Peter Blythe


Peter Blythe was an English character actor, probably best known as Samuel "Soapy Sam" Ballard in Rumpole of the Bailey.

Early life

Born in Yorkshire, Blythe studied drama on scholarship at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art after serving in the Royal Air Force. He began his professional career as a repertory player with the Living Theatre Company, the Nottingham Playhouse and the Royal Shakespeare Company. He made his West End debut in 1965.

Selected theatre credits

Blythe was frequently associated with the director Peter Hall and the playwright Alan Ayckbourn.
  • The Creeper : Maurice
  • Early Morning : Lord Mennings
  • So What About Love? : Robert
  • Absurd Person Singular : Sidney
  • The Clandestine Marriage : Sir John Melvil
  • The Return of A. J. Raffles : Lord Alfred Douglas
  • The Chairman : Peter Frame
  • Sextet : Roger
  • Caught in the Act : Bill Taylor
  • The Hard Shoulder : David
  • Number One : Bernard
  • Pravda : Michael Quince, MP
  • The Government Inspector : Artemy Zemlyanika
  • Futurists : Lenin/Romanov
  • Woman in Mind : Bill
  • The Living Room : Michael Dennis
  • Julius Caesar : Cassius
  • The Hothouse : Lobb
  • Hedda Gabler : Judge Brack
  • Peter Hall Company at the Old Vic, 1997: Waste, The Provok'd Wife, King Lear
  • Flight : Commander in Chief of the White Army
  • Hay Fever : David Bliss
  • Hamlet : Polonius/The Grave-digger
  • The Royal Family : Gilbert Marshall
  • Mrs. Warren's Profession : Mr. Praed
  • Humble Boy : Jim
  • Henry V : Duke of Exeter

    Film and television

Blythe worked in films only rarely and usually in minor roles; his most substantial part was also in his last film appearance, The Luzhin Defence. Other film credits include two films for Hammer Film Productions, A Challenge for Robin Hood and Frankenstein Created Woman ; his most successful film was Carrington.
By contrast, Blythe appeared in several dozen television series, miniseries and films, most notably as Samuel Ballard, QC in Rumpole of the Bailey. He guest-starred in episodes of The Avengers, Callan, Van der Valk, New Scotland Yard, Special Branch, Agatha Christie's Partners in Crime, Agatha Christie's Poirot, Inspector Morse, Maigret, The Inspector Alleyn Mysteries, Between the Lines, Pie in the Sky, Goodnight Sweetheart, Dalziel and Pascoe and Foyle's War, among many others. His miniseries appearances included The Barchester Chronicles, After the War and The Alan Clark Diaries. He narrated the 1970 TV comedy special Cucumber Castle starring the Bee Gees.

Authorship

One of Blythe's plays, Tom, Dick and Harry, was produced at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough in 1972 directed by Alan Ayckbourn. He also wrote two poetry chapbooks, Spring and The Light.

Personal life

Blythe lived for eight years with Harriet Walter; the couple were planning to marry at the time of his death. He had a daughter from an earlier marriage.
Peter Blythe died on 27 June 2004 aged 69, shortly after being diagnosed with lung cancer.

Filmography

Film

Television