Brian Murray

MURRAY, Brian (born Brian Anthony Bell) (b. Johannesburg, 10/09/1937 - d. 20/08/2018) [1] is a South African-born actor and theatre director who later worked in England and the United States, where he settled in New York City.

Biography

Born in Johannesburg, but grew up in England.

Career

Began his acting career in London's West End, though working in South Africa in the 1950’s. For example, he starred in Taubie Kushlick’s production of Robert Anderson’s Tea and Sympathy in 1954 and Agatha Christie’s Bus Stop (directed by Anthony Farmer at the Johannesburg REPS in 1955) under the name Brian Bell. Also did work for for Leonard Schach and the Cockpit Players. On his return to England he did nine productions for the Royal Shakespeare Company (including Peter Brook’s King Lear and Peter Hall’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream). Later moved to the USA, where he garnered Tony nominations for The Crucible, The Little Foxes and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. He won a Drama Desk Award in 1997 for playing Ben Hubbard in The Little Foxes opposite Stockard Channing, and picked up a third Obie in 2001 for his performance in Edward Albee's The Play About the Baby. He also is a recipient of an Obie Lifetime achievement award and the Lucille Lortel award for the body of his work. Film roles include Chunky Grogan in The League of Gentlemen (1959), Lynch in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (1979), Terry Manchester in Bob Roberts (1992), and he appeared in City Hall (1996). On television Murray has appeared in Illusions (1983), Hamlet (1990, playing Claudius) and Twelfth Night (1998).

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

He starred in Taubie Kushlick’s production of Robert Anderson’s Tea and Sympathy in 1954 and Agatha Christie’s Bus Stop (directed by Anthony Farmer at the Johannesburg REPS in 1955) under the name Brian Bell. Also did work for for Leonard Schach and the Cockpit Players.

In later years he returned to South Africa on occasion (as Brian Murray now) to do plays such as Twigs (1974 and 1982), After the Fall (PACT, 1981), Shadowlands (The Baxter Theatre, 1991 – , Amadeus (Baxter Theatre, 2006). He starred in Leonard Schach’s production of Arthur Miller’s After the Fall, which was staged by PACT for their opening production at the Pretoria State Theatre in 1981. It also starred Erica Rogers. He directed Diane Wilson in Twigs for PACT in 1974. He starred in William Nicholson’s Shadowlands at the Market Theatre in 1991.

In 2006 he was seen as the insanely jealous court composer, Salieri, in the Baxter Theatre production of Amadeus.

Awards, etc

Nominee in 1991 for the Stewart Leith Award for best actor in a leading role in English for Shadowlands for which he received the Fleur du Cap Award, Best Actor.

Brian Murray was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame [2] in 2004.

Sources

Tucker, 1997.

Scenaria (25):42-44, 1981.

Cape Times, 17 March 2006.

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