Geoffrey Hutchings

Geoffrey Hutchings was an English actor whose work ranged across stage, film and television. Born in Dorchester, he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art before joining the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1968, where he became known for Shakespeare's comic roles, playing characters such as Dromio of Syracuse, Bottom and Feste. In 1982 he won a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Comedy Performance for his appearance as Lady Dodo in the musical Poppy. He later appeared in Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle and Dick at the National Theatre and in Endgame and Cabaret in the West End. His films included Made in Britain (1983), Wish You Were Here (1987), Topsy-Turvy (1999), The Thief Lord (2006), The Affair of the Necklace (2001) and Nativity! (2009). On television he was known for Our Friends in the North and for playing Bobby Hollamby in Bad Girls, and he also appeared in Benidorm and Hogfather.