Laurence Foster’s profile

LAURENCE FOSTER:
Actor/Director. e-mail: laurencefoster2482@hotmail.com
In 1966 he began full-time studies at Birmingham Theatre School where he won the Outstanding Student Award. Seasons of twice nightly repertory followed in Sussex in Something to Hide, The Sound of Murder, Silver Wedding and Poet and Pheasant. In 1968 was engaged at Birmingham Repertory Theatre in seasons of Shakespeare and Shaw with Michael Gambon, Brian Cox and Timothy Dalton; then directed a Children’s Theatre Tour. Was then engaged as leading man for the Anew McMaster Memorial Company in weekly Repertory in Ireland. Between featuring in Revue and many Pantomimes in the Gaiety and Olympia Theatres, Laurence spent a year at the Gate Theatre with Micheál McLiammóir and Hilton Edwards as Stage Director.
In 1972 he directed Cinderella in the Olympia Theatre, then returned to the New Birmingham Repertory Theatre in for a season, including, Vivat, Vivat Regina, by Robert Bolt. In 1974, he joined the RTE Radio Drama Department as an actor, performing in over 750 Radio Plays and, produced over 300 radio plays, including, Othello with Harry Andrews, Alfie with Dennis Waterman, The Pied Piper with Donovan and Spike Milligan, St. Nicholas with Brian Cox, and Out of Nowhere with Tom Baker.
From 1990–1998 Laurence was head of RTE Radio Drama. From 1998–2000 was an elected member of the European Broadcasting Union Committee for Radio Drama and was twice Chairman of the Jury for the Prix Italia world radio awards.
Film and TV appearances include Thirty Minute Theatre, Rainbow City, Privilege, Law and Order, The Manions of America, Remington Steele, Cal, Heritage, The Burke Enigma, Kilmore House, Hello Stranger The Escapist, Killinascully, Fair City, The Clinic, The Tudors, Vikings, Mary Shelley and Ripper Street.
Laurence was also Artistic Director and founder of the Curtayne Theatre Company and of the Irish National Theatre for Youth. Recent theatre performances include, All’s Well That Ends Well at the Helix, Dublin, The Constant Wife at the Gate Theatre, Dublin and Charleston, USA, Dracula and The Picture of Dorian Gray. Has and, has received critical acclaim for the solo performance of his own creation, Dickens in Dublin. In 2012 he performed a ten-venue tour of London for Dickens’ Bi-centenary celebrations.
Laurence has also written several Radio Plays and two stage plays, The Son-in-law and The Kingdom of Nowhere and has had poems published and broadcast. His autobiography, Rising Without Trace, has been recently published by Ashfield Press.

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