Gavin Richards is a distinguished British actor and director who honed his craft at the Bristol Old Vic. He began his career at the Liverpool Everyman Theatre before collaborating with the avant-garde playwright John McGrath at the 7:84 Theatre Company. In the early 1970s, he joined the Ken Campbell Roadshow, gaining invaluable performance experience in unconventional settings, including pubs and outdoor venues. A successful tour in Germany provided the financial means for Richards and fellow artists Eugene Geasley, Marcel Steiner, and Jeni Barnett to establish the Belt and Braces Roadshow Company. As Artistic Director, writer, and performer, Richards led the group in creating politically charged musical roadshows that were performed at trade union events, schools, and arts centers.
During his twelve years with Belt and Braces, the company collaborated with notable figures such as Richard Eyre and Trevor Griffiths, and its members later formed new companies, including Monstrous Regiment. Richards directed several political plays, including a successful adaptation of Dario Fo’s "Accidental Death of an Anarchist," which starred Alfred Molina in its two-year West End run. In addition to his theatre work, Richards gained recognition in film and television during the 1980s and 1990s, contributing to projects such as "Oi For England" and "Driving Ambition." More recently, he co-founded Theatre South in New Zealand with Tamara Henry, creating award-winning youth productions for War Child. In 2015, he published a collection of poetry titled "200 Weeks" with Muswell Press.
