worked with Sir Peter Hall and other actors to run a workshop at the National Theatre Studio, which received considerable plaudits. His stage work in the 2000s included Joe Orton's ''What the Butler Saw'' (National tour), the title role in ''The Guardsman'' (West End), David Mamet's ''The Shawl'' (Crucible Theatre Sheffield), Walter Burns in ''The Front Page'', (Chichester Festival Theatre), the title roles in Ibsen's ''John Gabriel Borkman'' and Alan Bennett's ''The Madness of George III'', and Dr Dorn in Chekhov's ''The Seagull'', directed by Peter Stein for the Edinburgh Festival) In 2003 he directed ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' in Regent's Park Open Air Theatre and The Hamlet Project for the National Theatre in Bucharest. In 2005 he appeared in David Greig's ''The Cosmonaut's Last Message...'' (Donmar Warehouse); ''Colder Than Here'' (Soho Theatre), and in the title role in ''Nathan the Wise'' (Hampstead Theatre). He also played a sequence of real-life characters such as Sidney Cockerell in ''The Best of Friends'' (Hampstead Theatre 2006), 2007 : Robert Maxwell in ''The Bargain'' by Ian Curteis (2007), Charles Dickens in ''Little Nell'' by Simon Gray (2007), Wilhelm Furtwangler in Pinter's ''Taking Sides'' and Richard Strauss in ''Collaboration'' by Ronald Harwood (Chichester and West End, 2008–9) He had previously played the other central role in ''Taking Sides'' in the West End, with Pinter directing. In 2006 he premièred his second one-man show, this one on Shakespeare, ''Sweet William'', and in 2009 he worked with Peter Brook for the first time in ''Love is My Sin'' for a European Tour and in New York. In 2010 he returned to Chichester to play the title role in Ibsen's ''The Master Builder'', and the following year Dr Fabio in ''The Syndicate'' by Eduardo de Filippo opposite Ian McKellen. In 2012 he played his fifth consecutive Chichester season as Antony in ''Antony and Cleopatra'' opposite Kim Cattrall. Notable performances since then have been as Edgar in Strindberg's ''The Dance of Death'', adapted by Howard Brenton, at the Gate Theatre, as John of Gaunt in ''Richard II'' (RSC), and as Anthony Blunt in Alan Bennett's ''Single Spies'', at the Rose Theatre Kingston. In 2014 he performed the title role in ''King Lear'' for Theatre for a New Audience in New York, before undertaking a further tour of his solo Shakespeare show ''Sweet William'' (Oregon, Tel Aviv, France). He recorded the part of ''Euripides in Macedonia'' by David Rudkin for Radio 3, and in 2015 plans to take his solo show Anton Chekhov to Moscow. In 2015 he performed ''Sweet William'' in Argentina and Uruguay at the Festival Shakespeare Buenos Aires and Festival Shakespeare Uruguay, organized by Yorick Entertainment Group.

Other work

1983 The year 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call. Events January * January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to Internet protocol suite, TCP/IP is officially completed (this is consid ...

Pennington appeared as Moff Jerjerrod in the ''

Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...

'' film ''

'' alongside fellow Old Vic alum

James Earl Jones James Earl Jones (born January 17, 1931) is an American actor. He has been described as "one of America's most distinguished and versatile" actors for his performances in film, television, and theater, and "one of the greatest actors in America ...

. He also played

Michael Foot Michael Mackintosh Foot (23 July 19133 March 2010) was a British Labour Party politician who served as Labour Leader from 1980 to 1983. Foot began his career as a journalist on ''Tribune'' and the ''Evening Standard''. He co-wrote the 1940 p ...

in '' The Iron Lady'' with

Meryl Streep Mary Louise Meryl Streep (born June 22, 1949) is an American actress. Often described as "the best actress of her generation", Streep is particularly known for her versatility and accent adaptability. She has received numerous accolades throu ...

; and among his notable TV appearances have been in the title role of ''Oedipus Rex'' and in the

television movie A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

The Return of Sherlock Holmes ''The Return of Sherlock Holmes'' is a 1905 collection of 13 Sherlock Holmes stories, originally published in 1903–1904, by British writer Arthur Conan Doyle. The stories were published in the '' Strand Magazine'' in Britain and ''Collier's'' i ...

''. He has also played Holmes's nemesis,

Professor Moriarty Professor James Moriarty is a fictional character and criminal mastermind created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to be a formidable enemy for the author's fictional detective Sherlock Holmes. He was created primarily as a device by which Doyle could ...

in two BBC Radio dramatizations of the Holmes short stories

The Final Problem "The Final Problem" is a short story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle featuring his detective character Sherlock Holmes. It was first published in ''The Strand Magazine'' in the United Kingdom, and ''McClure's'' in the United States, under the title " ...

in 1992 and The Empty House in 1993. He is the author of the book ''Are You There, Crocodile?'' which combines biographical material about the Russian playwright Anton Chekhov with an account of the writing of his highly successful one-man show about Chekhov; the full text of which is included. He has also written three books about individual Shakespeare plays, ''Sweet William - Twenty Thousand Hours with Shakespeare'', as well as ''Let Me Play the Lion Too - How to Be an Actor for Faber and Faber''. His solo show ''Sweet William'' is available as a DVD. Pennington has also worked as a narrator on many TV documentaries. In April 2004 he became the second actor, after

Harley Granville-Barker Harley Granville-Barker (25 November 1877 – 31 August 1946) was an English actor, director, playwright, manager, critic, and theorist. After early success as an actor in the plays of George Bernard Shaw, he increasingly turned to directi ...

in 1925, to deliver the

British Academy The British Academy is the United Kingdom's national academy for the humanities and the social sciences. It was established in 1902 and received its royal charter in the same year. It is now a fellowship of more than 1,000 leading scholars span ...

's annual Shakespeare lecture. The lecture was entitled ''Barnadine's Straw: The Devil in Shakespeare's Detail''.

Personal life

In 1964, Pennington married actress Katharine Barker, with whom he had a son, Mark, before they divorced in 1967. Beginning in 1978, when they appeared together in ''Love's Labour's Lost'', he shared a flat with actress

Jane Lapotaire Jane Elizabeth Marie Lapotaire (née Burgess; 26 December 1944) is an English actress. Biography Lapotaire was born in Ipswich, Suffolk, the daughter of Louise Elise (Burgess). Her stepfather, Yves Lapotaire, worked in the oil industry and was ...

St John's Wood St John's Wood is a district in the City of Westminster, London, lying 2.5 miles (4 km) northwest of Charing Cross. Traditionally the northern part of the ancient parish and Metropolitan Borough of Marylebone, it extends east to west from ...

, London, though at the time Lapotaire said they were "just friends".

Selected stage credits

* ''

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 ...

'' (Earl of Salisbury),

Apollo Theatre The Apollo Theatre is a Grade II listed West End theatre, on Shaftesbury Avenue in the City of Westminster, in central London.

, London, 9–19 August and 30 August - 2 September 1961 * '' Henry IV, Part 2'' (Earl of Warwick),

Apollo Theatre The Apollo Theatre is a Grade II listed West End theatre, on Shaftesbury Avenue in the City of Westminster, in central London.

, London, 22–29 August 1961 * ''

'' (title role),

ADC Theatre The ADC Theatre is a theatre in Cambridge, England, and also a department of the University of Cambridge. It is located in Park Street, Cambridge, Park Street, north off Jesus Lane. The theatre is owned by the Cambridge University Amateur Dramati ...

, Cambridge, February 1964 * ''

'' (Dumaine and understudying Berowne),

, Stratford-upon-Avon, 1965 * ''

'' (Fortinbras), RSC, Stratford-upon-Avon and

Aldwych Theatre The Aldwych Theatre is a West End theatre, located in Aldwych in the City of Westminster, central London. It was listed Grade II on 20 July 1971. Its seating capacity is 1,200 on three levels. History Origins The theatre was constructed in th ...

, London, 1965 * ''The Judge'' by

Theatre Royal, Brighton The Theatre Royal, Brighton is a theatre in Brighton, England presenting a range of West End and touring musicals and plays, along with performances of opera and ballet. History In 1806 the Prince of Wales (later George IV) gave Royal Assent for ...

and

Cambridge Theatre The Cambridge Theatre is a West End theatre, on a corner site in Earlham Street facing Seven Dials, in the London Borough of Camden, built in 1929–30 for Bertie Meyer on an "irregular triangular site". Design and construction It was des ...

, London, 1967 * ''

'' (Laertes), Round House, London,

Lunt-Fontanne Theatre The Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, originally the Globe Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 205 West 46th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1910, the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre was designed by Carrère and Hasting ...

, New York and Huntington Hartford Theatre, Los Angeles, 1969 * '' Three Sisters'' (Andrei), Cambridge Arts Theatre, 1971 * ''

Trelawny of the Wells ''Trelawny of the "Wells"'' is an 1898 comic play by Arthur Wing Pinero. It tells the story of a theatre star who attempts to give up the stage for love, but is unable to fit into conventional society. Synopsis ''Trelawny of the "Wells"'' te ...

'' (Ferdinand Gadd),

Cambridge Arts Theatre Cambridge Arts Theatre is a 666-seat theatre on Peas Hill and St Edward's Passage in central Cambridge, England. The theatre presents a varied mix of drama, dance, opera and pantomime. It attracts some of the highest-quality touring productions ...

, 1971 * ''Savages'' by

(Crawshaw),

Royal Court Theatre The Royal Court Theatre, at different times known as the Court Theatre, the New Chelsea Theatre, and the Belgravia Theatre, is a non-commercial West End theatre in Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, Englan ...

and

Comedy Theatre The Harold Pinter Theatre, known as the Comedy Theatre until 2011,

, London, 1973 * ''

'' (Angelo), RSC, Stratford-upon-Avon, 1974 * '' The Tempest'' (Ferdinand), RSC, Stratford-upon-Avon, 1974 * ''

Afore Night Come ''Afore Night Come'' is a play by the British playwright David Rudkin, first staged by the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1962. The subject matter of the play meant that any production in a public theatre would probably have been vetoed by the Lord C ...

'' (Johnny Hobnails), RSC, Stratford-upon-Avon, 1974 * ''

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 ...

'' (Mercutio), RSC, Straford-upon-Avon, 1976 and

, London, 1977 * ''

Troilus and Cressida ''Troilus and Cressida'' ( or ) is a play by William Shakespeare, probably written in 1602. At Troy during the Trojan War, Troilus and Cressida begin a love affair. Cressida is forced to leave Troy to join her father in the Greek camp. Meanwh ...

'' (Hector), RSC, Stratford-upon-Avon, 1976 and

, London, 1977 * "King Lear" (Edgar), RSC, Stratford-upon-Avon 1976 and Aldwych Theatre London 1977 * ''Destiny'' by David Edgar (Major Rolfe), RSC, Stratford-upon-Avon, 1976 and

, London, 1977 * ''

The Way of the World ''The Way of the World'' is a play written by the English playwright William Congreve. It premiered in early March 1700 in the theatre in Lincoln's Inn Fields in London. It is widely regarded as one of the best Restoration comedies and is stil ...

'' (Mirabell), RSC,

, London, 1978 * ''

'' (the Duke), RSC, Stratford-upon-Avon, 1978 and

, London, 1979 * ''

'' (Berowne), RSC, Stratford-upon-Avon, 1978 and

, London, * '' Hippolytus'' (title role), RSC, Stratford-Upon-Avon, 1978 and The Warehouse, London, 1979 * ''

The White Guard ''The White Guard'' (russian: links=no, Белая гвардия) is a novel by Mikhail Bulgakov, first published in 1925 in literary journal ''Rossiya''. It was not reprinted in the Soviet Union until 1966. Background ''The White Guard'' fir ...

'' (Shervinsky), RSC,

, London, 1979 * ''

The Shadow of a Gunman ''The Shadow of a Gunman'' is a 1923 tragicomedy play by Seán O'Casey set during the Irish War of Independence. It centres on the mistaken identity of a building tenant who is thought to be an IRA assassin. It is the first in O'Casey's "Dublin ...

'' (Donal Davoren), RSC, Stratford-upon-Avon, 1980 and The Warehouse, London, 1981 * ''

'' (title role), RSC, Stratford-upon-Avon, 1980,

Theatre Royal, Newcastle The Theatre Royal is a historic theatre, a Grade I listed building situated on Grey Street in Newcastle upon Tyne. History The theatre was designed by local architects John and Benjamin Green as part of Richard Grainger's grand design for the ce ...

, 1981 and

, London, 1981 * ''

'' (Raskolnikov), directed by

Lyric Hammersmith The Lyric Theatre, also known as the Lyric Hammersmith, is a theatre on Lyric Square, off King Street, Hammersmith, London.

, London, 1983 * ''Strider, The Story of a Horse'' by Mark Rozovsky based on ''

Kholstomer "Kholstomer" ( rus, Холстомер, p=xəlstɐˈmʲer), also translated as "Strider", is a work by Leo Tolstoy that has been referred to as “one of the most striking stories in Russian literature”. It was started in 1863 and left unfinis ...

'' by

Leo Tolstoy Count Lev Nikolayevich TolstoyTolstoy pronounced his first name as , which corresponds to the romanization ''Lyov''. () (; russian: link=no, Лев Николаевич Толстой,In Tolstoy's day, his name was written as in pre-refor ...

(title role),

Cottesloe Theatre The Royal National Theatre in London, commonly known as the National Theatre (NT), is one of the United Kingdom's three most prominent publicly funded performing arts venues, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal Opera House. In ...

, London, 1984 * ''

'' (Jaffier), Lyttelton at the

Royal National Theatre The Royal National Theatre in London, commonly known as the National Theatre (NT), is one of the United Kingdom's three most prominent publicly funded performing arts venues, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal Opera House. I ...

, London 1984 * ''Anton Chekhov'', his one-man-play about

Anton Chekhov Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (; 29 January 1860 Old Style date 17 January. – 15 July 1904 Old Style date 2 July.) was a Russian playwright and short-story writer who is considered to be one of the greatest writers of all time. His career ...

(Anton Chekhov),

, London, 1984 * ''Henry IV Parts One and Two'', (Prince Hal), English Shakespeare Company 1986-1989 * ''Henry V'' (title role), English Shakespeare Company, 1986-1989 * ''Richard II'' (title role), English Shakespeare Company, 1987-1989 * ''The Winter's Tale'' (Leontes), English Shakespeare Company 1990-1991 * ''Coriolanus'' (title role), English Shakespeare Company 1990-1991 * ''Macbeth'' (title role), English Shakespeare Company 1991-1992 * ''The Gift of the Gorgon'' by Peter Shaffer (Edward Damson), West End 1992 * ''The Entertainer'' (Archie Rice), Hampstead Theatre 1996 * ''Waste'' (Henry Trebell), directed by Peter Hall, Old Vic London 1997 * ''The Seagull'' (Trigorin), directed by Peter Hall, Old Vic London 1997 * ''The Provoked Wife'' (Sir John Brute), directed by

Lindsay Posner Lindsay Steven Posner (born 6 June 1959)"Lindsay Posner ...

, Old Vic London, 1997 * ''The Misanthrope'' (title role), directed by Peter Hall, Piccadilly Theatre London, 1998 * ''Filumena'' (Domenico), directed by Peter Hall, Piccadilly Theatre London 1998 * ''Gross Indecency'' (

Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is ...

), directed by Moises Kaufman, Gielgud Theatre London 1999 * ''

'' (title role), directed by

Gregory Doran Gregory Doran (born 24 November 1958) is an English director known for his Shakespearean work. ''The Sunday Times'' called him 'one of the great Shakespearians of his generation'. Doran was artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RS ...

, RSC Stratford and London 1999-2000 * ''

John Gabriel Borkman ''John Gabriel Borkman'' is a 1896 play by the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It was his penultimate work. Plot The Borkman family fortunes have been brought low by the imprisonment of John Gabriel who used his position as a bank manager to s ...

'' (title role), English Touring Theatre, 2003 * ''The Madness of George III'' (title role) West Yorkshire Playhouse and Birmingham Rep 2003 * ''The Seagull'' (Dr Dorn), directed by Peter Stein, Edinburgh Festival 2003 * ''Sweet William'' (One man show about Shakespeare) London and international touring, 2007 on * ''Collaboration'' by

Ronald Harwood Sir Ronald Harwood ( né Horwitz; 9 November 1934 – 8 September 2020) was a South African-born British author, playwright, and screenwriter, best known for his plays for the British stage as well as the screenplays for ''The Dresser'' (for w ...

(

Richard Strauss Richard Georg Strauss (; 11 June 1864 – 8 September 1949) was a German composer, conductor, pianist, and violinist. Considered a leading composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras, he has been described as a successor of Richard Wag ...

), Duchess Theatre London 2009 * " Taking Sides" by

(Major Steve Arnold), Duchess Theatre London 2009 * ''The Master Builder'' by Henrik Ibsen, (title role), Chichester Festival Theatre 2010 * ''Love Is My Sin'' directed by

Peter Brook Peter Stephen Paul Brook (21 March 1925 – 2 July 2022) was an English theatre and film director. He worked first in England, from 1945 at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, from 1947 at the Royal Opera House, and from 1962 for the Royal Shak ...

, International tour and Broadway 2010 * ''The Syndicate'' (Dr Fabio) by Eduardo di Filippo, adapted by Mike Poulton, directed by Sean Mathias, Chichester Festival Theatre 2011 * ''Judgement Day'' by Henrik Ibsen, adapted by

Mike Poulton Mike Poulton is an English writer, translator and adapter of classic plays for contemporary audiences. He has been Tony nominated for his play 'Fortune's Fool' along with his adaptations of 'Wolf Hall' and 'Bring Up the Bodies'. Poulton began his ...

, directed by

James Dacre James Charles Dacre (born May 1984) is a British theatre director. He has been artistic director of Royal & Derngate Theatres in Northampton since 2013. Early years James Dacre was born in 1984, the son of Paul Dacre, former editor of the '' ...

, The Print Room 2011 * ''Antony and Cleopatra'' (Antony), directed by

Janet Suzman Dame Janet Suzman, (born 9 February 1939) is a South African-born British actress who enjoyed a successful early career in the Royal Shakespeare Company, later replaying many Shakespearean roles, among others, on TV. In her first film, ''Nicho ...

Chichester Festival Theatre 2012 * ''King Lear'' (title role), directed by Arin Arbus, Theatre for a New Audience at the Polonsky Shakespeare Center, 2013 * ''King Lear'' (title role), directed by Michael Webster, national tour, 2016

Filmography

Films

Television

Books

* ''Rossya: A Journey through Siberia'' (1977) * ''Txèkhov - Un monòleg sobre la vida d'Anton Txèkhov'' (1989)(Catalan translation of Anton Chekhov) * ''The English Shakespeare Company - The Story of the Wars of the Roses'' (with Michael Bogdanov) (1990) * ''Hamlet: A User's Guide'' (1996) * ''Twelfth Night: A User's Guide'' (2000) * ''Are You There Crocodile? Inventing Anton Chekhov'' (2003) * ''A Pocket Guide to Ibsen, Chekhov and Strindberg'' (2004) * ''A Midsummer Night's Dream: A User's Guide'' (2005) * ''Sweet William: Twenty Thousand Hours with Shakespeare'' (2012) * ''Let Me Play the Lion Too - How to Be an Actor'' (2015) * ''King Lear in Brooklyn'' (2016)

References

Sweet William'': A User's Guide to Shakespeare'' Nick Hern books, Published 2012

External links

*
Website dedicated to Michael Pennington
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pennington, Michael 1943 births Living people People educated at Marlborough College Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge Royal Shakespeare Company members English male stage actors English male television actors English male film actors English people of Scottish descent English people of Welsh descent People from Cambridge Male actors from London National Youth Theatre members