Harry Meacher (Constable in The Dummy)

 

Meacher was born in Stepney, London in 1945. As a teenager he worked with the legendary theatre director Joan Littlewood in Stratford Upon Avon and gained a scholarship to RADA, graduating in 1967. Whilst at RADA he was the recipient of several awards including The Ronson Award, The Principles Award and the Stage Fighting Award. After graduation he worked in major repertory theatres including The Royal Court Theatre in London and The Citizens Theatre in Glasgow. Highlights of this period include appearing in a hastily prepared production of Twelfth Night at the Royal Court during January 1968 and a small role as a policeman in the Michael Rosen play Backbone presented by the English Stage Company at the Royal Court during March – May 1968. He then portrayed Sir Henry Green in a version of Richard II at the Arts theatre in Cambridge during November 1968. He worked under Laurence Olivier at the National Theatre where he took the role of Martin Dysart during the original run of Equus.

Meacher’s television debut came with the small role of Jack in the ITV Sunday Night Theatre production 'Travelling Where' (9th August 1969) and this was followed with a small role as a hippy in the Special Branch episode 'You Don’t Exist”'(29th October 1969). Also during October Meacher was part of the cast of The Milk Train Doesn’t Stop Here Any More, written by Tennessee Williams, at the Citizens’ theatre in Glasgow. He then played the character David in the theatre production Sam Foster Comes Home at the Glasgow Citizens theatre during October and November 1969. The play was directed by Don Taylor who would later direct the Beasts episodes 'During Barty's Party' and 'Buddyboy'.

He continued to work at the Glasgow Citizens’ Theatre portraying Smike in a version of Nicholas Nickleby during January 1970. During March he appeared in the stage production Ebb. October and November saw Meacher play Landolf in a version of Henry IV staged at Leeds Playhouse during September and October 1970. He then appeared in the musical melodrama Oh Glorious Jubilees during December 1970. His next television appearance was as a helmsman in 'A Touch of the Nelsons' (25th October 1971), an episode of the business drama Mogul. Next was the Softly Softly: Task Force story 'Priorities' (5th January 1972) playing the character Dawlish. He then stayed in the arena of police drama for his next television role, playing Price in the Dixon of Dock Green instalment 'Firearms Were Issued' (20th April 1974). In between his TV roles he appeared in Alice through the Looking Glass at the Liverpool Playhouse during December 1972 and January 1973.

He made his feature film debut in Trial by Combat AKA A Dirty Knight’s Work (1976), a comedy directed by Kevin Connor, and packed to the gills with British character actors trying to earn a living. Meacher has a blink and you’ll miss him role as a lorry driver in this sadly little seen and not widely available film. His role as a police constable in the Beasts episode 'The Dummy' was next. In his personal life Bowker married the actress Judi Bowker in 1979 and the couple are still together to this day.

Post-Beasts television appearances includes the ITV Playhouse productions 'We Need Never Do What They Want' (16th May 1978) and 'Only A Game' (24th March 1981). Stage work includes stage farce Who Goes Bare? at Her Majesty’s theatre in Aberdeen which was headlined by farce veteran Robin Askwith during November 1979. Also of note was a run of The Long and the Short and the Tall during July 1984 at Salisbury Playhouse. His appearance as Captain Curtis in two episodes (22nd and 29th September 1984) of the BBC science fiction series The Tripods gained him a cult following though after this appearance Meacher concentrated on his theatre work for several years.

Meacher has mainly gravitated towards theatre work during his career and has tended to work in the classics rather than in modern plays. As such he has only a few film and television credits and many gaps in his on screen resume. He has written and directed original stage plays as well as adapting classics such as Ibsen, Chekov and Shakespeare. He toured the Mediterranean with his wife in his own play, The Brownings Through Cassa Guidi Windows. Originals plays he has written include The Ranconteur of Banyalbulfour, In Love With Anton, Cardboard Dreams, Silver Secrets and The Wildes of Essex. He co-wrote, with Kit Gerould, The Sensualist which was performed at The Arts Theatre. His direction and performance in Chekov’s Uncle Vanya was awarded the Time Out Critic’s Choice Award. His play, Mist – After Dracula, won The Peggy Ramsey Foundation Award.

Meacher’s next appeared on screen as Peary in the German film Transatlantis (1995) which won the Golden Bear award at the 1995 Berlin International Film Festival. Between June and July 1995 Meacher wrote and directed The Sensualist, based on Bel Ami by Guy de Mauppassant at the Arts theatre. Judi Bowker was the cast lead. November saw Meacher adapt Chekhov’s Three Sisters as well as direct and star in the production. Judi Bowker acted as the stage designer on the production. He directed, wrote and starred in The Scourge during May and June 1996. This was followed by The Brownings Through Casa Guidi Windows during June 1996 with Meacher again writing, directing and acting. He adapted, acted and directed a version of The Seagull between September and October 1997 and a production of Hedda Gabler during June and July 1998. Further stage credits take in a production of Macbeth at Rickmansworth’s Watersmeet Theatre over January 1999 with Judi Bowker portraying Lady Macbeth. Meacher took the role of Valmont in a revival of Les Liaisons Dangereuses staged during July 1999 followed by the title role in a production of Platonov at the Gatehouse theatre. He also directed and starred in a production of Richard III during May 2000.

Meacher returned to television with an appearance in The Scarlet Pimpernel episode 'Ennui' (18th October 2000). Meacher played Count de Martignac. His next role was in the direct to video horror film Kannibal (2001) playing Lennard Kitchner. November 2000 saw Meacher direct and star in the stage play Mating Behaviour by John Cooper.

In 2003 Meacher co-founded, alongside Judi Bowker and Edward Romfourt, theatre company Leading Lady Productions and wrote and acted in two of their productions – Catalina and Rebecca’s Ghost. He is the co-founder of the production company Coachhouse Films formed in 2005, which has produced programmes for television including Chicklit (2016) starring Eileen Atkins, John Hurt and Miles Jupp. Meacher has appeared in two of their productions – Happy Days and the supernatural thriller,  Cassandra’s Clock, which is set in the New Forest. Judi Bowker also featured in the cast.

Outside of his production companies Meacher has played the Devil in the short horror comedy The Devil and All His Works (2009). The ten minute film sees the Devil intent on celebrating the Christmas holidays, but as he crosses a bridge a suicidal man catches his eye. 10 Arenas of Marwood (2011) was a British comedy film directed by Michael Audreson and starring Judi Bowker. Meacher pops up as Doctor Murchison. The Lost Mantle of Elijah (2013) was an independently produced adventure comedy. Meacher appears as Meguine and gets to demonstrate some of the sword fighting skills he had won an award for all those years ago at RADA.

Voices (2014) was a short film with a science fiction film about a man who learns that nothing in his life is what it seems as a voice in his head pushes him to the edge. Meacher supplied the voice, called Panacea. His final television appearance to date was in the documentary series Raiders of the Lost Art with the episode 'Vanishing Vermeers' (17th September 2014). Meacher appeared in dramatized clips as Han van Meegeren, a Dutch painter who is considered to be one of the most ingenious art forgers of the 20th Century. Meacher's most recent project is Tales of Albion (2016), a portmanteau film which features eight stories of British folklore and legend. Judi Bowker features in the cast as Rhiannon’s mother alongside Meacher who plays Rhiannon’s father in the seventh story, 'The Golden Rider'.