Brian Darnley

Brian Darnley (1949-). British actor, writer and director.

Biography

Brian trained as teacher of Educational Drama in Newcastle upon Tyne. After college he joined the acting company of Brian Way’s Theatre Centre, London - touring to schools throughout the UK. In 1974 he established Theatre Roundabout, a Theatre in Education Company in Durban, South Africa. It was here that he started writing – to provide original material for the theatre company.

He married actress Lynette Brown. The Darnleys left South Africa in 1980.

He has worked in television, radio and theatre as an actor, presenter, director, writer and teacher. Highlights include coaching at E15 Acting School, playing the lead role in the 35th year of The Mousetrap and appearing in Dr Who (1983).

He is a Fellow of Trinity College, London and has an MBA from the University of Reading.

Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance

With his wife, Lyn, they worked extensively in theatre for NAPAC, acted in radio plays and serials at the SABC and independent production houses, and taught at the Catherine King school of Speech and Drama. Founded Theatre Roundabout in 1974.

As actor

As actor, Brian performed in The Moon is Blue, The Deep Blue Sea (1977), Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead (1978) and in The Unvarnished Truth (1979).

As director

He directed for Theatre Roundabout and also for PACT Playwork. Productions include:

1973: The Great Wopperloop (Drama Lab)

1979: The Great Wopperloop (PACT Playwork)

1979: Zoomerang (PACT Playwork)

As playwright

He wrote plays for children/theatre-in-education, including:

The Great Wopperloop (1973)
When the World Was Very Young (1974)
The Lost Laugh (1974)
The Music Makers (1975)
The Carton of Oon (1975)
The 1820 Settlers (1975)
Zoomerang (1975)
STOP! (1976)
Oodles (1976)

Sources

SACD 1974; 1978/79; 1979/80.

Greyvenstein, Walter 1988. The history and development of children's theatre in English in South Africa. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Johannesburg: Rand Afrikaans University.

https://www.silverbirchingtonplays.com/ourauthors

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1556358/

https://news.artsmart.co.za/2020/09/tribute-to-former-south-african-actress.html

Correspondence with Brian Darnley, 10 July 2026.

Go to ESAT Bibliography