Rikki Beadle-Blair

Rikki Beadle-Blair

Rikki Beadle-Blair speaking at the pre-launch of LGBT History Month 08 at the Royal Courts of Justice – 26 November 2007
Born

1961 (age 54–55)


Camberwell, London, England

Occupation Actor, film director, writer
Parent(s) Monica Beadle
Relatives Gary Beadle

Rikki Beadle-Blair MBE (born in July 1961, in Camberwell and raised in Bermondsey, both in south London) is a British actor, director, screenwriter, playwright, singer, designer, choreographer, dancer and songwriter of British/West Indian origin. He is the artistic director of multi-media production company Team Angelica.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]

Early life

Blair was brought up by a single mother, Monica Beadle (born 1944 in Jamaica). She and moved to Britain when she was 12. She was the first black child in her school in Peckham.

Rikki was brought up with a brother, Gary Beadle (also an actor, of Eastenders fame), four years younger, and a sister, eight years younger. He attended Lois Acton's Experimental Bermondsey Lampost Free School.

Career

When he was 17 he performed a capella concerts at the Gay's The Word bookshop in Bloomsbury, London, with fellow singers Robert Chevara and Michelle Baughan. The group went under the name of 'Three People'. He was also involved with the Gay Liberation Front (GLF).

In 1979 He won the Evening Standard's Edward Bond's Young Playwright award for the play A-Z

In the film Sirens he played Blue, a punky Scouse heroin junkie.

His band 'Boysie' included Sean Mayes on piano, Leonard Davies on bass, Baden Hill on guitar and Martin Harmer on Drums

In 1994, he wrote the screenplay for Nigel Finch's film Stonewall, about the Stonewall Riots.

In 1999 he wrote "Native", a Radio 4 play that became a short film directed by Rene Mohandas.

In 2000 he wrote and performed a series of short radio plays for Radio 4 – including 'Fares Fair', 'Puppy Love', 'Finders Keepers', 'Silly Me' and 'Open Pores'.

In 2001 he adapted Boy George's autobiography Take It Like A Man for a BBC film. This has not yet been produced.

In March 2001, he wrote, produced, and directed the Channel 4 television series Metrosexuality in which he played a lead role. This also featured Noel Clarke, who went on to write and star in the movie Kidulthood. Beadle-Blair co-wrote and co-produced the soundtrack album with Mark Hawkes. On the album he sings a duet with Davie Fairbanks who played "Bambi" in the series. Noel Clarke contributes two raps to the album, which also features a track performed by Mat Fraser.

The same year, he hosted the Big Up Yourself And Be Proud show at The Brixtonian during Mardi Gras Festival in aid of GMFA, a London-based gay men's health charity whose Big Up initiative (targeting black men), he is supporting.

In 2002, his documentary Roots of Homophobia, for BBC Radio 4 won the Sony Radio Academy Awards for Best Radio Feature. There he brings his own experience as a gay black man to inform his investigation into homophobic attitudes in Jamaican pop music.

He was the Executive story editor for both seasons of the US TV series Noah's Arc'. He was also a writer on season two (credited for eps 2 & 4)

He was supervising director for the South African organisation for first time filmmakers Out of Africa. in 2004 and 2005

Beadle-Blair has written songs for Kevin Marques. His Theatre company, Team Angelica, is resident at the Tristan Bates Theatre in Covent Garden, London.

In 2005, Beadle-Blair wrote and directed the play 'Bashment' for Theatre Royal Stratford East, this tackled homophobia in the Ragga/hip-hop music scene. The play ran two seasons in May and September. Beadle-Blair also wrote the music. The play was nominated for "Best New Play" at the national TMA Awards.

Beadle-Blair has adapted his own screenplay of Stonewall for the stage and his production company Team Angelica which he took to the 2007 Edinburgh Festival. He also directed, produced, designed both sets & costumes, & choreographed on the show. The play was nominated for "Best Ensemble" at The Stage Awards for Acting Excellence.[11]

In May 2006, Beadle-Blair wrote and directed 'Jucy' for Queer Contact at the Contact Theatre in Manchester, as part of the Queer Up North Festival.

In Autumn, 2007, FIT, a play for young people commissioned by the Manchester-based arts organisation queerupnorth and the gay equality organisation Stonewall, went on tour around the UK. The play was developed to help tackle homophobic bullying in Britain's schools.[12] The play was performed at The Drill Hall in London, The Birmingham Rep, The Contact Theatre in Manchester, the Unity Theatre in Liverpool, and the CCA in Glasgow. The show was performed in schools in London, Greater Manchester, Bournemouth, Brighton and Glasgow. Beadle-Blair, directed, choreographed, composed and wrote the show.

His 'painful' comedy play 'Familyman' opened for a month at Theatre Royal Stratford East in May 2008 – the lead Role of 'Caesar Ramsay' was being played by Gary Beadle, his brother. The play was named 'Show of the Week' for Time Out.

In May 2008 he directed 'Best Man' by Greg Owen at the Dublin Gay Theatre Festival. Greg Owen won the Oscar Wilde Award for New Writing. The play was developed under the Team Angelica umbrella.

Beadle-Blair previewed a trio of new plays in June 2008 at the Tristan Bates Theatre all written simultaneously Screwface – about nine teenage murderers in a prison drama workshop, Touch – centred around gay life in Iraq today, and Home – which looked at teenagers emerging from the care system into their own accommodation and sperm donor offspring who are searching for their siblings.

In October–Nov 2008 there was a second shorter but higher-profile tour of 'FIT', touring to Edinburgh, Birmingham, Liverpool and London – This included shows at St Stephen's in Edinburgh, The Birmingham Rep and the Drill Hall Theatres.

In Nov 2008 he was the M.C. for the 'Liverpool is Burning' Vogue Ball at the Adelphi Ballroom in Liverpool, produced by 'Duckie' for Homotopia.

In January 2009 Team Angelica, in association with the fledgling Achilles Productions, founded by actors Ian Sharp and Rebecca Joerin staged a one off theatrical presentation of Beadle-Blair screenplay 'KickOff' at the Riverside Studios in Hammersmith.

In February 2009 he curated 'Louder than Words' at the Tristan Bates Theatre; a season of new writing featuring 14 plays by mostly first time writers. He directed 10 of the plays.

Beadle-Blair has a long-standing creative association with fellow writer John R Gordon, who was also a writer for Noah's Arc. Beadle-Blair Directed John's first short film script 'Souljah' (2007) Which premiered in the London Film Festival and is currently touring the Film Festival circuit. He also appeared in John first play 'Wheels of Steel', Which John R Gordon directed. The two-hander also featured Karl Collins – who went on to play Beadle-Blair's Ex-husband 'Jordan' in Metrosexuality. Gordon now runs the Team Angelica Books division.

He has helped to develop new work by playwrights, Matt Harris, Jai Rajani, John R. Gordon, Greg Owen, Stephen Hoo & Hannah Chalmers.

He teaches a six-week course at the Actor's Centre called 'In the Room' that mentors Actors and creatives. He has developed an advanced module called 'Seizing the Room'.

In June 2008 he was included in the Independent on Sunday newspaper's 'Pink List' as one of the UK's most powerful/influential gay people.

In July 2008 his short film Souljah won the award for best short film at the Rushes Soho Shorts festival. Written by John Gordon and produced by Beadle-Blair, Gordon and Carleen Beadle.

In June 2009 he hosted the Urban Stage at London Pride.

In June 2009 he completed the 35min short '7 Dials' in which the lives of 33 characters intersect and intertwine in the Seven Dials area of London's Covent Garden. Beadle-Blair wrote and directed this showcase for the participants of BBC Talent Boost – A scheme to increase visibility for minority actors in the UK.

In June/July 2009 he shot the feature film Kickoff – a Team Angelica co-production with Achilles Entertainments and Shorthouse Productions. Post-production was completed in Nov 2009.

In August or 2009 he was a course director at the National Youth Theatre for the second year running.

In September 2009 he wrote and directed, the Feature-Film/DVD version of 'Fit' featuring the original cast members, along with 36 other actors. The film was financed by Stonewall, and produced by Diane Shorthouse, Carleen Beadle and Rikki Beadle-Blair for Stonewall, The Shorthouse Organisation and Team Angelica.

On 19 November 2009 – Beadle-Blair/Team Angelica staged a double-bill of plays at the Drill Hall Theatre – 'Fucking Charlie' and 'The Grope Box.'

In December 2009 he directed 'Stripped' at the Tristan Bates Theatre, written and performed by Hannah Chalmers. 'Stripped' was originally written and developed with the guidance of Beadle-Blair and John R Gordon as part of the 'Louder than Words' season in February. Stripped ran for a month in Edinburgh at the Gilded Balloon.

In June 2010 he wrote and directed the feature-film version of Bashment featuring members of the original cast.

In Dec 2010 he wrote and directed the Team Angelica production twothousandandSex – featuring 35 actors – at the Drill Hall Theatre.

In March 2011 he was awarded an achievement award by the Outfest/Fusion festival in Los Angeles. The award was presented by Guillermo Diaz, who played LaMiranda in the movie of Stonewall at Grauman's Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood. The ceremony was accompanied by a gala screening of 'Fit'.

In April 2011 he was commissioned by The Royal Albert Hall to write direct and design the short film 'Butterfly'. It was based on the winning entries from a schools competition in which students had to pitch a modern version of 'Madam Butterfly'.

In October–November 2011 he wrote,directed and designed Shalom Baby at Theatre Royal Stratford East.

In November 2011,Beadle-Blair along with John R Gordon established Team Angelica Books. Its first publication was Beadle-Blair's first book 'What I Learned Today' compiled from a years worth of his Facebook statuses. Subsequently the company has published 'Fairytales for Lost Children' a book of short writings by gay Somalian Diriye Osman, plus two novels by John R Gordon, 'Faggamuffin' and 'Colour Scheme.'

In 2011, 2012 2013, 2014, Beadle-Blair and John R. Gordon ran the Angelic Tales new-writing festival, mentoring several new writers of varied experience, staged readings were performed at Theatre Royal Stratford East. Several of the plays went to full productions – including 'Crowning Glory' by Somalia Seaton at the Theatre Royal Statford East. 'Lean' by Isley Lynn at the Tristan Bates and 'Step' by Lynette Linton.

In September 2012, One of the Angelic Tales plays 'Slap' by Alexis Gregory was invited to present another more-developed staged reading at Channel 4's London HQ, directed by Beadle-Blair. The Q&A was hosted by Gok Wan

In January 2013 Beadle-Blair directed and designed a full production of 'Step' written first time playwright Lynette Linton performed Theatre Royal Stratford East's Young Actor's company. The tour included the Soho Theatre and Theatre Royal Stratford East. The play had been developed through the Angelic Tales New Writing Festival at Theatre Royal Stratford East.

In May 2013 he wrote, directed and designed 'Gutted' at Theatre Royal Stratford East. The cast headed 'Louise Jameson' of Dr Who fame, also featured Ashley Campbell, Frankie Fitzgerald, Gavin McClusky, Jamie Nichols, Jennifer Daley, James Farrar, & Sasha Frost.

In November 2013, Beadle-Blair with guitarist Joni Levinson, performed a number onstage at the Kings Head in London as part of Robert Chevara's production of 'Die Fleidermaus'

In February 2014, the US independent feature 'Blackbird' premiered as the closing film at the Pan-African Film Festival in Los Angeles. The movie was co-written by Beadle-Blair and Patrick Ian Polk and a starring Oscar-winning actress 'Monique'

In March 2014, Beadle-Blair, directed, designed and co-produced a short run of 'slap' by Alexis Gregory at Theatre Royal Stratford East. This was a special 'immersive' production with the audience integrated into the set of the show, sometimes touching the actors.

In March 2014 Beadle-Blair completed and premiered FREE the 'sibling' film to 'FIT' also, co-produced and released by Stonewall. This film was created to challenge homophobic bullying in primary schools and was made available to every school in the UK.

Beadle-Blair was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2016 Birthday Honours for services to drama.[13]

Plays

His plays include:

'Ask and Tell' – homosexuality and the Army. 'twothousandandSex' – an ensemble play about sex and sexuality featuring 35 actors – at the Drill Hall Theatre.

Four one-hour ensemble plays

He directed Greg Owen and Nick McGarrigle in their play 'Best Man' at the Dublin Gay Theatre Festival. The play won the writers the Oscar Wilde Award for best writing.

He directed and appeared in Matt Harris's comedy play 'Venom' at the Oval house '2003'

He directed the staged readings of Jai Rajani's 'onenight.com' at the Tristan Bates and the Contact Theatre Manchester in 2007

He performed as part of the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots at the Southbank Centre. Other speakers/performers included Professor Jeffrey Weeks, Peter Tatchell, Lindsay River, and Michael Twaits. 9 July. 2009

See also

References

External links and sources

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