Bruce Purchase(1938-2008)
- Actor
Bearded, heavy-set New Zealand-born character actor with a booming
voice, who went to England to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic
Art. After repertory experience, he had notable stage appearances with
the National Theatre Company (of which he was a founder member) and the
Mermaid Theatre, invariably in Shakespearean parts. His portrayals of
Balthasar in 'Much Ado About Nothing' (1965) and Sebastian in 'The
Tempest' (1970) were particularly well received. He also played
Doolittle during a European tour of 'My Fair Lady'.
During the 1970's, Purchase made frequent guest appearances on such television series as I, Claudius (1976), Rumpole of the Bailey (1978), Blake's 7 (1978), and (famously larger-than-life) in the Doctor Who (1963) episode 'The Pirate Planet'. His role was that of a cybernetically-enhanced pirate captain, complete with a robotic parrot. Among other notable TV performances were his Duke of Buckingham in The First Churchills (1969) and his Earl of Northumberland in the BBC production of 'Henry IV'. He continued to alternate television with appearances on the stage. During the production of 'The Last Confession' (starring David Suchet) in May 2007, Purchase, playing a cardinal, became ill and died aged 69 in June 2008.
During the 1970's, Purchase made frequent guest appearances on such television series as I, Claudius (1976), Rumpole of the Bailey (1978), Blake's 7 (1978), and (famously larger-than-life) in the Doctor Who (1963) episode 'The Pirate Planet'. His role was that of a cybernetically-enhanced pirate captain, complete with a robotic parrot. Among other notable TV performances were his Duke of Buckingham in The First Churchills (1969) and his Earl of Northumberland in the BBC production of 'Henry IV'. He continued to alternate television with appearances on the stage. During the production of 'The Last Confession' (starring David Suchet) in May 2007, Purchase, playing a cardinal, became ill and died aged 69 in June 2008.
