…starring in his first musical THE GOLDEN YEARS, based on the life story of Ireland’s celebrated composer Percy French premiered appropriately enough in Dublin . The picture on the left shows Mark with Milo O’Shea. The show transferred to London ‘s Palace Theatre in 1969, with a new title, PHIL THE FLUTER and with Mark now playing the lead alongside Stanley Baxter and Evelyn Laye. So by the end of the 1960’s the transition to actor was complete.
The mid 1970’s saw Mark starring in his first West End play as ‘Arthur Drake’ in CONDUCT UNBECOMING, [pictured left] a role he played for fifteen months at London ‘s Queen’s Theatre, followed by a six month run in Australia . Other West End work includes ‘Jack Chesney’ in the play CHARLEY’S AUNT [pictured right] at the Adelphi with John Inman,‘Bruce Granit’ in ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY and the ‘Phantom’ and ‘M Andre’ in PHANTOM OF THE OPERA both at Her Majesty’s, ‘Gus’ in CATS at the New London Theatre, ‘Jack Connor’ in CHARLIE GIRL, and ‘Vittorio Vidal’ in SWEET CHARITY both at the Victoria Palace.
Mark is pictured below from left to right in, ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY with Keith Michell and Julia McKenzie and with Nicholas Parsons, Dora Bryan, Paul Nicholas and Cyd Charisse in CHARLIE GIRL.
And now working from left to right in our West End roundup of Wynter appearances Mark is pictured as ‘Monsieur Andre’ in PHANTOM OF THE OPERA then in the famous CATS makeup and finally in even more make up as the ‘Phantom’ himself!
Regionally, Mark appeared in the 21st Anniversary season at the Chichester Festival Theatre as the title role in HENRY V [pictured below left], ‘Viscount Barking’ in Bernard Shaws little seen ON THE ROCKS No 10 DOWNING STREET, as ‘Captain Dick Thoroughfare’ [pictured below right with Femi Taylor] in Sandy Wilson’s musical VALMOUTH with Bertice Reading, Fenella Fielding, Doris Hare and Robert Helpmann and as ‘Gibson’ in a new play, CAVELL with Joan Plowright.
