Stanley Townsend

Stanley Townsend recently starred as Mr Parks in Retrograde at the Apollo Theatre in London

About Stanley Townsend

Stanley Townsend is a highly acclaimed Irish actor known for his powerful stage and screen performances. With an extensive career in theatre, he has delivered standout roles in productions at the National Theatre, the Royal Court, in West End and at the The Gate and The Abbey Theatres in Dublin.

Recent television and film prjects include Netflix’s Kaos, HBO’s The Regime, Blackshore and BBC’s Sherlock. He is co-founder of Rough Magic Theatre Company.

Highlights from his extensive stage career include All About Eve with Gillian Anderson, Glengarry Glen Ross (The Playhouse, London), Girl From the North Country (Old Vic), King Lear, Gethsemane, Happy Now, Remember This, Guys and Dolls at the National Theatre, London; The Alice Trilogy, and The Nether (Royal Court, West End) alongside Ivanno Jeremiah.

Accolades include the Irish Times Best Actor Award for his performance in Shining City and the Clarence Derwent Award for Best Supporting Actor (2010) for his performance in Phedre at the National Theatre in London.

Stanley Townsend: Theatre credits

Theatre credits include: Solar Bones (Abbey Theatre Dublin), All About Eve (Noel Coward Theatre), Incantata (Galway International Arts Festival), Glengarry Glen Ross (The Playhouse, London), Girl From the North Country (Old Vic), King Lear, Phedre, Gethsemane, Happy Now, Remember This, Guys and Dolls at the National Theatre, London; The Alice Trilogy, Shining City (for which he won the Irish Times Best Actor Award), The Nether, Under the Blue Sky, The Weir and Tribes at the Royal Court, London; The Dead, The Wake, Trinity for Two and Sacred Mysteries at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin; The Gingerbread Mix-up at St Andrews Lane, Dublin; A View from the Bridge (Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh), Prayers of Sherkin (Old Vic, London); Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me (West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds); The Plough and the Stars (Young Vic, London); Democracy (Bush Theatre, London); Speed-the-Plow for Project Arts Centre, Dublin; Saint Oscar for Field Day Theatre Company, Derry; Who Shall Be Happy…? for Mad Cow Productions, Belfast, London and tour; and Art in the West End at the Wyndham Theatre.

Stanley Townsend: TV credits

Television credits include: The Regime, Black Shore, Kaos, Zen, Whistleblower, He Kills Coppers, Prosperity, Saddam’s Tribe, Rough Diamond, Waking The Dead, Spooks, The Virgin Queen, Hustle, Omagh (film), The Brief, Murder Squad, Fallen, Wire in the Blood, The Commander, Menace, Seventh Stream, Heartbeat, Station Jim, Table 12, Casualty, Best of Both Worlds, Active Defence, DDU (Making the Cut), Ballykissangel, Peak Practice, Jonathan Creek, A Touch of Frost, The Governor, The Bill, Parnell, Nighthawks, Fortycoats & Co., Lost Belongings, Lapsed Catholic, Glenroe, Ashes to Ashes, Mad Dogs, Sherlock, Call the Midwife, Quirke, Ripper Street, 24: Live Another Day, Galavant, The Collection, Redwater, Informer, The Spy and Dangerous Liaisons.

Stanley Townsend: Film credits

Film credits include: Jay Kelly, The Teacher, Song of Names, The Girl from Mogadishu, The Current War, Florence Foster Jenkins, The Voices, One Chance, Standby, The Physician, Lovely Louise, Killing Bono, Happy Go Lucky, Nativity, Flawless, The Tiger’s Tale, Isolation, The Libertine, Inside I’m Dancing, Tulse Luper II, Suzie Gold, Wondrous Oblivion, American Girl, Monsieur N, Mystics, The Van, My Friend Joe, Moll Flanders, Jake’s Progress, Beyond Reason, Good Girls, In the Name of the Father, Blue Ice, The Miracle and Taffin.

What is the play Retrograde about?

Based on real life events, Retrograde is a gripping thriller about a career defining moment in life of Sidney Poitier: outstanding actor, trail blazer, activist, icon. The first black artist to win an Oscar for Best Actor.