# Michael Staniforth > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Michael_Staniforth > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Michael_Staniforth.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Staniforth > Source revision: 1338941863 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) British actor (1942–1987) Michael Staniforth Born (1942-12-15)15 December 1942 Birmingham, England Died 31 July 1987(1987-07-31) (aged 44) Resting place Hawkinge Cemetery **Michael Peter Staniforth** (15 December 1942 – 31 July 1987), born in [Selly Oak](/source/Selly_Oak), [Birmingham](/source/Birmingham), was a British stage actor, best known role as ghostly jester Timothy Claypole, a mischievous medieval [poltergeist](/source/Poltergeist), in the long-running [BBC](/source/BBC) children's television comedy series *[Rentaghost](/source/Rentaghost)*. ## Life He was born in Birmingham.[1] Staniforth's father was a sergeant major in the Army and so Michael's childhood was spent with his family in Germany, Egypt and Libya. He emigrated to [Australia](/source/Australia) at the age of 21 and two years later landed a role in *[South Pacific](/source/South_Pacific_(musical))* at The Menzies Theatre Restaurant in Sydney, where for the next few years he performed in a further 12 musicals, including *[Wonderful Town](/source/Wonderful_Town)* and Cole Porter's *[Out Of This World](/source/Out_of_This_World_(musical))*, followed by a national tour of *[The Boy Friend](/source/The_Boy_Friend_(musical))*. He returned to England in late 1969 and first appeared in the West End in *[Hair](/source/Hair_(musical))* at the [Shaftesbury Theatre](/source/Shaftesbury_Theatre). He also appeared in the *[Two Gentlemen Of Verona](/source/Two_Gentlemen_of_Verona_(musical))* (as Speed) and *Winnie The Pooh* (Tigger) at the [Phoenix Theatre](/source/Phoenix_Theatre%2C_London). In 1977 he played the role of Paul in the original British cast of *[A Chorus Line](/source/A_Chorus_Line)*, returning to the same venue ([Theatre Royal, Drury Lane](/source/Theatre_Royal%2C_Drury_Lane)) three years later as the young Tobias in Sondheim's *[Sweeney Todd](/source/Sweeney_Todd%3A_The_Demon_Barber_of_Fleet_Street)*. He appeared in the [BBC](/source/BBC)'s 1975 Christmas production *Great Big Groovy Horse*, a rock opera based on the story of the [Trojan Horse](/source/Trojan_Horse), which was shown on [BBC2](/source/BBC_Two).[2] It was repeated on [BBC1](/source/BBC1) in 1977.[3] Staniforth played Timothy Claypole from 1976, when the show first aired, until 1984, and was the longest-standing member of the cast. Claypole was a bearded medieval jester, dressed in [motley](/source/Motley) and bells. He caused mayhem for the rest of the *Rentaghost* cast. Danny Birchall at BFI Screenonline noted: The sheer energy of Michael Staniforth (who also performed the theme tune) as Claypole made it one of the longer-lasting children's television series, if not always the most fondly remembered.[4] Staniforth also composed, played and sang the *Rentaghost* theme music, although he had to re-write it as "concern grew that it was too close to *[The Exorcist](/source/The_Exorcist)*."[5] In 1984, Staniforth had a significant role as [CB the Red Caboose](/source/CB_the_Red_Caboose) in the original line-up in the long-running [Andrew Lloyd Webber](/source/Andrew_Lloyd_Webber) stage musical *[Starlight Express](/source/Starlight_Express)*.[6] Staniforth was gay. He died from an [AIDS](/source/AIDS)-related illness on 31 July 1987, aged 44. He was cremated in [Golders Green Crematorium](/source/Golders_Green_Crematorium), London in August 1987. His ashes were later buried in a grave in Hawkinge Crematorium, which bears his name as well as his mother (who died in 1978) and father (who later died in 1995).[1] ## References 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Bitcher_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Bitcher_1-1) Bitcher, Chris (11 December 2025). "The talent and tragic death of a TV Legend laid to rest in Kent". *Medway Messenger*. Kent Online. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Great Big Groovy Horse – BBC Two England – 25 December 1975"](https://web.archive.org/web/20180711100447/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/612ffe3510ec4d1997059601247c58a0). *Radio Times* (2719): 51. 18 December 1975. Archived from [the original](http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/612ffe3510ec4d1997059601247c58a0) on 11 July 2018. Retrieved 17 December 2016. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Great Big Groovy Horse – BBC One London – 21 December 1977"](https://web.archive.org/web/20180711100619/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/c8a45fab0e7f4d099b95b367346c3d5b). *Radio Times* (2823): 47. 15 December 1977. Archived from [the original](http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/c8a45fab0e7f4d099b95b367346c3d5b) on 11 July 2018. Retrieved 17 December 2016. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Rentaghost (1976-84)"](http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/969914/). BFI Screenonline. 6 November 1984. Retrieved 5 November 2012. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Cult - Classic TV - Rentaghost - Trivia"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/classic/rentaghost/trivia.shtml). BBC. September 2005. Retrieved 5 November 2012. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Rentaghost - Whatever happened to Timothy Claypole, Miss Popov and Dobbin the Pantomime Horse?"](https://web.archive.org/web/20120725080210/http://www.thebubbleburst.co.uk/bb.php?entry=Rentaghost). The Bubble Burst. Archived from [the original](http://www.thebubbleburst.co.uk/bb.php?entry=Rentaghost) on 25 July 2012. Retrieved 5 November 2012. ## External links - [Biography portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Biography) - [Michael Staniforth](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0822294/) at [IMDb](/source/IMDb_(identifier)) Authority control databases International ISNI VIAF National France BnF data --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Michael Staniforth](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Staniforth) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Staniforth?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.