Derek Benfield

Derek Benfield (11 March 1926 – 10 March 2009) was a British playwright and actor.

Derek Benfield (left) (1972)

He was born in Bradford, West Riding of Yorkshire, and educated at Bingley Grammar School. He was the author of the stage farce Running Riot and played Patricia Routledge's character's husband in Hetty Wainthropp Investigates (1996–1998).

Arguably Benfield's best known character portrayal was as transport company foreman Bill Riley in the UK television series The Brothers in the early 1970s. Before this, he starred as Frank Skinner in the 1970 cult sci-fi series broadcast on UK ITV, Timeslip. Some of his other television roles included Walter Greenhalgh in Coronation Street (1961–1969), Albert the Clerk in Rumpole of the Bailey (1978–80), and characters in Breakaway (1980) and First of the Summer Wine (1988).

His film credits include small roles in Crossplot (1969), I Don't Want to Be Born (1975) and Lifeforce (1985). His plays included the farces Post Horn Gallop and Wild Goose Chase, both about the fictional exploits of the eccentric Lord and Lady Elrood and visitors to their castle.

He also appeared with Colin Baker as John Hallam in the Doctor Who audio play Catch-1782 produced by Big Finish Productions.

Plays
  • Wild Goose Chase, 1956
  • Running Riot, 1958
  • Fish out of Water, 1963
  • Down to Brass Tacks, 1964
  • Third Party Risk, 1964
  • The Party, 1964
  • Post Horn Gallop, 1965
  • Murder for the Asking, 1967
  • Off the Hook, 1970
  • A Bird in the hand, 1973
  • Panic Stations, 1975
  • Caught on the Hop, 1979
  • Beyond a Joke, 1980
  • In for the Kill, 1981
  • Bedside Manners, 1988

Personal life

Benfield was married to actress Susan Lyle Grant from 1953. They had two children together. Benfield died in 2009 aged 82.[1]

Television roles
YearTitleRole
1996 to 1998Hetty Wainthropp InvestigatesRobert Wainthropp
1993MulberryAlf
1992The Brittas Empire - Series 2 Episode 7 - New GenerationsFarmer
1990Agatha Christie's Poirot - The Cornish MysteryDr Adams
1988-1989First of the Summer WineMr Scrimshaw
1983-1984HallelujahAndrew Gibson/Arthur Walton
1981Hi-de-Hi - Series 1 Episode 2 - Desire in the Mickey Mouse GrottoGirl's Father
1980MinderBrown
1978-1979Rumpole of the BaileyAlbert Handyside
1972-1976The BrothersBill Riley
1970TimeslipFrank Skinner
1961-1969Coronation StreetWalter Greenhalgh
gollark: Language spec plooz?
gollark: My annoying-to-implement language from a while ago.Also, hurry up, esobot.
gollark: !esowiki Turi
gollark: Just add some kind of IO functionality somehow... no idea how that would work.
gollark: Yep!

References
  1. "BENFIELD - Deaths Announcements - Telegraph Announcements". Announcements.telegraph.co.uk. 10 March 2009. Retrieved 9 April 2012.
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