David Gooderson, Actor

David's Acting Career

David has been a professional actor for more than thirty years, playing a wide range of characters in theatre, and on television and radio.

Theatre

After studying Law and English at Cambridge University, where he became Vice-President of the Footlights, he taught for two years before joining the company at Salisbury Playhouse.

Since then he has played leading parts in theatres up and down the country; his stage work includes Kent in Shakespeare's King Lear (Ludlow Festival), Frosch in Johann Straus' Die Fledermaus (English Touring Opera), Lionel Espy in David Hare’s Racing Demon and, most recently, Canon Chasuble in The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde (Middleground Theatre Company).

David's London appearances include two seasons at the Open Air Theatre, Regent’s Park and many productions at the Orange Tree Theatre, most recently as Old Waverley in Fanny Burney's The Woman Hater and Jerome in De Monfort by Joanne Baillie (left-hand photo).

In summer 2009 in Farnham (farnhamrep) he played Mr. Sleary in Charles Dickens’ Hard Times and Eddie Loomis in Quartermaine’s Terms by Simon Gray (photo top right). Later, David played King Lear in Basest Beggars and Puck in Benjamin Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream ( both were non-singing roles) for English Touring Opera.

In January 2011 David played the psychiatrist, Dr Kreuzer, in Graham Greene’s, The Potting Shed at the Finborough Theatre, London. Later, David played a variety of characters in Dylan Thomas' Under Milkwood for Farnham Rep.

Television

On television he is best known for playing Davros in Dr Who (BBC) and Simpkins, the pathologist in A Touch of Frost (ITV). He has also appeared in many comedy shows such as Terry and June and The Les Dawson Show and numerous other programmes and series including Tenko, Mapp and Lucia, Bergerac, Rumpole of the Bailey, Lovejoy, and most recently Footballers' Wives and Talk to Me.

Radio

He has twice been a member of the BBC Radio Drama Company and made over four hundred broadcasts. They include many leading parts and unusual cameos such as Tidy, the Computer in Earthsearch and the barman in the The Hitch-hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy plus comedy shows with David Jason, Kenneth Williams, Roy Hudd and the Dad’s Army team.