Bernard Gallagher (26 September 1929 – 27 November 2016) was an English actor known for his stage work, including with the National Theatre and the

Royal Court A royal court, often called simply a court when the royal context is clear, is an extended royal household in a monarchy, including all those who regularly attend on a monarch, or another central figure. Hence, the word "court" may also be appl ...

; and his many appearances in television

soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...

s and dramas. He was born in Bradford, West Riding of Yorkshire. Gallagher studied English at

Sheffield University , mottoeng = To discover the causes of things , established = – University of SheffieldPredecessor institutions: – Sheffield Medical School – Firth College – Sheffield Technical School – University College of Sheffield , type = Pu ...

, and following

National service National service is the system of voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act 1939. The ...

in the

RAF Educational Service The Royal Air Force Educational Service was a civilian-manned service within the British Royal Air Force which provided instruction for aircraft apprentices and airmen, mainly in engineering, but also in other subjects. The service was establis ...

(1952–54), made his stage debut in

Lyme Regis Lyme Regis is a town in west Dorset, England, west of Dorchester and east of Exeter. Sometimes dubbed the "Pearl of Dorset", it lies by the English Channel at the Dorset–Devon border. It has noted fossils in cliffs and beaches on the Heri ...

in 1956. Working in regional rep for the next decade, in 1965 he joined London’s

for Bill Gaskill’s first season, with roles in (amongst others) the original stage productions of Edward Bond’s '' Saved'', and Joe Orton's ''

The Ruffian on the Stair ''The Ruffian On the Stair'' is a play by British playwright Joe Orton which was first broadcast on BBC Radio in 1964, in a production by John Tydeman. It is an unsympathetic yet comedic one-act portrayal of working class England, as played out ...

'' and ''

The Erpingham Camp ''The Erpingham Camp'' (1966) is a 52-minute television play by Joe Orton, which was later performed on stage. The play was originally produced by Associated-Rediffusion for inclusion in the ''Seven Deadly Sins'' series, representing pride. Dire ...

'' (both 1967). Later in 1967, Gallagher began a long association with the National Theatre (1967-1976), when he appeared in Clifford Williams’ all-male '' As You Like It''. Other roles included in Howard Brenton’s '' Weapons of Happiness'' and Tom Stoppard’s ''

Jumpers Jumper or Jumpers may refer to: Clothing * Jumper (sweater), a long-sleeve article of clothing; also called a top, pullover, or sweater **A waist-length top garment of dense wool, part of the Royal Navy uniform and the uniform of the United Stat ...

''. He also spent two seasons with the Royal Shakespeare Company, and worked for many other theatre companies, such as

Paines Plough Paines Plough is a touring theatre company founded in 1974 by writer David Pownall and director John Adams. The company specialises exclusively in commissioning and producing new plays and helping playwrights develop their craft. Over the past ...

and

Max Stafford-Clark Maxwell Robert Guthrie Stewart "Max" Stafford-Clark (born 17 March 1941) is a British theatre director. Life and career Stafford-Clark was born in Cambridge, England. the son of David Stafford-Clark, a physician, and Dorothy Crossley (née Old ...

Out of Joint Out of Joint is a British and international touring theatre company based in London. It specialises in the commissioning and production of new writing, interspersed with occasional revivals and classic productions. It was founded in 1993 by direct ...

. West End appearances included

Michael Frayn Michael Frayn, FRSL (; born 8 September 1933) is an English playwright and novelist. He is best known as the author of the farce '' Noises Off'' and the dramas ''Copenhagen'' and ''Democracy''. His novels, such as '' Towards the End of the M ...

’s ''Alphabetical Order'' (May Fair Theatre, 1975),

Willy Russell William Russell (born 23 August 1946) is an English dramatist, lyricist and composer. His best known works are ''Educating Rita'', ''Shirley Valentine'', '' Blood Brothers'' and ''Our Day Out''. Early life Russell was born in Whiston, Lancash ...

’s ''Breezeblock Park'' (

Whitehall Theatre Trafalgar Theatre is a new West End theatre in Whitehall, near Trafalgar Square, in the City of Westminster, London. It is set to open in spring 2021 following a major multi-million pound restoration project aiming to reinstate it back to its ...

, 1977) and Caryl Churchill’s ''Heart’s Desire'' (

Duke of York's Theatre The Duke of York's Theatre is a West End theatre in St Martin's Lane, in the City of Westminster, London. It was built for Frank Wyatt and his wife, Violet Melnotte, who retained ownership of the theatre until her death in 1935. Designed by th ...

, 1997). Gallagher played the lead role of compassionate consultant Ewart Plimmer in the first three years of BBC TV's long-running medical drama series ''

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 ...

''. In Granada Television’s daytime legal drama series '' Crown Court'', he played Barrister Jonathan Fry QC. Gallagher's numerous other TV credits include that of a Desk Sergeant in the second episode of the hard-hitting 1970s British police drama '' The Sweeney'' (episode entitled: ''Jackpot''), '' Heartbeat'' (playing recurring character Graham Weston in series 6 and 7) and its sister programme ''

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 ...

'' (although he played different characters), '' Bergerac'', '' Bad Girls'', '' Wycliffe'', '' Midsomer Murders'' and '' London's Burning''. In rare comedic roles he played Arthur, the

Holiday Camp A holiday camp is a type of holiday accommodation that encourages holidaymakers to stay within the site boundary, and provides entertainment and facilities for them throughout the day. Since the 1970s, the term has fallen out of favour with term ...

manager in ''

Oh No It's Selwyn Froggitt ''Oh No It's Selwyn Froggitt'' is a British television sitcom which ran on the ITV network from 1974 to 1978. Set in the fictional Yorkshire town of Scarsdale, the series stars Bill Maynard as Selwyn Froggitt, a council labourer, hapless handy ...

'', DS Lang in the "Photographs" episode of ''

Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em ''Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em'' is a British sitcom broadcast on BBC1, created and written by Raymond Allen and starring Michael Crawford and Michele Dotrice. It was first broadcast in 1973 and ran for two series, including two Christmas special ...

'' and Mr. Glockenspiel in the " Alternative Culture" episode of '' The Thin Blue Line''. Gallagher also portrayed keen gardener Bill Molesley in ITV's ''

Downton Abbey ''Downton Abbey'' is a British historical drama television series set in the early 20th century, created and co-written by Julian Fellowes. The series first aired in the United Kingdom on ITV on 26 September 2010 and in the United States o ...

'' (2010-2013); and Enfield in ''

The Duchess of Duke Street ''The Duchess of Duke Street'' is a BBC television drama series set in London between the late 1800s and 1925. It was created by John Hawkesworth (producer), John Hawkesworth, previously the producer of the ITV (TV network), ITV period drama ' ...

'' (series 2, episode 12).

Filmography

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gallagher, Bernard Male actors from Bradford English male actors English male stage actors English male television actors English people of Irish descent 1929 births 2016 deaths Deaths from pneumonia in England