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17:40 - 17:54

Pascale Harter profiles singer Engelbert Humperdinck.

Actor

Andrew Wincott

Plays Adam Macy

Andrew Wincott

Andrew was born in Banbury, Oxfordshire, but now lives in London. His grandfather and uncle were farmers at Home Farm (sounds familiar?), Sibford Ferris, near Banbury, where his mother also grew up. She went to school in the village – the same school as Godfrey Baseley, creator of The Archers.

Andrew has worked with numerous theatre companies throughout the UK. Leading roles include Tartuffe, Rochester in Jane Eyre, Alec in Tess of the D’Urbervilles, Vronsky in Anna Karenina, and the Actor in The Woman in Black.

In 2009 he toured in a Bath Theatre Royal revival of Lloyd George Knew My Father with Edward Fox.

He has performed in countless dramas, serials, comedies and readings for BBC Radio, including Book at Bedtime and the Afternoon Story. He’s recorded fifty audio books. Twice he has been a member of the BBC Radio Drama Company and he plays Simon in the award-winning Radio 4 comedy Clare In The Community.

Andrew has a 17 year old daughter at school in Suffolk.


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Archers highlights

The Ruairi story continuing into the inheritance storyline in 2008. This was a great story because it divided listeners and it was possible to identify with all sides of the argument. Very real. Dramatic too. A high-stakes story, well-written, and great fun to play challenging scenes with Angie, Charles, Tamsin and Hollie (Jennifer, Brian, Debbie and Alice).

I loved the episode years ago, in the days when I played Thorkil, in which Jill’s bees escaped to terrorize the neighbourhood. Thorkil had to save Sharon’s daughter but in so doing so allowed the irrigation to flood at Bridge Farm. Tony thought he’d got the better of know-all Thorkil at last, but was mortified to find Thorkil had a brilliant excuse.

Other Career highlights

Playing Jack Absolute in The Rivals in Vienna has to be a career highlight. A great part in a wonderful play in an amazing city. I’ve also had the good fortune to play many of Shakespeare’s mavericks – Malvolio, Jaques and Mercutio. I also loved playing the bluffing and disguise in Sleuth.

I was lucky enough to play against type as a gangster, Louie, in Neil Simon’s Lost In Yonkers, the closest I’ll get to being in The Sopranos.

Adam Macy

He’s got his feet firmly on the ground... except when he’s on the tractor!

Favourite...

Actor

I tend to think in terms of favourite performances rather than favourite actors but if pushed I would have to say Cary Grant for sheer insouciance. He could be dangerous and funny at the same time. One of the fastest and funniest performances on film is Grant as Walter Burns in His Girl Friday.

Book

The most enjoyable book I’ve read fairly recently is Colm Toibin’s The Master. He skilfully evokes the world of Henry James in James’ own style without being over-indulgent or complicated. Joseph Conrad’s a favourite too. The Secret Sharer has to be one of the greatest short stories ever written, for its fascinating ambiguity and economy of style. I also recently read Anthony Sampson’s Who Runs This Place? It’s a startling and penetrating analysis of modern Britain.

Film

I prefer to think of my top ten favourite films but would probably have to say North By Northwest – a perfect blend of thriller, comedy and romance. A suave hero in Cary Grant, icy blonde (well it is Hitchcock!) in Eva Marie-Saint and a smoothly villainous James Mason. Great one-liners and terrific set pieces.

Would still like to…

experience any or all of the great trans-Continental train journeys. For example, how terrific it would be to take the time to travel on the Trans-Siberian Express across the wilderness of Russia to Vladivostok or across Canada through the Rockies. Failing that, Route 66 across America in a Chevrolet!

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