Nigel Lindsay


Nigel Lindsay is an English stage and screen actor, best known on television for his roles as Sir Robert Peel in the first two seasons of Victoria, Jo Jo Marshall in the Netflix series Safe and as Barry in the BAFTA winning Chris Morris film Four Lions for which he was nominated for Best British Comedy Performance in Film at the 2011 British Comedy Awards
In 2012 he was nominated for an Olivier Award for his performance in the title role in the original West End run of Shrek the Musical at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane and won the Whatsonstage Award for Best Supporting Actor in the 2011 production of Arthur Miller's Broken Glass at the Tricycle Theatre.

Early life and education

Lindsay was born in St John's Wood and grew up in Kenton in North West London. He attended Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood, an independent private day school for boys before going on to the University of Birmingham, where he studied English and French. After university, he worked for three years as a financial analyst specialising in French and Belgian equities at stockbrokers Savory Milln and Swiss Bank SBC. After performing in a friend's charity production of Robert Bolt's The Thwarting of Baron Bolligrew, he gave up the City to take a two-year course at the Webber Douglas Academy, where he won the Amherst Webber scholarship. His finals show, Charley's Aunt, was directed by Michael Fry, who gave him his first professional job with the Lincolnshire touring company Great Eastern Stage.

Career

Lindsay's early work was mainly in theatre. One of his first London stage roles saw him play the King of France in King Lear at the Royal Court Theatre, with Tom Wilkinson as Lear and Andy Serkis as the Fool. At a weekly Monday night poker game, Lindsay was asked by Patrick Marber to attend a week's improvisational workshop of a play he was devising about poker. This became Dealer's Choice, which premiered at the National Theatre in February 1995 with Lindsay as Mugsy and Ray Winstone and Phil Daniels among the original cast. The play transferred to the Vaudeville Theatre, and won that year's Evening Standard Award for Best Comedy and Writers' Guild Award for Best Play. Other theatre work includes: Max in The Real Thing by Tom Stoppard, which won three Tonys on Broadway in 2000; Ariel in the 2004 Olivier award-winning National Theatre production of Martin McDonagh's The Pillowman, with Jim Broadbent and David Tennant; twice as Nathan Detroit in Michael Grandage's Guys and Dolls at the Piccadilly Theatre in 2005 and again at the Phoenix Theatre in 2015, and Charlie Maggs in Sucker Punch by Roy Williams at the Royal Court in 2010. Lindsay has appeared in five plays at the Almeida Theatre, including as Lenny in Harold Pinter's The Homecoming with Ken Cranham and Danny Dyer in 2009 and as Moe Axelrod alongside Stockard Channing and Jodie Whittaker in Awake and Sing by Clifford Odets, for which he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in the 2008 Whatsonstage Awards.
Lindsay has appeared in many regular series, including: Unforgotten, Spooks, Silent Witness, Waking the Dead, Poirot, New Tricks and Inspector George Gently. He played Odo Stevens in the 1997 Channel 4 adaptation of A Dance to the Music of Time; Ewan McGregor's boss Ron Baker in the film Rogue Trader; the Jewish terrorist Levi in Rome; and Lt Col Mervyn Gonin in the BAFTA nominated The Relief of Belsen. He has worked with Steve Coogan on I'm Alan Partridge, Mid-Morning Matters with Alan Partridge, and ; with Armando Iannucci on The Armando Iannucci Shows; with Jennifer Saunders in two series of Jam and Jerusalem; and again with Chris Morris on Brass Eye. More recently he appeared as Tony Walsh in two series of the BBC comedy White Gold.
Later theatre work includes playing Bolingbroke opposite David Tennant in the RSC production of Richard II at Stratford and the Barbican; Jack McCracken in the National Theatre revival of the Alan Ayckbourn play A Small Family Business in the Olivier theatre; and Charlie Fox opposite Lindsay Lohan and Richard Schiff in David Mamet's Speed-the-Plow at the Playhouse Theatre in the West End.

Theatre and filmography

Theatre

YearPlayRoleTheatreNotes
1991The Girl Who Fell to EarthPotoriek/DaniloLilian Baylis & tourfor Great Eastern Stage
1992Anna KareninaStivaTricycle & tourfor Shared Experience, Time Out Award
1992Relative ValuesLord MarshwoodSalisbury Playhouse
1993King LearKing of FranceRoyal Courtdir: Max Stafford-Clark
1995Dealer's ChoiceMugsyRoyal National Theatre /VaudevilleEvening Standard, Writer's Guild Award
1995The TowerLandryAlmeida Theatredir: Howard Davies
1996Blue Remembered HillsJohnRoyal National Theatre
1998The London CuckoldsTownlyRoyal National Theatredir: Terry Johnson
1999Morphic ResonanceJimDonmar Warehouse
1999–2000The Real ThingMaxDonmar/Albery/Ethel Barrymore – BroadwayTony Award – Best Revival
2002Push UpFrankRoyal Court
2002Bedroom FarceNickAldwych Theatre
2003The TempestStephanoOld Vicdir: Michael Grandage
2003World MusicGeoff FallonSheffield Crucibledir: Josie Rourke
2003The PillowmanArielRoyal National TheatreLaurence Olivier Award – Best Play
2004Earthly ParadiseWilliam MorrisAlmeida Theatre
2005Woman BeforeFrankRoyal Court
2005RomanceDefendantAlmeida Theatreby David Mamet
2005Guys and DollsNathan DetroitPiccadilly Theatre
2007Awake and SingMoe AxelrodAlmeida TheatreNom: Best Supporting Actor Whatsonstage.com Awards
2008The HomecomingLennyAlmeida Theatredir: Michael Attenborough
2008Under the Blue SkyRobertDuke of York's Theatre
2010Sucker PunchCharlie MaggsRoyal Court
2010Broken GlassDr Harry HymanTricycle TheatreWinner: Best Supporting Actor Whatsonstage.com Awards
2011Shrek the MusicalShrekTheatre Royal Drury LaneNom: Best Actor in a Musical Laurence Olivier Award and Whatsonstage.com Awards
2013The Same Deep Water as MeBarry PattersonDonmar Warehousedir: John Crowley
2013Richard IIBolingbrokeRSC Stratford/Barbicandir: Greg Doran David Tennant as Richard
2014A Small Family BusinessJack McCrackenRoyal National Theatre
2014Speed the PlowCharlie FoxPlayhouse Theatrewith Lindsay Lohan and Richard Schiff
2015BullCarterYoung Vic
2016Guys and DollsNathan DetroitPhoenix Theatretakeover from Richard Kind for 6-week run
2016HarrogateHimRoyal Courtfor High Tide at Royal Court and tour
2018God of CarnageMichaelTheatre Royal Bath

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1992Bye Bye BabyFatherTV Film written by Jack Rosenthal
1992Between the LinesInsp. Alan GrantEpisode: "Nothing to Declare"
1993The BillPC TylerEpisode: "The Right Man for the Job"
1994A Few Short Journeys of the HeartDrunkwritten by Andrew Davies
1995The BillPeter Robinson1 episode "Mitigating Circumstances"
1995–1998Dressing for BreakfastDaveNigel appeared in all 21 episodes
1997Brass EyeVarious RolesWritten by Chris Morris
1997A Dance to the Music of TimeOdo Stevens2 episodes of 4
1999Déjà VuTimTV Movie part of Channel 4 "Shockers" Season
2000Harbour LightsCharlie Badden1 episode "A Quiet Storm"
2000Too Much SunDave StampDirected by Mel Smith Nigel appeared in all 6 episodes
2001The Armando Iannucci ShowsVariousNigel appeared in 5 of 8 episodes
2002I'm Alan PartridgeBob Fraserepisode "Bravealan"
2003Midsomer MurdersDS James Nolandepisode "Painted in Blood"
2003CasualtyJed Blackburnepisode "Never Judge a Book"
2003My FamilyTube Driver/Roy2 episodes inc. Christmas Special
2004Murphy's LawDC Gary Fenderepisode "Bent Moon on the Rise"
2004Frances TuesdayLambertTV movie
2004Tunnel of LoveGeoffwritten by Simon Nye
2005The BillDS Pete Lancasterepisode "301"
2005New TricksAlan1 episode
2005All About GeorgeMac
2006–2008Jam and JerusalemMarcusKnown as Clatterford in the US. Nigel was in 9 episodes over 2 series
2007RomeLevi6 episodes second series. Joint HBO/BBC production
2007The Gunfight at the OK CorralSheriff John BehanPart 1 of the 3 part BBC Wild West series
2007The Relief of BelsenMervyn GoninBAFTA winning Channel 4 TV Film
2009Waking the DeadDevlinNigel appeared in both episodes of "Substitute"
2010Silent WitnessDS Gus RogersonNigel appeared in both episodes of "Intent"
2010SpooksJacob ChapmanKnown as MI-5 in the US. 1 episode
2011Mid Morning Matters with Alan PartridgeTommy Gaskellepisode "Tora Bora Alan"
2012The Best of MenMr HeathTV Movie
2012Inspector George GentlyDS Reece Stathamepisode "Gently in the Cathedral"
2012The FearDonnyChannel 4 series. Nigel was in all 4 episodes
2013GiftedMichaelPart of Sky Playhouse series
2013Agatha Christie's PoirotFrancescoPenultimate ever episode "The Labours of Hercules"
2013The TunnelJonnoNigel appeared in 4 episodes of 10
2015Foyle's WarClayton del Marepisode "High Castle"
2015You, Me and the ApocalypseDS Frank ArdenSky Atlantic/NBC Ep 1 dir Michael Engler
2015The Devil You KnowDr GriggsHBO Pilot directed by Gus Van Sant
2016Death in ParadiseAndy HammondEpisode 5.2
2016VictoriaSir Robert PeelITV 8 part series
2017Unforgotten 2Tony KelseyNigel in all 6 eps of this ITV series
2018InnocentDCI William BeechAll 4 parts of this ITV series
2017White GoldTony Walsh "Walshy"Nigel in 10 of 12 eps of this BBC comedy series
2018SafeJoJo MarshallNetflix series
2018No OffenceDCI Terry Taylor2 episodes in Series 3
2018Magnum PIIan PryceGuest lead one episode. Shot in Hawaii for CBS
2019The CaptureDSI Tom Kendricks4 episodes of 6 for BBC1
2019PlebsAtlasfilmed in Bulgaria for ITV2
2019Tin StarCliveone episode series 3
2020The Salisbury PoisoningsDCC Paul Mills3 of 3 episodes for BBC
2020The Last KingdomRhodri

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1999Rogue TraderRon Baker
2001'Mirror Journo
2003BlackballTargitex chairman
2005On a Clear DaySharp Suit
2006ScoopStrombel's Co-workerdir by Woody Allen
2010Four LionsBarrynominated for British Film Comedy Award
2010First NightMartin Mayes
2012The DateShort Film
2013'Jason Tresswell
2013Breakfast with Jonny WilkinsonNigel Maitland
2013Royal Shakespeare Company: Richard IIBolingbrokeLive worldwide cinema screenings
2014CaptchaShort Film
2014National Theatre: A Small Family BusinessJack McCrackenLive worldwide cinema screenings
2014The DivorceShort Film
2017Access All AreasMack
2018Dead In A Week Brian
2018Six Minutes to MidnightMr Wheatleyin post production

Radio

YearTitleRoleNotes
1995Crossing the EquatorJackBBC World Service
1997People Like UsSalesmanBBC Radio 4 Episode "The Photographer"
2001Morphic ResonanceJimBBC World Service
2002Frederick and AugustaFrederickBBC Woman's Hour Play
2003The House of Milton JonesIanAll six episodes Series One
2005The Face of the EnemyJerome AngustBBC Book at Bedtime
2006Lucky NumbersReadingBBC PM
2007A Pin to See the PeepshowHarryBBC Play for Today
2008The Far WestReadingBBC PM
2009Number TenLewis Smiley MPBBC Radio 4
2009Alex Tripped on my FairyMarkBBC Play for Today
2012The Great Animal OrchestraReadingBBC Book of the Week
2012Two Minute HateBarryBBC Radio 4 Play
2012A Canticle for LeibowitzBook of the WeekBBC Radio 4 Extra
2012On the MapReadingBBC4 Book of the Week
2013The Reluctant SpyDuncan KavanaghBBC 3 Part Series
2013The Stranger's WillCharlieBBC Radio 3 Play
2015The HookLouisRadio 4 screenplay season written by Arthur Miller
2015The Mermaid of ZennorJackRadio 4
2016ThunderballCaptain ClarkRadio 4
2018The ProposalMikeRadio 2
2018Jack and MillieHarryRadio 4 series written by Jeremy Front
2018The White HotelVictorRadio 4 directed by Jon Amiel
2019A Charles Paris Mystery: Star Trap Chris WattBBC Radio 4 series written by Jeremy Front based on novel by Simon Brett