Award winner in “Hard Times"

Press, 15 August 1978, Page 15

Award winner in “Hard Times"

The award-winning TV actor Timothy West stars in the four-part television adaptation of Charles Dickens’s "‘Hard Tinies.” screening on SPTV tonight. He plays Josiah Bounderby, the blunt and blustering self-made Coketown nill owner. Timothv West was named Best Actor of the Year in a nation-wide poll of TV viewers for his portrayal of King Edward in the TV serial Edward VII. Yorkshire-born Timothy West comes from a threegeneration theatrical family. He is the son of actor Lockwood West and actress Olive Crowe, and grandson of actor C. W. Carleton-Crowe. Timothv was educated at 13 different schools. His first job was as an office furniture salesman; he later became a recording engineer for EMI He won the firs’ Sunday limes Drama Eestival with an amateur production of “Our Town" and went on stage professionally in 1956. Since then he has become well-known for his acting roles including several seasons with the Royal Shakespeare Com-

pany playing many Sha kespearean parts. Other stage plays include "Marat/Sade." "The Jew of Malta" and Dr Johnson in "Boswell's Life of Johnson" at the Edinburgh Festival. Hi- film roles include "Nicholas and Alexandra." "Dav of the Jackal." "Twisted Nerve." and "Hie Devil s Advocate " Timothy played a leading role in the “Big Breadwinner Hog" series as well as many other TV plays. He is married to the actress. Prunella Scales, who played the acid Sybil in "Fawlty Towers."

Eyesore

IT WAS one in the eye for Radio New Zealand when it moved into its new building in Durham Street. The view from the window was filled by an enormous billboard on the N.Z. Road Services buddi ing, advertising Radio Avon. So it was with some relief yesterday that the Radio New Zealand people watched the eyesore being covered over with a new advertisement — even if it doe* sav "Smoking Stinks."