John D. Collins
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
John D. Collins (born 2 December 1942 in London) is an English actor, best known for appearing in the BBC sitcom 'Allo 'Allo! in which he played Flying Officer Fairfax, a stranded British airman in occupied France during World War II. He is the actor to have been cast most frequently in writer/producer David Croft's hit sitcoms: a total of six different series and ten characters.
He won the Ivor Novello and Robert Donat Scholarships to RADA. After graduating he went on to run the Summer Theatre at Frinton-on-Sea for three years and then went to work in the first season of The New Nottingham Playhouse.
In his early years he made a number of films, including some for Hammer Films, Dracula Has Risen from the Grave and The Ghoul, and also many plays for Granada Television. As a vicar in Coronation Street, he failed to marry Albert Tatlock.
For ten years he worked with Spike Milligan as his Assistant Director and as an actor, in Son of Oblomov and The Bed-Sitting Room. He also appeared with Milligan in his ‘Q’ series on television.
He became a regular in two television series – A Family At War and also with Robert Lindsay in Get Some In!. He also played Jerry for David Croft in You Rang, M'Lord?. Other TV work includes The Brittas Empire, Hi-de-Hi!, Oh, Doctor Beeching! and Birds of a Feather, Trial & Retribution, Family Affairs, Peak Practice, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Harry’s Mad, Wycliffe, Mosley, Dad's Army, Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em, The Sweeney, Secret Army, Citizen Smith, Yes Minister, It Ain't Half Hot Mum, the Doctor Who serial Arc of Infinity, Are You Being Served?, Only Fools and Horses, and Lovejoy.
Other theatre credits includes the tour of When Did You Last See Your Trousers?, The Winslow Boy, That’s Showbiz, Richard III and the title role in King Lear.
John has appeared in a number of pantomimes as Abanazer and an ugly sister in Cinderella.
He has narrated The Snowman, Carnival of the Animals, Peter and the Wolf and William Walton’s Façade and has also recorded a Shakespearean CD with the Gesualdo Consort. He has just played the voice of God in Noye's Fludde by Benjamin Britten and has been appearing regularly as Henry VIII at the banquets in the Old Palace at Hatfield House.
Collins is currently playing the role of Mr. Paravicini in The Mousetrap at St Martin's Theatre, London, UK.
