Roger Jenkins

Roger Ernest Jenkins (May 1931 – 21 December 2022) was a British theatre and television director who directed multiple British television productions from the mid-1950s until the 1980s as well as directing, producing, and filming numerous stage plays.

Life and career

Early life and education Jenkins was born in May 1931. During his time at Cambridge, Jenkins acted in and directed numerous productions for the Cambridge University Amateur Dramatic Club (ADC) and the Marlowe Society. After leaving Cambridge in 1953, Jenkins worked as a producer trainee for BBC Radio for two years. In addition to his work as a studio manager, he acted in numerous amateur productions at London theatres and in 1961 returned to Cambridge to direct a Marlowe Society production of Jean Anouilh's The Lark with the young Ian McKellen as Warwick.

Years at Associated-Rediffusion In 1955, Jenkins became a staff director at Associated-Rediffusion, the UK's first commercial television company, a position he was to hold for the next five years. He directed four programmes in the first week of commercial television and directed children's programmes with Rolf Harris and Charlie Drake, and light entertainment programmes with Cy Grant. Jenkins also directed the first schools' series in the UK, The Ballad Story and the first schools' play, Macbeth (with William Devlin, Mary Morris and Miles Malleson), followed by Dr Faustus (with Paul Rogers, Judi Dench, Patrick Troughton), She Stoops to Conquer (with Paul Daneman, Jane Downs), and Twelfth Night (with John Wood, Laurence Hardy, Emrys James).

For Associated-Rediffusion's drama department, Jenkins directed nine episodes of Murder Bag, six episodes of Crime Street and one episode of their successor No Hiding Place with Raymond Francis. The play subsequently had its US Premiere at the Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, Connecticut in January 2011 with Sam Waterston and Brian Murray.

Personal life and death During retirement, Jenkins lived in a village in the Cotswolds with his wife Joan. The couple had two children; a son and daughter.

Jenkins died on 21 December 2022, at the age of 91.