Derek Newark

Who was Derek Newark?

Derek Newark was an English actor.

He appeared in a large number of film and television roles, including The Baron, The Avengers, Z-Cars, Barlow in the regular role of Det. Insp. Tucker and various other minor roles. He appeared in episodes two to four of the first Doctor Who story An Unearthly Child in 1963. Later he appeared opposite Jon Pertwee in the 1970 story Inferno. Newark also played the role of Spooner, an ill-tempered former Red Devil turned professional wrestler in the series Rising Damp.

In the 1970s he became more involved in the theatre, spending nearly a decade at the Royal National Theatre. While there he was part of the company that opened the current home and was a cornerstone of the residential company that worked in the smaller Cottesloe Theatre under Bill Bryden's direction. His most important roles there were Bottom in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' and the world premiere of David Mamet's "Glengarry Glen Ross' where he played Shelley Levene and Malcolm in Alan Ayckbourn's 'Bedroom Farce', which also played in the West End and on Broadway.