Christopher Gable

Who was Christopher Gable?

Christopher Gable, CBE was an English ballet dancer, choreographer and actor.

Born in London, Gable studied at the Royal Ballet School, joining the Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet in 1957. He was promoted to soloist in 1959 and a principal in 1961.

Gable's roles included Romeo in the Kenneth MacMillan production of Romeo and Juliet, Mercury in Offenbach's comic operetta Orpheus in the Underworld, a production that was filmed and released on DVD, and Colas in La fille mal gardée. Gable frequently partnered with Lynn Seymour.

Gable suffered from a chronic rheumatoid condition in his feet and left the Royal Ballet in 1967 to pursue a career in acting. He appeared in a number of television and film productions directed by Ken Russell, including the BBC films Song of Summer and The Dance of the Seven Veils, The Music Lovers, an adaptation of The Boy Friend, and The Rainbow. Other roles included that of John, valet and friend of Prince Edward, in the Cinderella film musical The Slipper and the Rose, the composer Peter Cornelius in Wagner, and anti-villain Sharaz Jek in the 1984 Doctor Who serial The Caves of Androzani. He also appeared on stage in the 1974 West End musical The Good Companions.