Peter Macqueen – unofficial biog.
Sherlock Holmes mysteries acted out with his brother in the dining room for parents and neighbours when he was 6; debating rivalry with Stephen Fry at school when he was 14; three years at Manchester University Drama Department – appearing in over 40 productions, going to the Edinburgh Fringe, NSDF (best actor award – runner up!!) & pub productions with Rik & Ade; two more student years (those were the days – sorry younger generation) at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, squeezing lemons, Newton Blick comedy award & playing Faustus to Greta Scaachi’s Helen – much abridged version; and now over 40 years in the profession… what more to be said? …….oh alright – filming with Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci in 2019.
So, in the prime of my physical & mental prowess…. what better time to continue touring one man shows around the country…solo. There’s nothing like a 4hr get in/2hr show/2hr get out, to burn off the excesses accumulated over a long theatrical career. After all, that’s why I embarked on PMac Productions. A late mid-life, megalomaniac keep-fit regime.
Slightly more official professional biog.
First Professional Acting role:
1981 – Page Boy (90 yrs old), ‘Good Morning, Bill’ by PG Wodehouse. Bristol Old Vic. Dir. Eric Thompson.
Most recent role (non PMac Prod – yes, it’s only me who’ll give me a job now!):
2015 – Merlin (190 yrs old), ‘The Lady of the Lake’ by Ben Askew. Theatre by the Lake. Dir. Mary Papadima.
Other roles of in between age include:
Jack (30s) – Importance of being Ernest, Chester Gateway.
Valentin (20s) – Kiss of the Spiderwoman, Salisbury Playhouse.
Cornwall (40s) – King Lear, Nottingham Playhouse.
Bob Ewell (50s) – To Kill A Mockingbird, Greenwich Theatre.
Old Dog Fox (84 in human years) – RSC.
Guildenstern (?) – Hamlet, Oxford Playhouse.
Tranio (30s) – Taming of the Shrew, Nuffield, Southampton.
Dorilant (20s) – Country Wife, Bristol Old Vic.
Scrooge (70s) – Christmas Carol, Library Mcr.
Donalbain (15), Ross (30s), Banquo (40s), Macbeth (30s) – Macbeth, Uppingham School, Birmingham Rep, Bedford Th Co, Contact Mcr.
George (50s) – Whose Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Theatre by the Lake, Keswick.
Michael (50s) – Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me, Theatre by the Lake, Keswick.
Ray (40s) – Blackbird, Theatre by the Lake, Keswick.
Inpector (50s) – An Inpsector Calls, Theatre by the Lake, Keswick.
Oh yes… and TV… First TV Acting role:
1981 – Jed the Sailor (30s), ‘The Forgotten Story’, HTV. An apt title for my TV career!
However, if I mention; Angels, Hale & Pace, The Bill, Brian Conley, William & Mary and The Wide Awake Club, I think you get the gist.
Film?
Well, much the same…….HOLD THE FRONT PAGE! – A recent flurry of activity… apart from the self-filmed videos, there have been 4 Feature Films and 3 shorts in the last few years : ‘SUPERNOVA'(with Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci and released worldwide in 2021 to tremendous reviews); ‘THE CREEPING'( London Fright Festival 2022); ‘RICH FLU'(released Stateside 2023) ( ‘HEIRLOOM’ (short) shot in 2019; ‘WOLFBOY’ (Feature – 2018); ‘UPPER AIR’ (short) – filmed socially distantly on the fells in 2020; ‘THE BENCH’ (short- 2023)
Radio:
Many voice overs and Plays for Radio 4 ( & The Archers) and recently on Radio 3 in ‘Cave Dwellers for Beginners’ -https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000nc8j
Also a BBC Sounds ‘Secret Cumbria’ -https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0jmdn5x – Another piece about The Professor of Adventure.
Venues and Partners
To date, PMac Productions toured to over 150 venues including many rural village halls, community centres, studio theatres, a church, a disused prison and an ex-marijuana factory and a cave – the mine thought it was too difficult!
Partners worked with include:
Theatre by the Lake, Keswick
Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough York Theatre Royal National Trust Calvert Trust John Peel Theatre, Wigton Beggars Theatre, Millom Kirkgate Arts, Cockermouth The Witham, Barnard Castle Up Front Arts, Unthank Junction, Goole Dewsbury Arts Arts Out West
Highlights Rural Touring Spot On Lancashire
Cheshire Rural Touring
Arts Alive
Rural Arts North Yorkshire
Lincolnshire Rural Touring
Nottinghamshire Village Ventures
Leicestershire Centre Stage BirchfieldsCommunityCentre, Manchester Festival Codsall Arts Festival
Southwold Festival
Market Bosworth Festival Manchester Fringe Festival Tullie House Museum, Carlisle Broadbent Theatre Wickenby
Blackfriars Theatre, Boston