Don Warrington

Born in Trinidad, Don Warrington grew up in Newcastle upon Tyne before training at Drama Centre London. He started acting in repertory theatre aged 17. Warrington’s breakthrough role was in the sitcom Rising Damp with Leonard Rossiter and Richard Beckinsale. He appeared in the show from 1974 to 1978. When asked about his time in the show, he said: “I was a bit embarrassed by it, really. I'd been trained to go into theatre and learn my craft, and there I was doing a sitcom. It wasn't in the script.”

His television work includes the TV shows Red Dwarf, Lovejoy, New Street Law and Doctor Who, as well as being one of the interviewees in Grumpy Old Men. He was awarded an MBE in the 2008 Birthday Honours list.

On stage, he gave a memorable performance in King Lear for Talawa Theatre Company at the Royal Exchange, Manchester. Prior to that, he has made appearances on the London theatre stage in A Statement of Regret with a review here, Elimina’s Kitchen and The Mysteries at the National Theatre. Read a review of Elimina's Kitchen at the National Theatre starring Don Warrington here. He toured the UK in a production of Driving Miss Daisy with Gwen Taylor in 2012.

Warrington has also directed several productions, including a stage adaptation of the sitcom in which he made his name, Rising Damp. His other directing credits include Rum and Coca Cola at the West Yorkshire Playhouse and The Coloured Museum for Talawa. In October 2017, Warrington starred alongside Christian Slater and Kris Marshall in a London revival of Glengarry Glen Ross at the Playhouse Theatre.