Cast

John WilkesJeff Shankley

Training: RADA. Jeff`s first professional experience was in television at the age of 12 in Dixon of Dock Green.

Theatre includes: Laertes and understudying the Hamlets of Richard Chamberlain and Alec McCowan, and Prince Hal in Henry IV Part I (Birmingham Rep) and Necheave in The Revolutionary (Royal Court Theatre Upstairs).

In the West End: Frank Schultz in Show Boat (Adelphi), Pontius Pilate in Jesus Christ Superstar (Palace), Al Deluca in A Chorus Line (Theatre Royal, Drury Lane) and Geoff in Absurd Person Singular (Whitehall). He created the roles of Jed in West of Suez (Cambridge Theatre), Lord Melchisadec in Time (Dominion), Munkustrap in Cats, Greaseball in Starlight Express, Endicot in Windy City, Gary Strong in Radio Times, Bruce Tick in The Revengers’ Comedies and George in the award-winning musical Spend, Spend, Spend. He was a member of the RSC and the New Shakespeare Company, playing Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Don Jon in Much Ado About Nothing and the Ghost of Christmas Present in A Christmas Carol. He has worked in repertory in Great Britain, Dubai, Oman, Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Hong Kong, playing Richard Hannay in The Thirty Nine Steps, Aunt Augusta in Travels with My Aunt, Gary Essendine in Present Laughter, Victor in Private Lives, Doctor Watson in The Hound of the Baskervilles and Alan Turing in Breaking the Code.

In Berlin: Antoine in Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Bustopher Jones, Gus and Growltiger in Cats (in German). He has just completed two and a half years as Pop in We Will Rock You (Dominion).

Television includes: Family at War, The Expert, The Bill, Peak Practice and Playing the Field.

Recordings include: Cats, Starlight Express, Windy City, Radio Times (original casts), Jesus Christ Superstar (25th anniversary) and Spend, Spend, Spend.

Back to the Cast listing

Top of Page