Bernard Bullbrook

Rain - Bernie Bullbrook 2nd from left

Member, 1967 to present

One of the founding fathers of the SLT, Bernard "Bernie" Bullbrook has been one of the longest serving members of the theatre.

Until his retirement and move to South Petherton, Somerset in 2006, Bernie was a regular feature in the the SLTC Members' Club bar.

Bernie was Deputy Chairman for many years and fought hard to ensure the SLT's voice was heard in council meetings and community groups throughout Lambeth.

Bernie was the leading light in founding Prompt Corner (see below).

Acting Roles

• Leonine in Pericles (1968) (Theatre)
• Col. Wainwright Purdy III in The Teahouse of the August Moon (1969) (Theatre)
• Jaques in The Miser (1968) (Theatre)
• Antonio in Twelfth Night (1969) (Theatre)
• Ilya Shamrayev in The Seagull (1970) (Theatre)
• Sgt. Match in What the Butler Saw (1971) (Theatre)
• Policeman in Toad of Toad Hall (1971) (Theatre)
• Ensemble and Guitarist in Under Milk Wood (1972) (Main Stage)
• Chuck in The Iceman Cometh (1972) (Main Stage)
• Lieutenant Rooney in Arsenic and Old Lace (1973) (Main Stage)
• Sergeant O'Hara in Rain (1973) (Theatre)
• Man-at-Arms in The Thwarting of Baron Bolligrew (1973) (Theatre)
• Artiste in Music Hall (1974) (Main Stage)
• Inspector Hound in The Real Inspector Hound (1975) (Main Stage)
• Waiter in Servant of Two Masters (1975) (Main Stage)
• Mr Brownlow in Oliver! (1975) (Main Stage)
• Meadows in Loot (1977) (Main Stage)
• George in On Monday Next (1980) (Prompt Corner)
• General in Savages (1986) (Bell Theatre)
• Constable Warren in Our Town (1993) (Bell Theatre)
• Max/Party Guest in Cabaret (1996) (Bell Theatre)
• Major W.H.Lewis in Shadowlands (1998) (Bell Theatre)
• The Stage Manager in Easy Stages (2002) (Prompt Corner)
• Herald in The Stolen Princess (2003) (Bell Theatre)
• Becket in Four Nights In Knaresborough (2004) (Prompt Corner)
• Town Crier in Dick Whittington & His Cat (2005) (Bell Theatre)
• Alonso in Fuente Ovejuna (2005) (Bell Theatre)

Productions as Stage Director

• Separate Tables (1974) (Main Stage)

Productions as Assistant Stage Manager

• Mrs Warren's Profession (1974) (Main Stage)

Productions as Lighting Designer

• Dusa, Fish, Stas & Vi, 1981, Prompt Corner
• Once a Catholic (1983) (Bell Theatre)
• Skirmishes (1984) (Bell Theatre)
• The Real Inspector Hound (2000) (Bell Theatre)
• The Actor's Nightmare (2000) (Bell Theatre)
• Huis Clos (2000) (Prompt Corner)
• Terra Nova (2002) (Bell Theatre)

Productions as Construction Manager

• Shadowlands (1998) (Bell Theatre)

Set Design & Construction on:

• The Hostage (1972) (Main Stage) with Ray Seaton
• The Odd Couple (1973) (Main Stage)
• A Slice of Saturday Night (1998) (Bell Theatre) with Sarah Williamson
• Wait Until Dark (1998) (Bell Theatre)

Set Construction on:

• The Father (1972) (Main Stage)
• Two for the See-Saw (1973) (Main Stage)
• Make Me an Offer (1973) (Main Stage)
• Fears and Mysteries of the Third Reich , (1979) , (Prompt Corner)
• Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, (1979) , (Main Stage)
• Dusa, Fish, Stas & Vi, 1981, Prompt Corner
• The Merchant of Venice (1982) (Bell Theatre)
• Cowardy Custard (1984) (Bell Theatre)
• The Homecoming, 1985, Bell Theatre
• The Diary of Anne Frank, 1986, Bell Theatre (Scaffolding Advisor)
• Huis Clos (2000) (Prompt Corner)
• Latin (2001) (Prompt Corner)
• Privates on Parade (2002) (Bell Theatre)

Productions as Set Builder's Assistant

• Rain (1973) (Main Stage) Assisting Ray Seaton

Productions as Set Designer

• The House of Bernarda Alba, (1973) (Main Stage
• Separate Tables 1974 Main Stage
• Entertaining Mr Sloane (1974) (Main Stage)
• Oliver! (1975) (Main Stage)

Productions as Scaffolding Erector

• Godspell (1984) (Bell Theatre)

Productions as Rigger

• Equus (1984) (Bell Theatre) with Don North and David Lamkin
• Monkey Monkey Bottle of Beer, How Many Monkeys Have We Here? (2001) (Bell Theatre)
• Vinegar Tom (2002) (Bell Theatre)
• Rebecca (2002) (Bell Theatre)

Anecdotes

I remember a very moving speech that Bernie gave to the SLT Youth Group when we were preparing for Stay With Me (2006) (Prompt Corner). The play was based in the war and Bernie was an evacuee. He got all the children to lie down in Prompt Corner, in the dark, then turned the lights out - and described his feelings as a small boy, on a cold floor, in the dark, miles from home and frightened. And how he wet the bed because he knew that 'bed-wetters' were given an instant transport home.

Most moving was the fact that his very first theatrical performance was in the room in which we were all lying - long before it was Prompt Corner, it was St Luke's Church Hall and Bernie put on a charity performance to raise money for the war effort.

It is unsurprising therefore that he fought so long and hard to have Prompt Corner rebuilt as a theatre space.

~ Stuart Draper

Interests

Beer

External Links

• This Member's MySpace page.
• This member's Web Site.