James Reynard

A versatile actor and director with his roots at Moffats

James Reynard's acting career started at Moffats (73-78), with roles in the cycle of five plays written specially for the school by its founder Natalie Engleheart.

James’ first professional appearance was in David Mamet’s aptly-named A Life in the Theatre, since when he has appeared in over 100 stage and film productions. He has toured extensively in Britain, Germany, Holland, Switzerland and Canada and has played leading roles in many of Shakespeare’s plays.

Although James had kept in touch with Moffats, it was not until 2005 that the school was able to witness first-hand the quality of his work both as actor and director.  An invitation from John Morris, Chairman of the Moffats Society, led to Moffats becoming an annual summer venue for the highly acclaimed touring theatre company Rain or Shine, all of whose productions James has directed.  Since then the front lawn has been the spectacular evening setting for public performances of The Merry Wives of Windsor, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Winter's Tale, Twelfth Night and The Taming of the Shrew.

While Rain or Shine's specialist repertoire stays largely in the realms of comedy (on June 18th 2010 they will perform Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest), James' own acting portfolio includes Macbeth, Iago, Romeo, Oberon, Orsino, Orlando, Bassanio, Leontes and Laertes. He also played Launcelot Gobbo in Der Kaufmann von Venedig (The Merchant of Venice) - in German - at the ETA Hoffmann Theater, Bamberg.

In December 2009 Rain or Shine took James' adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol to indoor venues throughout the U.K. including a packed Kinlet Village Hall.  Then, just one month later, he was back at Moffats with colleagues from Traffic of the Stage, providing a lively and amusing introduction to the world of the Bard through Shakespeare Live! - a revised version of Traffic of the Stage’s Introducing Shakespeare featuring colourful extracts from his best known plays.

Links:

http://www.reynard.info/

http://www.rainorshine.co.uk/