Richard Lumsden

Richard James Lumsden, born on 24 June 1965, is an English actor, writer, composer, and musician. He trained at the Guildford School of Acting, graduating in 1986, having previously attended Lady Manners School in Bakewell in the Peak District. In 2024, Lumsden made his Broadway debut in The Hills of California.

Lumsden's television career spans several decades and encompasses a wide range of roles. His early credits include Foggy in two series of First of the Summer Wine, Nutter in The Sharp End, and appearances in Waterfront Beat, One Foot in the Grave, The Brittas Empire, Nelson's Column, Grace and Favour, Coogan's Run - Death of a Salesman, and Hornblower. He went on to play Colin across three series of Simon Nye's Is It Legal?, Henry in Wonderful You, Charles in All About Me, and Nathan in two series of Channel 4's Emmy Award-winning Sugar Rush. He appeared as Martin in series three of The Catherine Tate Show and as Arnold, an ex-boyfriend of Clare Bates, in EastEnders. Additional credits include Party Animals, Suburban Shootout, Dis/connected, U Be Dead, Free Agents, Grownups, Summer in Transylvania, Garrow's Law, two series of The Impressions Show, three series of Life of Riley, Vexed, Midsomer Murders, By Any Means, All at Sea, and sixteen appearances as different characters across Holby City, Casualty, and Doctors. He played Ray in Radio 4's long-running comedy Clare in the Community and starred as Tony across three series of the BBC's Millie in Between. In 2020, Lumsden portrayed General Percival in ITV's World War Two drama The Singapore Grip, filmed in Malaysia, and in 2021 appeared as Taylor Lawson in series 25 of Silent Witness. Other recent television work includes Remember Me, Trollied, Father Brown, Crazyhead, Doc Martin, and Shakespeare and Hathaway.

His film work includes the role of Robert Ferrars in Ang Lee's Sense and Sensibility, as well as appearances in The Avengers, Room to Rent, Silent Cry, Gospel of John, City Slacker, and Ben Wheatley's Sightseers. He composed the music for Morris: A Life with Bells On, in which he also appeared. In 2014, Lumsden starred in the independent British comedy Downhill, directed by James Rouse, about four friends attempting Alfred Wainwright's Coast to Coast Walk. He played Ballested in Jan Vardoen's Heart of Lightness, shot in Norway's Arctic Circle, and General Ismay in Joe Wright's Darkest Hour in 2016. Most recently, he starred as Paul in Swede Caroline, the debut feature film from directors Brook Driver and Finn Bruce, released on 19 April 2024, alongside Jo Hartley and Celyn Jones.

On stage, Lumsden's theatre credits include Mr. Webb in David Cromer's production of Our Town at the Almeida in London in 2014, and Telegin in Robert Icke's production of Chekhov's Uncle Vanya at the same venue in 2016, for which he also provided on-stage musical accompaniment. Further London credits include It's All Made Up at the Royal Court in 2017 and White Teeth at the Kiln in 2018. He performed his own one-man musical play We Could Be Heroes at the Bridewell Theatre in 2004, with the production later transferring to the Mill Theatre, the Yvonne Arnaud in Guildford, and the Arts Theatre in the West End. His repertory work at Stoke-on-Trent and Basingstoke includes the title roles in Hamlet and Master Harold and the Boys, alongside productions of As You Like It, King Lear, A Trip to Scarborough, Amadeus, Juno and the Paycock, Far from the Madding Crowd, and Having a Ball. He played Roche in Rat in the Skull at Theater Exchange in Minneapolis and John Thorpe in Northanger Abbey at Greenwich.

As a writer, Lumsden co-wrote the seven-hour ITV drama Wonderful You with Chris Niel, in which he also starred. He has written five verse plays for BBC Radio 4, including John Dodd Gets Taken for a Ride, shortlisted for the BBC and Society of Authors' Imison Award for new writing; A Good Place for Fishing, starring Anne Reid; Man in the Moon, with Tom Courtenay, shortlisted for the BBC and Society of Authors' Tinniswood Award; and A Book by Lester Tricklebank, with Stephen Tompkinson. He adapted his story The Six Loves of Billy Binns for Radio 4, starring Tom Courtenay, broadcast in 2010, and subsequently published the work as his debut novel through Tinder Press in January 2019. Readings of his play Skeletons have taken place at the Soho Theatre and Leicester Square Theatre.

As a musician, Lumsden plays piano, guitars, bass, banjo, and ukulele, among other instruments. He composed the orchestral and folk soundtrack to the 2009 film Morris: A Life with Bells On, a full musical score for Alice in Wonderland at the New Vic Theatre in Stoke, and title music for the BBC's The Morning Show. With his band Henry Kissing Her, he released two albums: A Little of Who You Fancy in 1996 and Pull in 2006. He also released a CD of piano music, Concert from the Eyrie, in 2001. In 2012, Lumsden and fiddle player John Dipper released the folk album Sunshine Takes You, and in 2020 he released The Unhurt, described as his final album of songs. Lumsden married actress Sophie Thompson in 1995; they separated in 2015 and have two sons.