# Geoffrey Hutchings

Geoffrey Hutchings (8 June 1939 – 1 July 2010) was an English stage, film and television actor.

## Early life and career

Hutchings was born in Dorchester, Dorset, England. After attending Hardye's School, he studied French and Physical Education at the University of Birmingham before attending the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and later joining the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1968.

## Career
### Stage

With the RSC from 1968 until the 1980s Hutchings played many roles in Shakespeare, including Launce, Octavius Caesar and Pandar. He played Bosola in the 1971 RSC production of John Webster's The Duchess of Malfi. Hutchings made his name particularly in Shakespeare's comic roles, including Dromio of Syracuse, Bottom, Feste, Lavache, Autolycus and Doctor Caius. Hutchings' singing voice often featured in his comic roles, with his appearance in 1982 as Lady Dodo in the musical Poppy winning a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Comedy Performance.
In 1998, he played Carry On actor Sid James in the Royal National Theatre's production of Terry Johnson's stage play Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle and Dick, a behind-the-scenes look at the love affair between Sid James and his co-star Barbara Windsor, which was subsequently made into an ITV drama, Cor, Blimey!, in 2000. In 2004, he played Nagg in Samuel Beckett's Endgame at the Albery Theatre alongside Michael Gambon, Lee Evans and Liz Smith. From October 2006 to April 2007, he played Herr Schultz in the West End production of Cabaret. His final stage role was in 2009 in the West End production of The Shawshank Redemption.

### Film and TV

In 1980, Hutchings starred as a character called Trunky Porter in the TV series Juliet Bravo.
In 1987, Hutchings played Harry Stobbs in Series 3, episode 4 of The Bill.
A first collaboration with David Leland for the film Made in Britain (directed by Alan Clarke and starring Tim Roth) in 1981 has led to his notable role as Hubert Mansell, the father of Emily Lloyd in Wish You Were Here in 1987.
His other film successes included White Hunter, Black Heart (with Clint Eastwood), Henry V (with Kenneth Branagh), Topsy-Turvy (with Jim Broadbent), Clockwise (with John Cleese), The Thief Lord (as Conte) and The Affair of the Necklace (with Hilary Swank).
On television, his most notable role has probably been in Our Friends in the North (1996), in which he played corrupt building contractor John Edwards, a character closely based on the real-life figure of John Poulson. He also had a semi-regular role as Bobby Hollamby in the ITV prison drama Bad Girls from 2000 to 2003. Earlier, he had played second fiddle to Michael Gambon in 12 episodes of Maigret in 1992–1993. He also narrated several audiobooks based on Georges Simenon's Maigret stories. In 2005 he played Lionel Morris in ITV's Heartbeat. In 2007, Hutchings made a guest appearance in ITV drama Wild at Heart.
In December 2006, he made an appearance in the Sky One television adaptation of Terry Pratchett's Hogfather. From 2008 to 2009, he appeared in the ITV comedy series Benidorm as Mel Harvey and had a small role in the second Terry Pratchett adaptation Terry Pratchett's The Colour of Magic.
In February 2009, he appeared in EastEnders as Roger Clarke, Jane and Christian's father, and in the BBC film Nativity!.
In 2010 he appeared in the BBC medical drama Casualty and the sitcom Grandma's House, both of which were screened after his death.
He was a regular, as Mel Harvey, in the popular TV show Benidorm as the owner of five sunbed shops in the Greater Manchester, appearing in Series 2 (2008), Series 3 (2009) and a 2009 special. His sudden death, just before the shooting of the 2010 Christmas special, meant that the script had to be heavily rewritten, with his character's death said to have occurred off-screen on a business trip abroad.

## Death

Hutchings died from meningitis in hospital on the morning of 1 July 2010. He was cremated at Kensal Green Cemetery, West London.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1975 | Rime of the Ancient Mariner | The pilot (voice) | |
| 1982 | Made in Britain | Superintendent | Television film |
| 1986 | Clockwise | Mr. Wisely | |
| 1987 | Wish You Were Here | Hubert Mansell | |
| 1988 | On the Black Hill | Solicitor | |
| 1989 | Henry V | Corporal Nym | |
| 1990 | White Hunter Black Heart | Squadron Leader Alec Laing | |
| 1999 | Topsy-Turvy | Armourer | |
| 2001 | Mike Bassett: England Manager | Geoffrey Lightfoot | |
| 2001 | The Affair of the Necklace | President D'Aligre | |
| 2003 | It's All About Love | Mr. Morrison | |
| 2003 | Cheeky | Sid the Barman | |
| 2006 | The Thief Lord | Conte | |
| 2009 | She, a Chinese | Geoffrey Hunt | Documentary |
| 2009 | Nativity! | Father Tom | |
| 2010 | You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger | Alan's Father | Final film role to date |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1965 | The Ambassadors | Jacques Montan | Television film |
| 1965 | The Scarlet and the Black | Student | Episode: "Entry Into Society" |
| 1966 | Mrs Thursday | M. Grandjean | Episode: "A Little of What You Fancy" |
| 1974 | Antony and Cleopatra | A Fig Seller | Television film |
| 1975 | A Little Bit of Wisdom | Bandaged Man | Episode: "#2.2" |
| 1976 | Clayhanger | Arthur Dayson | 2 episodes |
| 1976 | The Squirrels | First Man | Episode: "The Snatch" |
| 1977 | Raffles | Bank Official | Episode: "The Chest of Silver" |
| 1980 | Strangers | Stanley Roberts | Episode: "Retribution" |
| 1980 | Juliet Bravo | Trunky Porter / Commander Nigel Scott | Episode: "The One Who Got Away" |
| 1983 | Widows | Willy Daily | Episode: "#1.2" |
| 1984 | All the World's a Stage | Reading from the 1572 Act of Parliament | Episode: "A Muse of Fire" |
| 1984 | Charlie | Dave Abbott | 2 episodes |
| 1986 | Hot Metal | Max Rutherford | 5 episodes |
| 1986 | Lytton's Diary | Florist | Episode: "The Ends and the Means" |
| 1986 | Onassis: The Richest Man in the World | Meneghini | Television film |
| 1987-2004 | The Bill | Arthur Penrose / Martin Jackson / Harry Stobbs | 3 episodes |
| 1989 | Bergerac | Sylvester Silver | Episode: "Weekend Off" |
| 1989 | Saracen | James Silverdale | Episode: "Infidels" |
| 1989 | Home James! | Sir Linus Brinks / Wainwright | 2 episodes |
| 1990 | Brass | George Fairchild | 6 episodes |
| 1990 | The Gravy Train | Gustave | 4 episodes |
| 1990 | Traitors | Fr. Henry Garnet | Television film |
| 1991 | Pirate Prince | Rochefort | Television film |
| 1991-1993 | Screen One | Barton / Carwyn Phillips | 2 episodes |
| 1992 | Perfect Scoundrels | Alan Fry | Episode: "The Long Way Home" |
| 1992 | Minder | Heart Attack | Episode: "Last Orders at the Winchester" |
| 1992-1993 | Maigret | Sgt. Lucas | 12 episodes |
| 1993 | A Year in Provence | Ralph Tompkins | Episode: "Room Service" |
| 1993 | Heart of Darkness | Delcommune | Television film |
| 1993 | Cracker | Pathologist | Episode: "One Day a Lemming Will Fly: Part 1" |
| 1994 | Drop the Dead Donkey | Alfred | Episode: "Helen's Parents" |
| 1994-2010 | Casualty | Alan Carson / Mr. Ross / Oliver Flint / Paul Fenwick | 4 episodes |
| 1995 | Degrees of Error | Professor Marshall | 3 episodes |
| 1995 | Performance | Bardolph | Episode: "Henry IV" |
| 1996 | Our Friends in the North | John Edwards | 4 episodes |
| 1996 | Witness Against Hitler | Prison Governor | Television film |
| 1996 | The Famous Five | Binks | 2 episodes |
| 1996 | Accused | Dan Chapman | 4 episodes |
| 1998 | Mortimer's Law | Chris Borland | Episode: "#1.2" |
| 1998 | Duck Patrol | Malcolm White | 8 episodes |
| 1998 | Goodnight, Mister Tom | Ralph Briggs | Television film |
| 1999 | Kavanagh QC | Trevor Gregton | Episode: "Previous Convictions" |
| 1999 | The Bench | Cyril | Television film |
| 1999-2009 | Midsomer Murders | Harry Claypole / Colin Smy | 2 episodes |
| 2000 | Longitude | Estate Manager | Television film |
| 2000 | Cor, Blimey! | Sid James | Television film |
| 2000 | Doctors | Chief Supt. Len Salter | Episode: "Family Law" |
| 2000-2003 | Bad Girls | Bobby Hollamby | 4 episodes |
| 2002 | Holby City | George Fry | Episode: "Second Chances" |
| 2002 | Where the Heart Is | Ray Ballinger | Episode: "Count on Me" |
| 2002 | The Safe House | Det. Supt. Bill Matthews | Television film |
| 2002 | Foyle's War | Harold Smith | Episode: "Eagle Day" |
| 2003 | Down to Earth | Fenner / Mr. Fenner | 2 episodes |
| 2005 | The Royal | Arthur Cordell | Episode: "Duty Bound" |
| 2005 | Heartbeat | Lionel Morris | Episode: "Shadows from the Past" |
| 2005 | Derailed | Robin Kellow | Television film |
| 2005 | Funland | Howdy Doodere | Episode: "#1.4" |
| 2006 | Hogfather | Mr. Brown | Television filmas Geoffrey Hutchins |
| 2007 | Wild at Heart | Bill | Episode: "#2.2" |
| 2007 | Maxwell | George Wheeler | Television film |
| 2007 | The Whistleblowers | Fred Barrass | Episode: "Environment" |
| 2008 | The Colour of Magic | Picture Imp | 2 episodes |
| 2008 | Sunshine | Bernard | Episode: "#1.2" |
| 2009-2009 | Benidorm | Mel Harvey | 15 episodes |
| 2009 | EastEnders | Roger | 3 episodes |
| 2010 | Grandma's House | Grandpa | 6 episodes |