Theatre

Hugh was trained at RADA. He worked extensively in that great (and now largely defunct) training-ground, repertory, all over the country from Liverpool to Exeter. His first appearances in London were at the Open Air Theatre in Regents’s Park, where he played Romeo.

Hugh has subsequently worked with both The Royal Shakespeare Company and The National Theatre. With Cheek by Jowl, he won a Time Out award when he played Malvolio in Twelfth Night, He has appeared frequently in the West End, most notably in Death and the Maiden, The Woman in Black, The Invention of Love, Stephen Sondheim’s Passion (Olivier Award Nomination), Bentand Plague Over England. Other recent successes include 5/11 at Chichester,Pyrenees for Paine’s Plough at the Menier Chocolate Factory, Pinter’s The New World Order at the Brighton Festival, and Waste at the Almeida.

His performances have received some excellent notices in the press. Reviewing his performance in Pyrenees, Lloyd Evans wrote in The Spectator:

“Recently, I’ve seen Ross shine in two leading roles. A seasoned Scottish professional, he looks at the first sight like nothing special. His technique is subtle almost to the point of invisibility and his performances radiate power and sympathy. I doubt if even the knighted movie-greats like Hopkins and McKellen could surpass his grace and authority.”

His performance as Polonius in Hamlet (with John Simm) at Sheffield Crucible in 2010, won him more praise. Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Charles Spencer described his performance as “wonderfully funny, ” while the Daily Express said “Ross gives us a wonderfully pernickety old windbag, bringing a sly comedy to all his scenes.”

And again, in Macbeth (with James McAvoy) in 2013, Spencer wrote “Ross brings a beautiful sense of moral decency into this dark play.”

Credits

Twelfth Night

Sheffield Crucible/English Touring Theatre: September-November 2014

Malvolio

Macbeth

Trafalgar Studios, London: February-April 2013

Duncan/Doctor

A Life

Finborough Theatre, London: 2nd – 27th October 2012

Drumm

Hamlet

Crucible Theatre, Sheffield: 16th September – 23rd October 2010

Polonius / Gravedigger

Plague over England

Duchess Theatre: 2009

Lord Rayner Goddard

Waste

Almeida Theatre: 2008

Cyril Horsham

The New World Order

Brighton Festival/Hydrocracker: 2007

Nicolas/The Minister

Bent

Trafalgar Studios: 2006

Uncle Freddie

5/11

Chichester Festival Theatre: 2005

Robert Cecil

Pyrenees

Paine’s Plough/Tron Theatre/Chocolate Factory: 2005

Cyril Horsham

Love Me Tonight

Hampstead Theatre: 2004

Roy

The Woman in Black

Fortune Theatre : 2004

Arthur Kipps

The David Hare Trilogy

Birmingham Repertory Theatre: 2003

A Prayer for Owen Meany

Lyttelton Theatre, National Theatre: June 2002

Reverend Merrill

Battle Royal

Lyttelton Theatre, National Theatre: December 1999

Lord Malmesbury

Lady in the Dark

Lyttelton Theatre, National Theatre: March 1997

Dr. Alexander Brooks

Passion

Queen’s Theatre, London: 1995 – 1996

King Lear

Royal Court, London: 1993

Gloucester

Hedda Gabler

Playhouse Theatre, London: 1991 – 1992

Hamlet

Bristol Old Vic: 1991

Claudius