The Irish Theatre has, sadly, lost the gifted actor and radio drama director Scott Fredericks, following a long and serious illness. Scott was born in Sligo in 1943 and left the family business after gaining a scholarship to train at RADA in London. His career started in Chesterfield Repertory and he subsequently worked with iconic director Peter Brook at Northampton. He then performed Mark Anthony in the West End and Henry II in Beckett.
Whilst appearing as a speedway rider in Crossroads, he was asked if he wanted to remain “or get out quick”. Scott decided latter, did another Dr. Who and a tremendous volume of work followed. Other featured TV roles included in Z Cars, Dixon of Dock Green, Dr. Who, Blake’s Seven, Triangle, John Halifax Gentleman and Dad’s Army.
In 1973 he returned to Ireland and played leading roles in the Gate Theatre for several seasons with Edward’s and McLiammoir. Lengthy tours and long runs of Peg o’ My Heart followed, and he performed for the newly created Irish Theatre Company, later appearing in Cal, Fair City and Caught in a Free State.
In 1980, he received the J.J. Finnegan Evening Herald Award nomination for his solo stage show, Yeats Remembers. In all, Scott made more than 30 Film and TV appearances and, in 1992, became a contract Radio Drama director with RTE and represented the station at the 1997 Prix Italia Awards.
For more than forty years, Scott was the quintessential, “leading man” and graced the stage with talent and dignity. He remained a member of British Equity for the whole of his career, but was a staunch supporter of Irish Actors’ Equity and of all its members. So many of us had the privilege of working with him for much of that time and we have all lost a good friend and a stalwart professional.
Laurence Foster
