Profile
Chris Parrinder
Chris Parrinder was born on the 10th August 1977 in Doncaster and began acting at the tender age of 14. He first came to notoriety in a school production of Accidental Death of an Anarchist which was critically acclaimed by both his drama teacher and audience. In 1996 he moved to Scarborough to study theatre at Scarborough University College. During his time there not only did he wow audiences playing the lead role in Hamlet but also co-wrote and starred in a theatrical production of Edgar Allen Poe’s novel The Tell-Tale Heart. It was also here where he penned his first play Treading the Fine Line.
After graduating with a 2:1 BA Honours Degree in Theatre Studies with English he decided to stay in Scarborough and joined the then Crossfade Theatre company in autumn 2000. He began working behind the scenes, coaching actors and playing an active part in the management team. His first major acting role for the company came in the form of a 45 minute monologue entitled The Roadie which was performed at the YMCA Drama Festival.
He has also played an active part in the company's development of pub theatre, first at Indigo Alley and then in the subsequent move to the Valley Pub where the group changed its name to the Valley Theatre Company. Over the years he has played many varied and wide ranging roles. Most notable of these are an anorak called Joe in The Expert, a delinquent called Rick in Going Home alongside Margaret Johnson and an unnamed soldier in the deeply gritty monologue Universal Soldier. It was also here where he got to star in his own penned play The Waiting Game performed at the Saltburn Drama Festival.
His biggest success to date is playing a mental patient in the dark and deeply disturbing Chasing The Hard Backed Black Beetle. The play, largely devised and directed by Chris himself from a script by Graham Rhodes, was a triple award winner at the Saltburn Drama Festival not only winning Chris best actor but also bagging best production and best cameo for his co star Tony Berry. The judge said of Chris’ performance that he had “a deep and meaningful insight into mental illness”. It was also highly praised by The Scarborough Evening News.
Outside The Valley Theatre Company Chris starred in Rambling Boy - The Legend of Charlie Poole alongside the great musician Martin Stephenson. The play was a mixture of theatre and live music and told the story of the life and times of the legendary musician Charlie Poole and the North Carolina Ramblers and played to a sell out audience at The Live Theatre in Newcastle in 2003. More recently Chris performed Chasing the Hard Backed Black Beetle and the black comedy Holiday at the Ilkley Literature Festival in October 2005.
Chris takes his acting very seriously and devotes much of his free time to it. His ambition is to make it as a professional actor.
Credits
2005
Robyn Hood - Marion
A Midsummer's Day Nightmare - John
Rats - The Council Ratcatcher
The Window - Simon
Lock In - Man 1
Chasing The Hard Backed Black Beetle - An Unnamed Man
2004
Pirates of the Esplanade: Curse of the Black Pudding - The local here
Ouija Board - Pete
Universal Soldier - The Unnamed Soldier
Waiting Game - Alex
The Unhappy Medium - Man
Holiday - Young Man
The Bargheest - Joe
Moggies - A Cat!
2003
Mabel and Ruby in Wonderland - Baron Fishbone
Rambling Boy: The Legend of Charlie Poole and the North Carolina Ramblers - Young Guitarist
2002
The Roadie - The Roadie
The Expert - Joe
Going Home - Rick
Film Work
The Documentary of ‘Rambling Boy - The Legend of Charlie Poole and The North Carolina Ramblers - AVP Production Company.
Chasing the Hard Backed Blacked Black Beetle, (The Unnamed Man) - AVP Production Company.
Script Work
Treading The Fine Line
The Waiting Game
Chambers.