Michael Kitchen

Early life

Michael Roy Kitchen was born in Leicester, to parents Arthur and Betty Kitchen. He attended the City of Leicester Boys' Grammar School, where he appeared on stage in a production of Cymbeline.

He is the firstborn son. His brother, Jeffrey, was born three years later in 1951. He grew up at 102 Wilberforce Rd, west of the current De Montfort campus. He was a senior scout in the 57th Leicester Scout group. At age 15, he was selected to attend several weeks' training at the National Youth Theatre. After school, he completed a year at the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry.

An opportunity arose when Leicester City Council offered him a grant to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London. He gratefully accepted, and graduated in 1969 with an Acting (RADA Diploma).

Career

Television and film

Kitchen's film career started in 1971 with an appearance in the film Unman, Wittering and Zigo (1971), and the Hammer film Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972).

His early TV appearances include roles in Man at the Top (episode 4 "The Prime of Life", 1970), Play for Today (Hell's Angels by David Agnew, 1971), Thriller (1976), The Brontes of Haworth (1973, in which he played Branwell Brontë), Tales of the Unexpected and Beasts. He played the role of Martin in the original 1976 production of Dennis Potter's Brimstone and Treacle, Peter in Stephen Poliakoff's Caught on a Train, Edmund in the BBC Television Shakespeare production of King Lear, the Antipholi in the same series' production of The Comedy of Errors, Private Bamforth in the 1979 BBC television play of The Long and the Short and the Tall. He played the role of Duffy, a renegade former member of an organised crime network.

His other roles at this time include Larner in the film Breaking Glass (1980), Rochus Misch in The Bunker (1981),

His later films include The Russia House (1990), Fools of Fortune (1990), Enchanted April (1992), The Trial (1993),

Between 2002 and 2015, he starred in the award-winning ITV mystery-drama Foyle's War as the lead character Detective Chief Superintendent Christopher Foyle; he was also a producer for the show, which comprised eight series.

Kitchen has guest-starred in roles in other popular British television shows such as Minder, Chancer, Inspector Morse, A Touch of Frost, Between the Lines, Pie in the Sky and Dalziel and Pascoe. He played Richard Crane in Reckless and John Farrow in the mockumentary The Life of Rock with Brian Pern.

Theatre

Kitchen is also a noted theatre actor. His roles have ranged from Ptolemy in Caesar and Cleopatra at the Belgrade Theatre in 1966, to Will in Howard Brenton's Magnificence at the Royal Court in 1973, to William Hogarth in Nick Dear's The Art of Success in 1986–87.

He played Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet for the RSC at Stratford and was a member of the National Theatre Company and the Young Vic, where he played Iago in Othello. In 1974 he appeared at Laurence Olivier's National Theatre in the play Spring Awakening opposite Peter Firth, Jenny Agutter, Beryl Reid and Cyril Cusack. Later he appeared opposite Sir Ralph Richardson and Sir John Gielgud in Harold Pinter's No Man's Land, directed by Peter Hall. In 1981 he played Melchior, the manservant of Zangler, in Tom Stoppard's play On the Razzle. In 1984 he played the cabin steward Dvornicheck in Stoppard's play Rough Crossing.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

References

1. Pat Lidiker. (13 August 1992). "Three Stitches in Time, Michael Kitchen interview". nothing-fancy.com.
2. ''Leicester Chronicle'' Friday 27 December 1963, page 3
3. ''Leicester Mercury'' Tuesday 21 July 1964, page 9
4. ''Leicester Mercury'' Thursday 11 May 1967, page 20
5. (1969). "Michael Kitchen Acting (RADA Diploma) Year of graduation 1969". rada.ac.uk.
6. "Michael Kitchen credits".
7. "The Professionals – S3 – Episode 5: Runner".
8. Campbell, Martin. (1979-12-08). "Runner".
9. "Michael Kitchen". British Film Institute.
10. "Michael Kitchen | TV, Documentary and Other Appearances". AllMovie.
11. "Hacks".
12. "Magnificence".
13. "Michael Kitchen | Theatricalia".
14. "ROB WILTON THEATRICALIA – National Theatre 1970s". Phyllis.demon.co.uk.
15. ''On the Razzle'' by Tom Stoppard. Published 1981 by Faber and Faber, Ltd. {{ISBN. 0-571-11835-6
16. ''Rough Crossing'' by Tom Stoppard. Published 1985 by Faber and Faber, Ltd. {{ISBN. 0-571-13595-1
17. "Rough Crossing". Sff.net.