Richard Ritchie is a graduate in Business Studies. He studied singing with Joyce Newton and Alison Pearson at the Guildhall School of Music. In 1974, a musical revue written by himself and Sue Tilling was produced by Thelma Holt at the Round House. This was the year he became a full member of Equity. Since then he has combined acting with musical composition and lyric writing. He is also an author, with a number of books to his name as well as writing articles, political and business speeches. His most recent book – Without Hindsight – was published in September 2018.
He has taken a wide range of Shakespearian parts, including Feste and Richard III at Haddo Arts Trust, Aberdeen and Bottom under the direction of John D. Collins at Harrow School. Other recent parts include David Bliss in ‘Hay Fever’ (Oratory Theatre, 2010), Arthur Wicksteed in ‘Habeas Corpus’, directed by Alastair Boag at the Britten Theatre in 2005 and Gayev in the Cherry Orchard (Gulbenkian Theatre, Canterbury 2006). He has appeared in two Gilbert & Sullivan operas at Polesdon Lacey (Marco, ‘Gondoliers’ and Major General, ‘Pirates’). Film roles include Harold in Stephen Lennhoff’s ‘Rhythm and Blues’ (Life on Mars Productions Ltd, 1996), and two recent ‘shorts’: Karl in ‘Heartless’ (Christiaan Neu, London Film Academy) and Mr. Matthews in Norway (Emile Rafael, London Film School).
Television work has included the Warden in Scene by Scene (1995) and the Judge (Ch. 4 Within These Walls – The Trial of Lady Chatterley, Panoptic Productions).
He has written eight musicals for Theatre in Trust, new incidental music for ‘Ring Round The Moon’ and ‘Habeas Corpus’, and much material for musical revues, including two songs especially written for two BBC Programmes (‘The Inimitable Wodehouse’ and ‘Agony Aunts’).
Over the past 18 months, Richard has appeared in a number of ‘shorts’ including ‘The King Is Dead’ by Richard Higson (nominated for “best thriller’ at Limelight Awards), a pilot entitled ‘Kingmakers’ directed by Nicholas Beveney, and three student ‘shorts’, ‘Heretic’ by Dan Ashton Lloyd, ‘Out of Doors’ for the London Film School by Jonathan Brostoff, and Too Close To The Fire for the Metropolitan Film School by Yuri Ferrioli.
He appeared in ‘What Can You Do?’ at the Broadway Theatre 555 Festival, Barking in March. Currently starring in Unspeakable: short film for London Short Film Festival, 2018 director Kate Stonehill, Mammoth, Penguins & Friends: music video, Foliage Films, director Fraser Watson and Health video: TMax Productions, director Max Budgett
