Robert Blythe (1947 – 20 November 2018), also known as Bob Blythe, 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 ...

actor and voice over artist. He was brought up in

Tan-y-groes Tan-y-groes (or Tanygroes) is a hamlet in the community of Penbryn, Ceredigion, Wales, which is east of Cardigan on the A487 trunk road. Tan-y-groes is represented in the Senedd by Elin Jones (Plaid Cymru) and the Member of Parliament is Ben L ...

St in Port Talbot. He was best known for playing Richard 'Fagin' Hepplewhite in the Welsh situation comedy '' High Hopes''.

Career

Prior to training as an actor at the Arts Educational Trust in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, he was a

surveyor Surveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, art, and science of determining the terrestrial two-dimensional or three-dimensional positions of points and the distances and angles between them. A land surveying professional is ca ...

. His theatre work included

repertory A repertory theatre is a theatre in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation. United Kingdom Annie Horniman founded the first modern repertory theatre in Manchester after withdrawing ...

seasons at the

Haymarket Theatre The Theatre Royal Haymarket (also known as Haymarket Theatre or the Little Theatre) is a West End theatre on Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in use. Samuel Foote ...

, Leicester, the

Sherman Theatre The Sherman Theatre ( cy, Theatr y Sherman) is a venue in the Cathays district of Cardiff. It was built as a twin-auditorium venue in 1973 with financial support from Cardiff University. Sherman Cymru was the name of the Sherman Theatre between 2 ...

, Cardiff, the

Liverpool Playhouse The Liverpool Playhouse is a theatre in Williamson Square in the city of Liverpool, England. It originated in 1866 as a music hall, and in 1911 developed into a repertory theatre. As such it nurtured the early careers of many actors and actress ...

, the

Connaught Theatre The Connaught Theatre is a Streamline Moderne-style theatre and cinema in the centre of Worthing, in West Sussex, England. Built as the Picturedrome cinema in 1914, the venue was extended in 1935 and became the new home of the Connaught Theatre ...

, Worthing, and the Grand Theatre, Swansea. He also toured the Far East, Middle East, India and Europe with various productions. His work 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 ...

included ''

Henry IV, Part 1 ''Henry IV, Part 1'' (often written as ''1 Henry IV'') is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written no later than 1597. The play dramatises part of the reign of King Henry IV of England, beginning with the battle at ...

'' and '' Part 2'', ''

Henry V Henry V may refer to: People * Henry V, Duke of Bavaria (died 1026) * Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor (1081/86–1125) * Henry V, Duke of Carinthia (died 1161) * Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine (c. 1173–1227) * Henry V, Count of Luxembourg (121 ...

'', ''

Mother Clap's Molly House ''Mother Clap's Molly House'' is a 2001 play by Mark Ravenhill with music by Matthew Scott. It is based on an essay in the book of the same name by Rictor Norton. The play is a black comedy and explores the diversity of human sexuality. It is s ...

'', and ''

Under Milk Wood ''Under Milk Wood'' is a 1954 radio drama by Welsh poet Dylan Thomas, commissioned by the BBC and later adapted for the stage. A film version, ''Under Milk Wood'' directed by Andrew Sinclair, was released in 1972, and another adaptation of ...

''. He was an associate artist of

Clwyd Theatr Cymru Theatr Clwyd () is a regional arts centre and producing theatre from Mold, Flintshire, in North East Wales. It opened as Theatr Clwyd in 1976, but was known between 1998 and 2015 as Clwyd Theatr Cymru, before reverting to its original name. His ...

where his credits included, the ''

Life of Galileo ''Life of Galileo'' (), also known as ''Galileo'', is a play by the 20th century German dramatist Bertolt Brecht and collaborator Margarete Steffin with incidental music by Hanns Eisler. The play was written in 1938 and received its first theatri ...

'', ''Barnaby and the Old Boys'', ''

Cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music, song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, a casino, a hotel, a restaurant, or a nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or d ...

'', '' Equus'', ''

Entertaining Mr Sloane ''Entertaining Mr Sloane'' is a three-act play written in 1963 by the English playwright Joe Orton. It was first produced in London at the New Arts Theatre on 6 May 1964 and transferred to the West End's Wyndham's Theatre on 29 June 1964. Plo ...

'', ''

A Christmas Carol ''A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas'', commonly known as ''A Christmas Carol'', is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843 and illustrated by John Leech. ''A Christmas C ...

'', ''The Journey of Mary Kelly'', ''

The Norman Conquests ''The Norman Conquests'' is a trilogy of plays written in 1973 by Alan Ayckbourn. Each of the plays depicts the same six characters over the same weekend in a different part of a house. ''Table Manners'' is set in the dining room, ''Living Toget ...

'', ''

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 ...

'', '' Bedroom Farce'', ''The Rabbit'', '' One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest'', ''A Chorus of Disapproval'', and ''

An Inspector Calls ''An Inspector Calls'' is a play written by English dramatist J. B. Priestley, first performed in the Soviet Union in 1945 and at the New Theatre in London the following year. It is one of Priestley's best-known works for the stage and is con ...

''. Other theatre included ''Badfinger'' at the

Donmar Warehouse The Donmar Warehouse is a 251-seat, not-for-profit theatre in Covent Garden, London, England. It first opened on 18 July 1977. Sam Mendes, Michael Grandage and Josie Rourke have all served as artistic director, a post held since 2019 by Micha ...

and on tour, ''

Ghosts A ghost is the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that is believed to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to rea ...

'' at the

Royal Exchange Theatre The Royal Exchange is a grade II listed building in Manchester, England. It is located in the city centre on the land bounded by St Ann's Square, Exchange Street, Market Street, Cross Street and Old Bank Street. The complex includes the Royal ...

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

, '' House and Garden'' for

Alan Ayckbourn Sir Alan Ayckbourn (born 12 April 1939) is a prolific British playwright and director. He has written and produced as of 2021, more than eighty full-length plays in Scarborough and London and was, between 1972 and 2009, the artistic director of ...

at the

Stephen Joseph Theatre The Stephen Joseph Theatre is a theatre in the round in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England that was founded by Stephen Joseph and was the first theatre in the round in Britain. In 1955, Joseph established a tiny theatre in the round on the f ...

Scarborough Scarborough or Scarboro may refer to: People * Scarborough (surname) * Earl of Scarbrough Places Australia * Scarborough, Western Australia, suburb of Perth * Scarborough, New South Wales, suburb of Wollongong * Scarborough, Queensland, su ...

and ''

Twelve Angry Men ''Twelve Angry Men'' is an American courtroom drama written by Reginald Rose concerning the jury of a homicide trial. It was broadcast initially as a television play in 1954. The following year it was adapted for the stage. It was adapted for a 1 ...

'' at the

Garrick Theatre The Garrick Theatre is a West End theatre, located in Charing Cross Road, in the City of Westminster, named after the stage actor David Garrick. It opened in 1889 with ''The Profligate'', a play by Arthur Wing Pinero, and another Pinero play ...

, London.

Personal life

Blythe was married to actress Iola Gregory; one of their children, Rhian Blythe, is an actress . Their eldest daughter, Angharad Blythe is a writer and TV producer. Blythe later remarried Charlie (Naomi) Blythe. They had two sons together - Sam Blythe and Jack Blythe.

Selected filmography

*1980: ''The Mouse and the Woman'' .... Corporal *1982: ''

Giro City ''Giro City'' is a 1982 British television drama film written and directed by Karl Francis. It stars Glenda Jackson, Jon Finch and Kenneth Colley. The film was released in the United States under the title ''And Nothing But the Truth'' in 1984. ...

'' .... Welsh Policeman *1982: '' Experience Preferred... But Not Essential'' .... Ivan * 1983 ''

The Forgotten Story ''The Forgotten Story'' is a 1945 historical novel by the British novel Winston Graham. In the late nineteenth century a barquentine crashes on the rocks of the Cornish coast. Adaptations Dylan Thomas was commissioned to write an adaptation of t ...

'' (TV Series) .... Martin *1985-1986: ''Troubles and Strife'' (TV Series) .... Harry Price *1986: ''

Whoops Apocalypse ''Whoops Apocalypse'' is a six-part 1982 television sitcom by Andrew Marshall and David Renwick, made by London Weekend Television for ITV. Marshall and Renwick later reworked the concept as a 1986 film of the same name from ITC Entertainment ...

'' .... Guard with Egg in Mouth *1987: ''The Love Child'' .... Elvis *1991-2004: ''

The Bill ''The Bill'' is a British police procedural television series, first broadcast on ITV from 16 August 1983 until 31 August 2010. The programme originated from a one-off drama, '' Woodentop'', broadcast in August 1983. The programme focused on ...

'' (TV Series) .... Ryan Moone / Leo Nelson / Philips / Mr. Wyatt *1992: ''

Rebecca's Daughters ''Rebecca's Daughters'' is a 1992 Welsh and German comedy adventure film about the Rebecca Riots, directed by Karl Francis. The film was based on a story by Dylan Thomas. The screenplay was originally written in 1948 by Thomas, and was publi ...

'' .... Sgt. Bridges *1994: ''The Lifeboat'' (TV Series) .... George Bibby *1994-2006: ''

Casualty Casualty may refer to: *Casualty (person), a person who is killed or rendered unfit for service in a war or natural disaster **Civilian casualty, a non-combatant killed or injured in warfare * The emergency department of a hospital, also known as ...

'' (TV Series) .... Gareth Mart / Trevor Harris *1995: ''

The Englishman who Went up a Hill but Came down a Mountain ''The Englishman who Went up a Hill but Came down a Mountain'' is a 1995 romantic comedy film with a story by Ifor David Monger and Ivor Monger, written and directed by Christopher Monger. It was entered into the 19th Moscow International Film F ...

'' .... Ivor *1996: '' Darklands'' .... McCullen *1997: ''The Woodlanders'' .... Young Timothy Tangs *1998: ''

The Theory of Flight ''The Theory of Flight'' is a 1998 British comedy-drama film directed by Paul Greengrass from a screenplay written by Richard Hawkins. It stars Helena Bonham Carter and Kenneth Branagh. It premiered at the 23rd Toronto International Film Fest ...

'' .... Farmer *1999: '' High Hopes'' (pilot) .... Richard 'Fagin' Hepplewhite *2002-2009: ''High Hopes'' (TV Series) .... Richard 'Fagin' Hepplewhite *2004: ''

Little Britain Little Britain may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Little Britain'' (sketch show), a British radio and then TV show ** ''Little Britain USA'', an American spin-off * "Little Britain", a song by Dreadzone from the 1995 album '' Second Light'' ...

'' (TV Series) *2005: ''Lie Still'' .... Martin Stone *2005-2013: ''

Doctors Doctor or The Doctor may refer to: Personal titles * Doctor (title), the holder of an accredited academic degree * A medical practitioner, including: ** Physician ** Surgeon ** Dentist ** Veterinary physician ** Optometrist *Other roles ** ...

'' (TV Series) .... Eric Birne / Derek Dunsdale / Bob Callaway / Gwilym Llwyd *2007: ''

Midsomer Murders ''Midsomer Murders'' is a British crime drama television series, adapted by Anthony Horowitz and Douglas Watkinson from the novels in the '' Chief Inspector Barnaby'' book series (created by Caroline Graham), and broadcast on two channels of I ...

'' (TV Series) .... George Miller *2007: ''

The Royal ''The Royal'' is a British period medical drama, produced by Yorkshire Television (later part of ITV Studios), and broadcast on ITV1 from 2003 until its cancellation in 2011. The series is set in the 1960s and focuses on the lives of the st ...

'' (TV Series) .... Eric Darnby *2011: ''There Be Dragons'' (director Roland Joffe) .... Archbishop Valencia *2016: ''Love Is Thicker Than Water'' .... George *2017: ''

An Ordinary Man ''An Ordinary Man'' is a 2017 American drama thriller film written, directed and produced by Brad Silberling. It stars Ben Kingsley, Hera Hilmar and Peter Serafinowicz. Filmed in Belgrade, Serbia in 2015, it was screened at the Bari Internationa ...

'' .... Grocer (final film role)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Blythe, Robert 1947 births 2018 deaths Welsh male actors Welsh male film actors Welsh male television actors People from Port Talbot