Fred Ridgeway

{{Short description|Irish actor (1953–2012)}} {{for|the England and Kent cricketer|Fred Ridgway}} {{EngvarB|date=December 2017}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2017}} thumb|Fred Ridgeway '''Frederick Gerrard Ridgeway''' (16 October 1953 – 12 November 2012)<ref name=GObit/> was an Irish-born stage and television actor. He began his professional life pursuing a career as a money broker, but at the age of 42, he decided to take up professional acting. He performed in a variety of stage productions across the UK, including several Richard Bean plays and a number of Royal Shakespeare Company productions. His final role was as Charlie Clench in ''One Man, Two Guvnors'', which toured the UK as well as appearing in Broadway theatre. Prior to its Broadway run, Ridgeway was diagnosed with motor neurone disease, from which he died in November 2012.

==Early life and career== Fred Ridgeway was born into a Catholic family in Dublin, Ireland on 16 October 1953. He was the youngest son of railway worker Benjamin Ridgeway and Christine née McCormack. The family later moved to Peckham in south-east London, as his father worked at Peckham Rye station.<ref name=GObit>{{cite news|last=Coveney|first=Michael|title=Fred Ridgeway obituary|url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2012/nov/16/fred-ridgeway|newspaper=The Guardian|date=16 November 2012}}</ref>

Ridgeway's first serious experience of acting came when he was a student at St Thomas the Apostle College, Nunhead. Actively encouraged by his A Level English teacher, Terry O'Brien, he joined the National Youth Theatre.<ref name=GObit/>

Ridgeway did not immediately enter the acting profession, however; at the age of 18 he began a career in finance. After 25 years, he held the position of associate director at Exco. During his time working in finance in New York, Ridgeway attended theatre classes at the Actors' Playhouse in Greenwich Village.<ref name=GObit/>

When Ridgeway returned to Britain, living in Chislehurst, he was active in amateur dramatics, performing with the South London Theatre in West Norwood and the Geoffrey Whitworth Theatre in Crayford, Kent.<ref name=GObit/>

==Acting career== In 1996, at the age of 42,<ref name=NorthernEcho>{{cite news|title=I was right, says Fred|newspaper=The Northern Echo|date=26 April 2001}}</ref> Ridgeway left his job as a money broker and decided to take up acting professionally.<ref name=GObit/> His first role was as an understudy for Tim Pigott-Smith in a National Theatre production of ''The Alchemist'' at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre. His professional London debut was in David Haig's ''My Boy Jack'' at the Hampstead Theatre in 1997. The following year, he appeared in productions of ''Dealer's Choice'', ''Saturday, Sunday, Monday'' and ''Loot''. In ''Loot'', a black comedy by Joe Orton, he was praised by critics for his performance as Truscott of the Yard.<ref name=GObit/> ''The Sunday Times'' reviewer John Peter enjoyed his "darkly funny performance, beautifully detailed but never fussy".<ref>{{cite news|last=Peter|first=John|title=Bang to rights – Drama|newspaper=The Sunday Times|date=16 August 1998}}</ref> For James Christopher, Ridgeway offered a "play-saving performance" in the vein of the character Basil Fawlty from ''Fawlty Towers''.<ref>{{cite news|last=Christopher|first=James|title=Pandering to the farcical – Arts|newspaper=The Times|date=14 August 1998}}</ref>

In the mid-1990s, Ridgeway began appearing in television series such as ''The Bill'', ''Heartbeat'', ''EastEnders'', ''Midsomer Murders'' and ''Casualty''.<ref name=GObit/>

In 2003, Ridgeway appeared in ''Absolutely! (Perhaps)'' at Wyndham's.<ref name=GObit/> He also performed in a number of Royal Shakespeare Company productions, including the parts of Enobarbus in ''Antony and Cleopatra'' (2006),<ref>{{cite news|last=Taylor|first=Paul|title=Edges frayed but engrossing|newspaper=The Independent|date=10 July 2006}}</ref> Sicinius Velutus in ''Coriolanus'' (2007)<ref>{{cite news|last=Billington|first=Michael|title=Theatre: Coriolanus Royal Shakespeare, Stratford-upon-avon|newspaper=The Guardian|date=8 March 2007}}</ref> and Egeon in ''The Comedy of Errors'' (2010).<ref>{{cite news|last=Hickling|first=Alfred|title=Theatre: Streamlined Shakespeare is a vibrant, modern treat|newspaper=The Guardian|date=19 April 2010}}</ref> From 2008, he appeared in a series of Richard Bean plays, namely ''The English Game'' (2008), ''England People Very Nice'' (2009), ''The Big Fellah'' (2010) and ''One Man, Two Guvnors'' (2011–12). His portrayal of an IRA member in ''The Big Fellah'' was described by a reviewer in ''The Guardian'' as "utterly terrifying".<ref name=Times/> In ''One Man, Two Guvnors'', he played Charlie Clench, a criminal, a part which was written by Bean specifically for Ridgeway to play.<ref name=Times/><ref>{{cite news|last=Bean|first=Richard|title=Richard Bean on the actor Fred Ridgeway: 'A double-strength comic cocktail'|url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2012/nov/16/richard-bean-fred-ridgeway-obituary-letter|newspaper=The Guardian|date=16 November 2012}}</ref> Ridgeway was part of the cast when the play opened in May 2011 in the South Bank and remained in the cast as the production toured the UK and travelled to Broadway.<ref name=GObit/>

==Personal life== Ridgeway married Jeanne in 1983. They had two children, Sarah and Benjamin.<ref name=GObit/> His children have also been involved as professional actors; Sarah appeared in the long running BBC daytime drama ''Doctors'' and has the lead role in award-winning Radio 4 series ''Life Lines''; Benjamin appeared in the films ''The New Adventures of Pinocchio'' and ''About a Boy''.

==Death== Ridgeway was diagnosed with motor neurone disease prior to the five-month run of ''One Man, Two Guvnors'' in New York City. He continued in the play, missing only two performances, and tried to keep his illness hidden from most of his colleagues. Although his tiredness off-stage caused fellow cast members to suspect there was something wrong, they only became aware of his illness after the Broadway run of the play was completed.<ref name=Times>{{cite news|title=Fred Ridgeway|newspaper=The Times|date=23 November 2012}}</ref> James Corden, who played the lead role, explained: "When we got to New York, a lot of us in the cast started to realise he was unwell, but he never missed a beat. He never missed a cue, an entrance, a line."<ref name=Times2>{{cite news|last=Durant|first=Nancy|title=Corden pays tribute to fellow actor|newspaper=The Times|date=23 November 2012}}</ref> Ridgeway died from motor neurone disease in London on 12 November 2012, aged 59.<ref name=Times/>

==Selected work==

===Theatre===  {| class=wikitable width=100% |- !width=19%|Year(s) of appearance !width=27%|Production !width=27%|Role |- valign=top |align=center|1997 |''My Boy Jack'' by David Haig Hampstead Theatre, London |Mr Frankland |- valign=top |align=center|1998 |''Dealer's Choice'' by Patrick Marber West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds | |- valign=top |align=center|1998 |''Saturday, Sunday, Monday'' by Eduardo De Filippo Chichester Festival Theatre |Luigi |- valign=top |align=center|1998 |''Loot'' by Joe Orton Chichester Minerva / Vaudeville Theatre |Truscott of the Yard |- valign=top |align=center|1999 |''The Impostor'' by Peter Lawson The Drum Theatre, Plymouth |Orgon |- valign=top |align=center|2001 |''Spinning into Butter'' by Rebecca Gilman Royal Court Theatre, London |Meyers |- valign=top |align=center|2001 |''The Price'' by Arthur Miller Octagon Theatre, Bolton |Victor |- valign=top |align=center|2001 |''The Weir'' by Conor McPherson Royal Court Theatre, London |Jim |- valign=top |align=center|2008 |''The English Game'' by Richard Bean Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford |Reg |- valign=top |align=center|2009 |''England People Very Nice'' by Richard Bean National Theatre |Laurie |- valign=top |align=center|2010 |''The Big Fellah'' by Richard Bean

|McArdle |- valign=top |align=center|2011–12 |''One Man, Two Guvnors'' by Richard Bean Haymarket, London/Music Box Theatre, New York |Charlie Clench |- |}

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *{{IMDb name|0725903}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ridgeway, Fred}} Category:1953 births Category:2012 deaths Category:Deaths from motor neuron disease in England Category:Irish male stage actors Category:Male actors from Dublin (city) Category:National Youth Theatre members