Bruce Purchase(1938-2008)
- Actor
Bearded, heavy-set New Zealand-born character actor with a booming
voice, who went to England to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic
Art. After repertory experience, he had notable stage appearances with
the National Theatre Company (of which he was a founder member) and the
Mermaid Theatre, invariably in Shakespearean parts. His portrayals of
Balthasar in 'Much Ado About Nothing' (1965) and Sebastian in 'The
Tempest' (1970) were particularly well received. He also played
Doolittle during a European tour of 'My Fair Lady'.
During the 1970's, Purchase made frequent guest appearances on such
television series as
I, Claudius (1976),
Rumpole of the Bailey (1978),
Blake's 7 (1978), and (famously
larger-than-life) in the
Doctor Who (1963) episode 'The
Pirate Planet'. His role was that of a cybernetically-enhanced pirate
captain, complete with a robotic parrot. Among other notable TV
performances were his Duke of Buckingham in
The First Churchills (1969)
and his Earl of Northumberland in the BBC production of
'Henry IV'. He
continued to alternate television with appearances on the stage. During
the production of 'The Last Confession' (starring David Suchet)
in May 2007, Purchase, playing a cardinal, became ill and died aged 69
in June 2008.
voice, who went to England to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic
Art. After repertory experience, he had notable stage appearances with
the National Theatre Company (of which he was a founder member) and the
Mermaid Theatre, invariably in Shakespearean parts. His portrayals of
Balthasar in 'Much Ado About Nothing' (1965) and Sebastian in 'The
Tempest' (1970) were particularly well received. He also played
Doolittle during a European tour of 'My Fair Lady'.
During the 1970's, Purchase made frequent guest appearances on such
television series as
I, Claudius (1976),
Rumpole of the Bailey (1978),
Blake's 7 (1978), and (famously
larger-than-life) in the
Doctor Who (1963) episode 'The
Pirate Planet'. His role was that of a cybernetically-enhanced pirate
captain, complete with a robotic parrot. Among other notable TV
performances were his Duke of Buckingham in
The First Churchills (1969)
and his Earl of Northumberland in the BBC production of
'Henry IV'. He
continued to alternate television with appearances on the stage. During
the production of 'The Last Confession' (starring David Suchet)
in May 2007, Purchase, playing a cardinal, became ill and died aged 69
in June 2008.