Jeff Shankley

Jeffrey Richard Shankley (born 17 November 1947) is a British actor, singer and a former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company[1] who has had a long career as a television and stage actor particularly in the musicals of Andrew Lloyd Webber for whom he originated several roles, including Munkustrap in the original London production of Cats at the New London Theatre in London in 1981 and Greaseball in Starlight Express at the Apollo Victoria Theatre in 1984.

He trained from 1966 to 1968 at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA),[2][3] where he won a silver medal for acting, and prizes for diction and expressiveness in movement.

His other appearances include Alec Law/Tom/Walker/George Ward in Dixon of Dock Green (1963–1966); Lionel in ITV Play of the Week (1964); Peter in Our Man at St. Mark's (1964); Peter in The Barnstormers (1964); Ken in You and the World (1965); 1st Soldier/Devil/Third Shepherd in Mysteries and Miracles (1965);[5] Cox in Redcap (1965); Apprentice in Let's Go Out (1966); Private Boakes in A Family at War (1971); Jimmy Dunn in The Expert (1971); Mark in ITV Sunday Night Theatre (1971); Clive Savage in Beryl's Lot (1974); Captain Bidet in T-Bag (1992); Barry from the Shop in Sean's Show (1992–1993); Gerry Summers in Love Hurts (1994); Jeff Brodie in Peak Practice (1995); Chief Superintendent Spencer/Dan Paley in The Bill (1994–1998), Des in Playing the Field (2000); Boss in My Family (2000), and Uriah Rhodes/Harry Irwin in Holby City (2009).

Puck in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Don John in Much Ado About Nothing and Laertes in Hamlet at The New Shakespeare Company.

[9] His West End credits include Frank Schultz in Show Boat, Jed in West of Suez, Pontius Pilate in Jesus Christ Superstar, Al in A Chorus Line and Endicott in Windy City.