Derek Griffiths


Derek Griffiths is a British actor and voice artist who appeared in numerous British children's television series in the 1960s to present and has more recently played parts in TV drama.

Career

Griffiths was known in his early years for his Play School appearances alongside the likes of Chloe Ashcroft, Johnny Ball and Brian Cant. A talented multi-instrumentalist, he voiced over and sang the theme tune to Heads and Tails, a series of short animal films for children produced by BBC Television, and also sang and played the theme tune to the cartoon Bod. Another children's TV role was in Granada Television's early 1980s series Film Fun, in which he played the entire staff of a cinema while also showing cartoons such as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner. He appeared on Crown Court as an accused fraudster Raoul Lapointe, from the Belgian Congo. In 1975, Griffiths played Ko-Ko in The Black Mikado at London's Cambridge Theatre. He was also the English voice of SuperTed.
In 1997, Griffiths originated the role of Lumière in the original West End production of Beauty and the Beast at the Dominion Theatre and played the role of the Child Catcher in the West End run of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the London Palladium.
In 2014, Derek Griffiths was presented with a BASCA Gold Badge of Merit award. This was in acknowledgement of his unique contribution to music.
From 2016, he played Freddie Smith in Coronation Street: he left the role in March 2017 to star in a stage production of Driving Miss Daisy.

Children's TV work

Griffiths is also used frequently in advertising. In the past, he has won the Italian advertising Oscar for a series of comedy commercials.

Film work

In the theatre, Griffiths has been particularly associated with the Royal Exchange, Manchester. His roles include:
Griffiths was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 2020 New Year Honours for services to drama and diversity.