Redmond Phillips

Redmond Bernard Phillips (5 June 1912 – 3 November 1993) was a New Zealand actor and writer, particularly of theatre and television, who worked in his native country, as well as in England and Australia.

Early life Phillips was born in Reefton, New Zealand and began acting in the theatre while a student at Victoria University of Wellington. After moving to Sydney, Australia in the late 1930s he performed with Doris Fitton's pioneering Independent Theatre group and wrote material for radio star Jack Davey. During the Second World War he served as a staff sergeant with the Entertainment Unit of the Australian Army for which he also wrote material.

Career He moved to Britain in 1948 where he became a successful character actor in the theatre, working with the Nottingham Playhouse, the Birmingham Repertory Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company. From 1957 he started acting for television and appeared in many series such as Maigret, Danger Man, The Saint and The Avengers and in several plays produced by the BBC.

In 1968 he returned to Sydney and continued performing on stage with the Old Tote Theatre Company. He remained active in television playing roles in many series and was part of the regular cast of Spyforce playing the ruthless Colonel Cato.

Filmography

Film

Television Year Title Role Notes 1960 The World of Tim Frazer Donald Edwards TV series Maigret TV series Danger Man TV series The Saint TV series The Avengers TV series 1963 The Human Jungle Langford TV series 1971-73 Spyforce Colonel Cato TV series 1972 Snake Gully with Dad and Dave Mayor TV series 1975 Scattergood: Friend of All TV series

Theatre

As actor Year Title Role Venue / Theatre Co. 1940 The Importance of Being Earnest Independent Theatre, Sydney 1941 The Life of the Insects Independent Theatre, Sydney 1947 The Country Wife Dorilant Metropolitan Theatre, Sydney 1947 As You Like It Le Bleu Metropolitan Theatre, Sydney 1947 Lady Windermere's Fan Lord Augustus Norton Metropolitan Theatre, Sydney 1947 No Room at the Inn Minerva Theatre, Sydney Henry VI, Part 1 Vernon / Clerk of Chatham / Louis XI / Keeper The Old Vic, London and Birmingham Repertory Theatre with Birmingham Repertory Company 1949 The Rivals Nottingham Playhouse 1951 Thieves’ Carnival Sergeant / Town Crier Birmingham Repertory Theatre with Birmingham Repertory Company 1951 Princess of Pandemonia Mandelbaum, Jeweller Birmingham Repertory Theatre 1951 The Rent Day Hyssop Birmingham Repertory Theatre 1951 The Wild Duck Balding gentleman Birmingham Repertory Theatre 1951 Oliver Twist Birmingham Repertory Theatre 1951-53 Henry VI, Part 2 Clerk of Chatham / Simcox Birmingham Repertory Theatre & The Old Vic, London 1951-53 Henry VI, Part 3 Keeper / Louis XI The Old Vic, London & Birmingham Repertory Theatre with Birmingham Repertory Company 1952 Sherlock Holmes Birmingham Repertory Theatre 1952 A Penny for a Song Birmingham Repertory Theatre 1952 Point of Departure The Manager Birmingham Repertory Theatre 1952 South Wind Birmingham Repertory Theatre 1952 Abraham Lincoln Birmingham Repertory Theatre 1952 A Month in the Country Birmingham Repertory Theatre 1952 Emmy Birmingham Repertory Theatre 1952-53 The Tinder Box Kufuffle Birmingham Repertory Theatre with Birmingham Repertory Company 1953 Miser Birmingham Repertory Theatre 1953 The Boy David Jesse Birmingham Repertory Theatre 1953 The Critic Birmingham Repertory Theatre 1953 Henry IV, Part 1 Shepherd, father to Joan / Vernon of the White-Rose or York faction Birmingham Repertory Theatre & The Old Vic, London 1954 The Private Life of Helen Eteoneus Birmingham Repertory Theatre 1954 The Moon in the Yellow River Birmingham Repertory Theatre 1954 Tartuffe Tartuffe Birmingham Repertory Theatre 1954 Pericles Birmingham Repertory Theatre 1954 Carrington, V.C. Bombardier Owen Birmingham Repertory Theatre 1954 Murder Will Speak Birmingham Repertory Theatre 1955 The Silver Curlew King Nollekens of Norfolk Birmingham Repertory Theatre 1955 Noah Birmingham Repertory Theatre 1955 You Never Can Tell Birmingham Repertory Theatre 1955 The Enchanted Birmingham Repertory Theatre 1955 Richard II Edmund of Langley Birmingham Repertory Theatre 1955 The Long Sunset Portius Birmingham Repertory Theatre 1955 Beauty in the Wood Birmingham Repertory Theatre 1955 Caste Birmingham Repertory Theatre 1954 Yellow Sands Birmingham Repertory Theatre 1956 Salad Days His Majesty's Theatre, Auckland 1956 The Queen and the Rebels His Majesty's Theatre, Auckland 1957 Slave of Truth Birmingham Repertory Theatre 1957 Sganarelle Birmingham Repertory Theatre 1957 The Beaux' Stratagem Scrub Birmingham Repertory Theatre 1957 Lizard on the Rock Arthur Canbery Birmingham Repertory Theatre 1958 The Potting Shed Father William Callifer Globe Theatre & Theatre Royal, Brighton 1960 Anna Christie Chris Christoferson Oxford Playhouse with Meadow Players Ltd 1961-62 Much Ado About Nothing Leonato Royal Shakespeare Theatre with Royal Shakespeare Company 1961-62 Hamlet Polonius Royal Shakespeare Theatre with Royal Shakespeare Company 1961-62 Richard III Lord Stanley Royal Shakespeare Theatre with Royal Shakespeare Company 1961-62 As You Like It Duke Royal Shakespeare Theatre with Royal Shakespeare Company 1964 The Successor Bristol Old Vic – Theatre Royal 1966 Crack in the Ice Birmingham Repertory Theatre 1966 The Life of Galileo Birmingham Repertory Theatre 1968 Breath of Spring Independent Theatre, Sydney 1969 Hadrian VII Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne 1969 Halfway Up the Tree Vicar Theatre Royal, Sydney 1973 The Dragon, The Donkey and The Nightingale The Emperor Bailey Hall, Sydney 1975 The Male of the Species Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, Her Majesty's Theatre, Adelaide, Elizabethan Theatre 1976 Saturday Sunday Monday Independent Theatre, Sydney 1976 The Shoemaker's Holiday Sir Roger Otley Sydney Opera House Drama Theatre 1977 The Magistrate Mr Bullamy Sydney Opera House Drama Theatre 1977 The Alchemist Tribulation Wholesome UNSW Parade Theatre 1977 The Ultimate Obscenity UNSW Parade Theatre 1977 The Time Is Not Yet Ripe An English Butler Sydney Opera House Drama Theatre 1978 What Every Woman Knows Charles Venables Marian Street Theatre 1980 The Merry Wives of Windsor

As crew Year Title Role Venue / Theatre Co. 1957-58 School Adaptation / lyrics Birmingham Repertory Theatre & Princes Theatre, London with Birmingham Repertory Company

Radio

Year Title Role 1987 The Man Who Wanted to Murder Sherlock Holmes Sir Arthur Conan Doyle