Christopher Ravenscroft (born 1946) is an English actor, best known for his recurring role as DI Mike Burden in ''

The Ruth Rendell Mysteries ''The Ruth Rendell Mysteries'' is a British television crime drama series, produced by TVS and later by its successor Meridian Broadcasting, in association with Blue Heaven Productions, for broadcast on the ITV network. Twelve series were broa ...

'', the ITV adaptation of

Ruth Rendell Ruth Barbara Rendell, Baroness Rendell of Babergh, (; 17 February 1930 – 2 May 2015) was an English author of thrillers and psychological murder mysteries. Rendell is best known for creating Chief Inspector Wexford.The Oxford Companion ...

Inspector Wexford Chief Inspector Reginald "Reg" Wexford is a recurring character in a series of detective novels by English crime writer Ruth Rendell. He made his first appearance in the author's 1964 debut ''From Doon With Death'', and has since been the protag ...

mysteries.

Biography

Ravenscroft was born in

Hampstead Hampstead () is an area in London, which lies northwest of Charing Cross, and extends from Watling Street, the A5 road (Roman Watling Street) to Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland. The area forms the northwest part of the Lon ...

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 ...

, and was the star of a number of school plays. He went to

London University The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree- ...

to study law where he did some more theatre and soon decided that he would rather be an actor than a lawyer, and trained at the

Bristol Old Vic Theatre School The Bristol Old Vic Theatre School is a drama school in Bristol, England. The institution provides training in acting and production for careers in film, television and theatre. BOVTS is an affiliate of the Conservatoire for Dance and Drama. I ...

. While working at 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 ...

in the early 1970s he met his future wife, Caroline Smith, who was associate director at the time. He currently lives in Chiswick, West London.

Filmography

Film

*''

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 ...

'' (1989) as Montjoy *'' Tom and Thomas'' (2002) as Frederick Lord *'' The Football Factory'' (2004) as Tamara's Father *''

The Man Who Knew Infinity ''The Man Who Knew Infinity'' is a 2015 British biographical drama film about the Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan, based on the 1991 book of the same name by Robert Kanigel. The film stars Dev Patel as Srinivasa Ramanujan, a real-life ...

'' (2015) as J.J. Thomson

Television

*''

John Halifax, Gentleman ''John Halifax, Gentleman'' is a novel by Dinah Craik, first published in 1856. The novel was adapted for BBC Radio 4 in 1970 and on television on BBC in 1974. Plot summary The action is centred on the town of Tewkesbury, scarcely disguised b ...

'' (1974) as Edwin *''

Coronation Street ''Coronation Street'' is an English soap opera created by Granada Television and shown on ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres around a cobbled, terraced street in Weatherfield, a fictional town based on inner-city Salford. Origi ...

'' (1978) as Police Sergeant *''

The Hound of the Baskervilles ''The Hound of the Baskervilles'' is the third of the four crime novels by British writer Arthur Conan Doyle featuring the detective Sherlock Holmes. Originally serialised in ''The Strand Magazine'' from August 1901 to April 1902, it is set i ...

'' (1982) as Stapleton *''

The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby ''Nicholas Nickleby'' or ''The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby'' (or also ''The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, Containing a Faithful Account of the Fortunes, Misfortunes, Uprisings, Downfallings, and Complete Career of the ...

'' (1982) as Frank Cheeryble *''The Fourth Arm'' (1983) as Kuper *''

Twelfth Night ''Twelfth Night'', or ''What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night's entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Vio ...

'' (1988) as Orsino *''

'' (1987-2000) as Det. Insp. Mike Burden *''

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 ...

'' (2002) as Dr. Rupert Bradshaw *''

The Courtroom ''The Courtroom'' is a British legal drama created by Phil Redmond, which aired between June and December 2004. Music was composed and performed by Steve Wright. The programme was notable for starring many former British soap stars, particularl ...

'' (2004) as Tim Portland *'' The Shell Seekers'' (2006) as Colonel Mellaby *''

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 ** ...

'' (2008) as Howard French *''Doctors'' (2012) as Jeff McAllistair *''Doctors'' (2016) as Phillip Langley *''

Emmerdale ''Emmerdale'' (known as ''Emmerdale Farm'' until 1989) is a British soap opera that is broadcast on ITV1. The show is set in Emmerdale (known as Beckindale until 1994), a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, '' ...

'' (2018) as Judge *''

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 ...

'' (2019) as William Miller

Stage

*''

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 ...

''season 1980-1982, playing Lepidus in ''

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, and ...

'', Antonio in ''

'' and in ''

Baal Baal (), or Baal,; phn, , baʿl; hbo, , baʿal, ). ( ''baʿal'') was a title and honorific meaning "owner", "lord" in the Northwest Semitic languages spoken in the Levant during Ancient Near East, antiquity. From its use among people, it cam ...

''. *''

'', as Mobbs, Snobb, Lenville and Frank Cheeryble, a

production that was also recorded on DVD (1981-1982) *''

''season 1984-1985 as Rosencrantz in ''

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 ...

'', Montjoy in ''

'', Antonio in ''

The Merchant of Venice ''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan provided by a Jewish moneylender, Shylock. Although classified as ...

'', Richmond in ''

Richard III Richard III (2 October 145222 August 1485) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat and death at the Battl ...

'' and Pain in '' Crimes in Hot Countries'' by

Howard Barker Howard Barker (born 28 June 1946) is a British playwright, screenwriter and writer of radio drama, painter, poet, and essayist writing predominantly on playwriting and the theatre. The author of an extensive body of dramatic works since the 197 ...

. *''

'', as Orsino, directed by

Kenneth Branagh Sir Kenneth Charles Branagh (; born 10 December 1960) is a British actor and filmmaker. Branagh trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and has served as its president since 2015. He has won an Academy Award, four BAFTAs (plus t ...

Riverside Studios Riverside Studios is an arts centre on the banks of the River Thames in Hammersmith, London, England. The venue plays host to contemporary performance, film, visual art exhibitions and television production. Having closed for redevelopment in ...

. (1987) Also televised. *''

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 ...

'', as Banquo,

, directed by

Adrian Noble Adrian Keith Noble (born 19 July 1950) is a theatre director, and was also the artistic director and chief executive of the Royal Shakespeare Company from 1990 to 2003. Education and career Noble was born in Chichester, Sussex, England. After l ...

. (1993) *'' Oleanna'', as John, at

Wolsey Theatre The New Wolsey Theatre is an award-winning producing theatre with a café & bar in Ipswich, Suffolk. It is a midsized regional theatre, having a seating capacity of 400. History It replaced The Arts Theatre, the town's much loved and respecte ...

Ipswich. (1995) *''

The Woman in Black ''The Woman in Black'' is a 1983 gothic horror novel by English writer Susan Hill. The plot concerns a mysterious spectre that haunts a small English town. A television film based on the story, also called '' The Woman in Black'', was produced ...

'' at the Apollo Theatre London. (2001-2002) He played the lead role of Arthur Kipps. *''

Educating Rita ''Educating Rita'' is a stage comedy by British playwright Willy Russell. It is a play for two actors set entirely in the office of an Open University tutor. Commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company, ''Educating Rita'' premièred at The Wa ...

'' (2003)Review of Educating Rita
/ref> by Willy Russell in which he starred as Frank. Derby Playhouse and other theatres. *'' The Tempest'', in which he played Prospero, Liverpool Playhouse (2005) * ''Alison's House'' (2009) by Susan Glaspell in which he played Mr Stanhope, Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond. * ''The Doll's House'' (2013) by Ibsen in which he played Dr Rank, Theatre Royal, Bath. *''

Bedroom Farce A bedroom farce or sex farce is a type of light comedy, which centres on the sexual pairings and recombinations of characters as they move through improbable plots and slamming doors. Overview The most famous bedroom farceur is probably George ...

'' (2009), West Yorkshire Playhouse *''

Alison's House ''Alison's House'' is a drama in three acts by American playwright Susan Glaspell. It was first produced at Eva Le Gallienne's Civic Repertory Theatre on 14th Street, New York, on 1 December 1930, where it was given 25 performances in the regu ...

'' (2009),

Orange Tree Theatre The Orange Tree Theatre is a 180-seat theatre at 1 Clarence Street, Richmond in south-west London, which was built specifically as a theatre in the round. It is housed within a disused 1867 primary school, built in Victorian Gothic style. Th ...

* ''The Promise'' (2013) by Ben Brown in which he played Herbert Asquith, Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond. * ''

Comedy of Errors ''The Comedy of Errors'' is one of William Shakespeare's early plays. It is his shortest and one of his most farcical comedies, with a major part of the humour coming from slapstick and mistaken identity, in addition to puns and word play. It ...

'' (2010), Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park * ''The Conspirators'' (2011) by Vaclav Havel in which he played Dykl, Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond. * ''

The Winslow Boy ''The Winslow Boy'' is an English play from 1946 by Terence Rattigan based on an incident involving George Archer-Shee in the Edwardian era. The incident took place at the Royal Naval College, Osborne. Background Set against the strict co ...

'' (2012), in which he played Arthur Winslow. Various theatres. He won a Manchester Theatre Award for this role. * ''Good Grief'' (2012), in which he played The Suit, Kings Theatre, Edinburgh and various other theatres. * ''The Stepmother'' (2013) by Githa Sowerby in which he played Eustace Gaydon, Orange Tree Theatre Richmond. * ''The Man Who Pays the Piper'' (2013) by G.B. Stern in which he played Dr Fairley, Orange Tree Theatre ,Richmond. * ''Dances of Death'' (2013) by Strindberg in which he played Kurt, Gate Theatre London. * ''Storm in a Flower Vase'' (2013) by Anton Burge in which he played Shav, Arts Theatre, London. * ''

The Notorious Mrs. Ebbsmith ''The Notorious Mrs. Ebbsmith'' is a play by Arthur Wing Pinero. It was first produced on 13 March 1895 at the Garrick Theatre, with Mrs Patrick Campbell playing the lead role of Agnes Ebbsmith. The theme of the play is social radicalism. The tit ...

'' (2014) by Arthur Wing Pinero in which he played Duke of St Olpherts, Jermyn Street Theatre London. * ''The Cocktail Party'' (2015) by T.S. Eliot in which he played Alex, The Print Room, London. * ''High Society'' (2015) Old Vic Theatre, London. * ''The Humble Boy'' (2018) by Charlotte Jones in which he played Jim, Orange Tree Theatre ,Richmond.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ravenscroft, Christopher 1946 births Living people English male television actors English male stage actors