DON HENDERSON
Don's acting career began when he accepted a 'dare' from a friend to
audition for the Royal Shakespeare Company. He was accepted on the spot, and
stayed with the RSC for six happy years, playing almost all of Shakespeare's
characters.
In 1977, Granada Television cast Don to play the role of Detective Sergeant
Bulman in a three part mini-series entitled The XYY Man. He was later
asked to re-create the role in Strangers with his on screen partner,
Dennis Blanche. After two series of Strangers, Granada gave him his own
series entitled Bulman, written by Murray Smith, in which he was
partnered by Siobhan Redmond. Bulman ran for 26 episodes.
Don then teamed up with his old friend Leslie Grantham and with Murray Smith
to create the award winning drama series The Paradise Club which ran
for 20 episodes.
A devoted family man, Don loved to work with his wife, Shirley Stelfox,
whenever the opportunity arose, including Knights of God and more
recently in the award winning drama Pat and Margaret with Victoria Wood
and Julie Walters.
Film credits include Star Wars for George Lucas, A Midsummer
Night's Dream for Sir Peter Hall, Brazil and Baron Munchhausen
for Terry Gilliam, No Escape opposite Ray Liotta for director Martin
Campbell, Wind in the Willows for Terry Jones, and two films awaiting
release: Preaching to the Perverted for Stuart Urban and Fairytale
for director Charles Sturridge.
Don Henderson wrote in to IRDP back in the early days of the company, asking
to act in the company's plays, but IRDP's directors did not immediately
recognise the significance of his approach, and Don had to personally ring the
company to ask for an audition! Realising our mistake, we skipped the audition
bit and immediately offered him the part of Socrates as well as the role
of a Renaissance hitman in a new production of The Borgias.
Since those early days, Don became a friend and guiding light for the
company. His unpretentious and down to earth approach was a great inspiration
and support for new writers. As Patron of the LAB / LBC
London Radio Playwrights' Festival
since its foundation in 1990, his colourful and conscientious script reports
written in his own very distinctive long-hand style became legendary. He starred
with Leslie Grantham in the award winning production of The Brockley Jack,
and he produced a masterful performance as Professor Van Helsing in IRDP's
six-hour long dramatisation of Bram Stoker's
Dracula. He also
starred in Martin McDonagh's first radio play,
The Wolf and the Woodcutter,
a winning play in the London Radio Playwrights' Festival in 1995.
Don passed away peacefully in his sleep on Sunday 22nd June 1997 after a
short illness, leaving behind his wife, the actress Shirley Stelfox, his son Ian
and daughter Louise, his stepdaughter Helena and his grandson, Mathew.
His support for new writers and his energy, judgement and friendship will be
missed by all of us at IRDP.
A friendly postcard from Don
written in his own inimitable style
If you would like to see profiles of other people we've worked with,
CLICK HERE.
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