Actor John Neville, a regular performer as part of the Old Vic theatre company of the 1950s, has died aged 86.
The RADA graduate, who, at his peak, shared the roles of Othello and Iago with Richard Burton and took the title roles in Romeo And Juliet and Richard II, passed away on 19 November with his family around him.
Born in Willesden in 1925, Neville embarked on his acting career following service in the navy. Despite a strong reputation on the London stage, Neville left the capital behind in 1963, to become Artistic Director of the Nottingham Playhouse.
He left England in 1972, when he moved to Canada as Artistic Director of the Citadel Theatre in Alberta. He went on to lead the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in the 80s.
Such was Neville’s impact that he received both the OBE in 1965 and the Order of Canada in 2006, for his work in Canadian theatre and drama.
Neville, who had been suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease, is survived by his wife, Caroline, to whom he had been married for 62 years, six children and six grandchildren.
MA