'Charm, wit, and absolutely no running in slow motion': Nigel Havers heads to Playhouse
Nigel Havers will be sharing “ridiculous stories” from his remarkable career when his comes to Nottingham next year.
As one of Britain’s leading television actors, Nigel has starred in many outstanding productions including Upstairs Downstairs, The Glittering Prizes, Pennies from Heaven, Murder Most Horrid with Dawn French, and two seasons of the hit US series Brothers and Sisters. He has played Lewis Archer in Coronation Street, Lord Hepworth in Downton Abbey, and has appeared in Benidorm, Murder On The Blackpool Express and Finding Alice with Joanna Lumley. His most recent appearances have been in All Creatures Great and Small, and The Gentleman. Since 2020 he has presented The Bidding Room.
Nigel’s work for the National Theatre includes The Importance of Being Earnest and Harold Pinter’s Family Voices, both directed by Sir Peter Hall. West End appearances include Conduct Unbecoming, Richard II and Man and Superman for the RSC. Nigel played Serge in both the touring and London productions of Art at Wyndham’s Theatre. He has appeared in hugely successful touring productions of Rebecca, Alan Bennett’s Single Spies and Nick Fisher’s comedy Basket Case. His most recent appearance was in Noel Coward’s beloved play Private Lives with Patricia Hodge, again on tour and in the West End. For the past ten years, Nigel has been starring in the hugely popular, sell-out pantomime season at the London Palladium.
His films include Hugh Hudson’s Chariots of Fire, David Lean’s A Passage to India, Steven Spielberg’s Empire of the Sun and Claude Chabrol’s Quiet Days in Clichy. He also starred with Michael Caine in The Whistle Blower and with Nick Nolte in Farewell to the King.
Nigel said: “Join me, a stage, and a lifetime of gloriously ridiculous stories to share with you.
"You’ll get the full Havers experience: charm, wit, and absolutely no running in slow motion. I’ll be taking you on a thoroughly entertaining trot through five decades in showbiz, from my early days as a fresh-faced drama school hopeful, to the highs and lows of a career that’s seen me in everything from Chariots of Fire and Empire of the Sun to Don’t Wait Up and some rather marvellous West End plays – and more than my fair share of Palladium pantos.
“Of course, there’ll be behind-the-scenes gossip, tales of triumph and disaster, moments of sheer madness, and a fair bit of talking b******s. And just when you think you’ve got me figured out, I might surprise you. Let’s just say there’s a taste of my very first acting role and a little showcase of one of my off-stage talents – I’ll leave you guessing.
“So, come along for a night of laughter, nostalgia, and, dare I say, charm. It’s going to be a lot of fun – I promise.”
Nigel Havers comes to the Playhouse on Saturday October 17. Visit nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk or call 0115 941 9419 to book.