David Haig

For other, similarly-named people, see David Haig (disambiguation).
David Haig
Born David Haig Collum Ward
(1955-09-20) 20 September 1955
Aldershot, Hampshire, England
Occupation Actor, writer
Years active 1978–present
Spouse(s) Julia Jane Ramsay Gray (acts under the name Jane Galloway)
Children Five

David Haig Collum Ward, MBE (born 20 September 1955) is an Olivier Award-winning English actor and FIPA Award-winning writer. He is known for his versatility, having played dramatic, serio-comic and comedic roles, playing characters of varied social classes. He has appeared in top roles in stage productions all over the West End and has done numerous TV and film roles over the past 25 years.

Career

Film and television

He appeared in the 1994 film Four Weddings and a Funeral[1] and had a secondary lead in the BBC television sitcom The Thin Blue Line playing Inspector Grim, the inept foil to Rowan Atkinson's Inspector Fowler. In 2002 he played the brother of Four Weddings' co-star Hugh Grant in the romantic comedy Two Weeks Notice, alongside Sandra Bullock. In 2007, He appeared in a Comic Relief sketch called "Mr. Bean's Wedding" as the bride's father, reuniting with his Thin Blue Line co-star Rowan Atkinson.

Other TV work includes Doctor Who story The Leisure Hive (1980); Blake's 7 episode "Rumours of Death" (1980); Campion story Sweet Danger (1990); Inspector Morse episode "Dead On Time" (1992); and Cracker. In the 1990s he appeared in season 1 of the successful TV series Soldier Soldier.

He appears in the Richard Fell adaptation of the 1960s science fiction series A for Andromeda, on the UK digital television station BBC Four. Haig wrote the play My Boy Jack and later appeared in the television adaptation[1] as Rudyard Kipling, with Daniel Radcliffe playing Kipling's son, John.

In 2008, he appeared in the BBC film Dustbin Baby and The 39 Steps. He also appeared in the Midsomer Murders episode "The Glitch". In 2009 he appeared as Steve Fleming in BBC TV's The Thick Of It and as Jon, husband to former MP Mo Mowlam in the hugely successful drama Mo opposite Julie Walters. Also in 2009, he appeared in two episodes as the headmaster of Portwenn Primary School, Mr Straine on ITV comedy drama Doc Martin.

In January 2013 Haig started appearing as Jim Hacker in a re-make of classic 1980s comedy series Yes Prime Minister, broadcast on Gold TV in the United Kingdom.[2]

In 2012 a new sitcom pilot, starring Haig and written by Ben Elton, was filmed for the BBC.[3] Filming for a full six part series of the sitcom, The Wright Way (formerly known as Slings and Arrows) was completed in March 2013, and began airing on BBC One on 23 April.[4]

Radio

In 2008, he played Maurice Haigh-Wood in the BBC Radio adaptation of Michael Hasting's play Tom and Viv, and 2010 he starred as Norman Birkett in Norman Birkett and the Case of the Coleford Poisoner on BBC Radio 4's Afternoon Play series.. He also played Lewis Eliot in C. P. Snow's "Strangers and Brothers" on Radio 4 in 2003, repeated on Radio 4 Extra February 2013.

Stage

He also won an Olivier Award in 1988 for Actor of the Year in a New Play, for his performance in Our Country's Good at the Royal Court in Sloane Square. He toured Britain with the stage version of My Boy Jack, which he wrote, and in which he played Rudyard Kipling and directed a production of Private Lives by Noël Coward, which made a successful national tour in 2005.

Haig has appeared in several stage productions in London's West End, including Hitchcock Blonde at the Royal Court, Life X 3 at the Savoy Theatre, as the character Osborne in R.C. Sherriff's play Journey's End at the Comedy Theatre, and as Mr George Banks in Mary Poppins at the Prince Edward Theatre for which he received an Olivier Award nomination. He was also nominated for playing Christopher Headingley in a revival of Michael Frayn's comedy Donkeys' Years at the Comedy Theatre. Having appeared in the role of Pinchwife in the comedy The Country Wife at the Royal Haymarket Theatre in London, he appeared in The Sea at the same theatre. Haig's next role was Truscott in the Joe Orton black farce Loot at London's Tricycle Theatre from 11 December 2008 to 31 January 2009 and at Theatre Royal, Newcastle, 2 to 7 February 2009.

In 2010 he played the role of Jim Hacker in the stage version of Yes, Prime Minister[5] at the Chichester Festival Gielgud Theatre, in London's West End from 17 September 2010.[6]

Personal life

Haig was born in Aldershot in Hampshire to Francis W. and Shirley R. C. (née Brooks) Ward, an army officer, later director of the Hayward Gallery and opera singer, respectively, and educated at Rugby School. He currently lives in South London. He is father to five children with his wife, Julia Jane Ramsay Gray (who acts as Jane Galloway) and is a patron of SANDS, a charity which deals with stillbirth and neonatal death.

Haig was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2013 Birthday Honours for services to drama.[7]

Theatre work

Year Title Character Production Notes
2015 Guys and Dolls
by Frank Loesser
Nathan Detroit Chichester Festival Theatre
2015 Someone Who'll Watch Over Me
by Frank McGuinness
Michael Minerva Theatre, Chichester
2014 Pressure
by David Haig
James Stagg Royal Lyceum Theatre/Chichester Festival Theatre
2013 King Lear
by William Shakespeare
Lear Theatre Royal, Bath
2011-12 The Madness of George III
by Alan Bennett[8]
George III National Tour and Apollo TheatreOlivier Award Nomination
2010-11 Yes, Prime Minister
by Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn[9]
Jim Hacker Chichester Festival Theatre and Gielgud Theatre
2009 Loot
by Joe Orton[10]
Inspector Truscott Tricycle Theatre
2008 The Sea
by Edward Bond[11]
Hatch Royal Haymarket Theatre
2007 The Country Wife
by William Wycherley[12]
Pinchwife Royal Haymarket Theatre
2006 Donkey's Years
by Michael Frayn[13]
Chris Headlingly Comedy Theatre Olivier Award Nomination
2005 Mary Poppins
by Julian Fellowes[14]
Mr Banks Prince Edward Theatre Olivier Award Nomination
2004 Journey's End
by R.C. Sherriff[15]
Osborne Comedy Theatre
2003 Hitchcock Blonde
by Terry Johnson[16]
Royal Court and Lyric Theatre, West End
2002 Life x3
by Yasmina Reza[17]
Henri Savoy Theatre
1997 "Art"
by Yasmina Reza[18]
Ivan Wyndham's Theatre and Broadway
1997 My Boy Jack
by David Haig[19]
Rudyard Kipling Hampstead Theatre
1994 Dead Funny
by Terry Johnson
Richard Hampstead Theatre and West End
1991 Measure For Measure
by William Shakespeare[20]
Angelo Young Vic and RSC tour
1988 Our Country's Good
by Timberlake Wertenbaker[1]
Ralph Clark Royal Court Olivier Award Best Actor In a New Play
1988 The Recruiting Officer
by George Farquhar
Plume Royal Court
1988 Greenland Paul Royal Court
1985 Tom and Viv
by Michael Hastings[21]
Maurice Royal Court and Broadway

TV and filmography

Year Film Role Notes
1978 The Moon Stallion Todman TV series
1980 Blake's 7 Forres TV series (1 episode: "Rumours of Death")
Doctor Who Pangol TV series (4 episodes)
1983 Chessgame Colin Jenkins TV series (1 episode: "Flying Blind")
1984 Dark Enemy Ash
1985 Morons from Outer Space Palatial House Flunkey
1986 The Alamut Ambush Colin Jenkins TV movie
Cold War Killers Colin Jenkins TV movie
1989 Hannay Conrad Smyth TV series (1 episode: "The Good Samaritan")
Dramarama Bill Brock TV series (1 episode: "Badger")
1990 Campion Cully Randall/Guffy Randall TV series (2 episodes)
Portrait of a Marriage Harold Nicolson TV series (4 episodes)
1991 Chancer Dr. Haselden TV series (1 episode: "Remembrance")
Soldier Soldier Major Tom Cadman TV series (7 episodes)
1992 Inspector Morse Peter Rhodes TV series (1 episode: "Dead on Time")
Boon Jim Fisk TV series (1 episode: "Is There Anybody There?")
1993 The Darling Buds of May Captain Robert Battersby TV series (2 episodes)
Alleyn Mysteries Arthur Wilde TV series (1 episode: "A Man Lay Dead")
Cracker Graham TV series (2 episodes)
1994 The Bill Brian Linton TV series (1 episode: "Secrets")
Four Weddings and Funeral Bernard the Groom - Wedding Two
Love on a Branch Line Lionel Virley TV series (4 episodes)
Nice Day at the Office Chris Selwyn TV series (6 episodes)
1995 The Four Corners of Nowhere Nick
Wycliffe David Millar TV series (1 episode: "Charades")
The Thin Blue Line D.I. Grim TV series (14 episodes: 1995-1996)
1997 Keeping Mum Richard Beare TV series (16 episodes: 1997-1998)
1998 Talking Heads 2 Wilfred Paterson TV mini-series (1 episode: "Playing Sandwiches")
1999 The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Tales of Innocence Colonel Bonnet video
2000 Dalziel and Pascoe David Hallingsworth TV series (1 episode: "A Sweeter Lazarus")
2001 Ivor the Invisible Park Keeper voice
Station Jim Riorden Jnr TV movie
2002 Crime and Punishment Luhzin TV movie
Rachel's Attic Adam
Two Weeks Notice Howard Wade
2004 Hustle Sir Anthony Reeves TV series (1 episode: "The Last Gamble")
2006 A for Andromeda General Vandenburg
2007 Comic Relief 2007: The Big One Kate's Dad TV movie
Church Going Priest short
My Boy Jack Rudyard Kipling TV movie
2008 Dickens Secret Lover Charles Dickens TV movie
Agatha Christie's Marple: Murder Is Easy Major Hugh Horton TV movie
Dustin Baby Elliot TV movie
The 39 Steps Sir George Sinclair TV movie
2009 My Family Jeremy Livingstone TV series (1 episode: "The Guru")
Midsomer Murders George Jeffers TV series (1 episode: "The Glitch")
Doc Martin Mr Straine (Headmaster of Portwenn Primary School) TV series (2 episodes)
The Thick of It Steve Fleming TV series (2 episodes)
2010 Mo Jon Norton TV movie
2011 The Half-Light Man short
Strike Back Christopher Manning TV series (2 episodes)
2013 Yes Minister Jim Hacker TV series (6 episodes)
2013 The Wright Way Gerald TV series (6 episodes)
2016 Florence Foster Jenkins Carlo Edwards Post-production

References

  1. 1 2 3 Lisa Sewards (6 January 2012). "Man behind the moustache: David Haig’s made a career out of his trademark ’tache. Now it’s come off for a new theatre role". Mail Online (London: Associated Newspapers Ltd). Retrieved 17 March 2013.
  2. Laura Caroe (15 January 2013). "No, my PM is not Cam". The Sun (London: News Group Newspapers Limited). Retrieved 17 March 2013.
  3. "New sitcom from Ben Elton". TV Tonight. Retrieved 2013-02-02.
  4. Patrick Munn (5 January 2013). "Kacey Ainsworth, Rufus Jones & Michael Falzon Cast In BBC One’s Ben Elton Sitcom". Retrieved 28 January 2013.
  5. "Stage plan for Yes Prime Minister". BBC News. 18 February 2010.
  6. "Chicester Minister Bound for Gielgud, 17 Sep". Whats On Stage website. 11 June 2010. Retrieved 12 June 2010.
  7. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 60534. p. 24. 15 June 2013.
  8. Spencer, Charles (24 January 2012). "The Madness of George III". London: Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-10-24.
  9. Benedictus, Leo (25 May 2010). "Yes Prime Minister". London: Guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-10-24.
  10. "Loot". Entertainment.timesonline.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-10-24.
  11. Taylor, Paul (25 January 2008). "The Sea". London: Independent.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-10-24.
  12. "The Country Wife". Britishtheatreguide.info. Retrieved 2012-10-24.
  13. "Donkey’s Years". Britishtheatreguide.info. Retrieved 2012-10-24.
  14. "Mary Poppins". Musicalheaven.com. Retrieved 2012-10-24.
  15. "Journey’s End". Indielondon.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-10-24.
  16. "Hitchcock Blonde". Royalcourttheatre.com. Retrieved 2012-10-24.
  17. "Life x3". Whatsonstage.com. Retrieved 2012-10-24.
  18. "Art". Londontheatre.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-10-24.
  19. "My Boy Jack". Nritishtheatreguide.info. Retrieved 2012-10-24.
  20. "Measure for Measure". Rscshakespeare.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-10-24.
  21. "Tom and Viv". Thebeautifulchanges.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-10-24.

External links

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