Wikipedia

Rowan Atkinson

Rowan Sebastian AtkinsonCBE(born 6 January 1955) is an English actor, comedian and writer. He played the title roles in the sitcomsBlackadder(1983–1989) andMr. Bean(1990–1995), and in the film seriesJohnny English(2003–present). Atkinson first came to prominence on theBBCsketch comedyshowNot the Nine O'Clock News(1979–1982), receiving the 1981British Academy Television Award for Best Entertainment Performance.

Rowan Atkinson
CBE
Atkinson at the premiere ofJohnny English Rebornin September 2011
Birth nameRowan Sebastian Atkinson
Born(1955-01-06)6 January 1955(age 70)
Consett,County Durham,England
Medium
Alma mater
Years active1978–present
Spouse
Sunetra Sastry
​
​
(m.1990;div.2015)​
Partner(s)Louise Ford(2014–present)[1]
Children3
Relative(s)Rodney Atkinson(brother)
Signature
Rowan Atkinson's voice
from the BBC programmeFront Row Interviews,8 January 2012[2]

Atkinson has appeared in various films, including theJames BondfilmNever Say Never Again(1983),The Witches(1990),Four Weddings and a Funeral(1994),Rat Race,Scooby-Doo(both 2002),Love Actually(2003), andWonka(2023). He played the voice role ofZazuin theDisneyanimated filmThe Lion King(1994). Atkinson portrayed Mr. Bean in the film adaptationsBean(1997) andMr. Bean's Holiday(2007), and voiced the title character inMr. Bean: The Animated Series(2002–2019). He also featured on the BBC sitcomThe Thin Blue Line(1995–1996) and played fictional French police commissionerJules MaigretinITV'sMaigret(2016–2017). His work in theatre includes the role ofFaginin the 2009West Endrevival of the musicalOliver!.

Atkinson was listed inThe Observeras one of the 50 funniest actors in British comedy in 2003,[3]and among the top 50 comedians ever, in a 2005 poll of fellow comedians.[4]Throughout his career, he has collaborated with screenwriterRichard Curtisand composerHoward Goodall,both of whom he met at theOxford University Dramatic Societyduring the 1970s. In addition to his 1981 BAFTA, Atkinson received anOlivier Awardfor his 1981 West End theatre performance inRowan Atkinson in Revue.Atkinson was appointedCBEin the2013 Birthday Honoursfor services to drama and charity.

Early life

Atkinson was born inConsett,County Durham,England, on 6 January 1955.[5][6][7]The youngest of four boys, his parents were Eric Atkinson, a farmer andcompany director,and Ella May (née Bainbridge), who married on 29 June 1945.[7]His three older brothers are Paul, who died as an infant;Rodney,aEuroscepticeconomistwho narrowly lost theUK Independence Partyleadership election in 2000; and Rupert.[8][9]

Atkinson was brought upAnglican.[10]He was educated at theDurham Chorister School,a preparatory school, and then atSt Bees School.Rodney, Rowan and their older brother Rupert were brought up in Consett and went to school with the future Prime Minister,Tony Blair,at Durham Choristers.[11]After receiving top grades in scienceA levels,[12]he secured a place atNewcastle University,where he received aBScdegree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering in 1975.[13][14]Atkinson briefly embarked on aPhDstudy atThe Queen's College, Oxford,where his father had studied in 1935, before devoting his full attention to acting.[15][16][17]He graduated with anMScdegree in Electrical Engineering[16]and was made anHonorary Fellowof the college in 2006.[18]His master's thesis, published in 1978, considered the application of self-tuning control.[19]

Atkinson first won national attention inThe Oxford Revueat theEdinburgh Festival Fringein August 1976.[13]He had already written and performed sketches for shows in Oxford by the Etceteras – the revue group of theExperimental Theatre Club(ETC) – and for theOxford University Dramatic Society(OUDS), meeting writerRichard Curtis,[13]and composerHoward Goodall,with whom he would continue to collaborate during his career.[20]

Career

Radio

Atkinson starred in a series of comedy shows forBBC Radio 3in 1979 calledThe Atkinson People.It consisted of a series of satirical interviews with fictional great men, who were played by Atkinson himself. The series was written by Atkinson andRichard Curtis,and produced byGriff Rhys Jones.[21]

Television

After university, Atkinson did a one-off pilot forLondon Weekend Televisionin 1979 calledCanned Laughter.He gained further national attention when he performed on the thirdThe Secret Policeman's Ballin June 1979 which was broadcast on theBBC,and since then he has appeared on televised skits with various performers includingElton John,John Cleese( "Beekeeping" ) andKate Bush,the latter with whom he performed the humorous song "Do Bears...?" for the British charity eventComic Reliefin 1986.[22]Solo skits on television (and without dialogue) have included playing an invisible drum kit and an invisible piano.[23]In October 1979, Atkinson first appeared onNot the Nine O'Clock Newsfor the BBC, produced by his friendJohn Lloyd.He featured in the show withPamela Stephenson,Griff Rhys JonesandMel Smith,and was one of the main sketch writers.[24]

"The main appeal of the series is that of the brilliant comedian Atkinson as the mean-spirited and terminally sarcasticEdmund Blackadder."

—Garry Berman.[25]

The success ofNot the Nine O'Clock Newsled to Atkinson taking the lead role ofEdmund Blackadderin the BBC mock-historical comedyBlackadder.His co-stars includedTony Robinson(who played his long-suffering sidekickBaldrick),Stephen FryandHugh Laurie.The first series,The Black Adder(1983), co-written by Atkinson andRichard Curtis,was set in the mediæval period, with the title character unintelligent and naïve. The second series,Blackadder II(1986), written by Curtis andBen Elton,marked a turning point for the show. It followed the fortunes of one of the descendants of Atkinson's original character, this time in theElizabethan era,with the character reinvented as a devious anti-hero.Metrostates, "watching Atkinson work in series two is to watch a master of the sarcastic retort in action".[citation needed]Two sequels followed,Blackadder the Third(1987), set in theRegency era,andBlackadder Goes Forth(1989), set in World War I. TheBlackadderseries became one of the most successful of all BBC situation comedies, spawning television specials includingBlackadder's Christmas Carol(1988),Blackadder: The Cavalier Years(1988), and laterBlackadder: Back & Forth(1999), which was set at the turn of the Millennium. The final scene of "Blackadder Goes Forth" (when Blackadder and his men go "over the top" and charge into No-Man's-Land) has been described as "bold and highly poignant".[26]Possessing anacerbic witand armed with numerous quick put-downs (which are often wasted on those at whom they are directed), Edmund Blackadder was ranked third (behindHomer SimpsonfromThe SimpsonsandBasil FawltyfromFawlty Towers) on a 2001Channel 4poll of the100 Greatest TV Characters.[27][28]

Atkinson in 1997, promotingBean.In 2014, young adults from abroad named Mr. Bean among a group of people they most associated with British culture.[29]

Atkinson's other creation, the haplessMr. Bean,first appeared on New Year's Day in 1990 in a half-hour special forThames Television.The character of Mr. Bean has been likened to a modern-dayBuster Keaton,[30]but Atkinson himself has stated thatJacques Tati's characterMonsieur Hulotwas the main inspiration.[31]Atkinson states, "The essence of Mr Bean is that he's entirely selfish and self-centred and doesn't actually acknowledge the outside world. He's a child in a man's body. Which is what most visual comedians are about:Stan Laurel,Chaplin,Benny Hill".[32]

Several sequels toMr. Beanappeared on television until 1995, and the character later appeared in a feature film.Bean(1997) was directed byMel Smith,Atkinson's colleague inNot the Nine O'Clock News.A second film,Mr. Bean's Holiday,was released in 2007.

Atkinson also portrayed Inspector Raymond Fowler inThe Thin Blue Line(1995–96), a television sitcom written by Ben Elton, which takes place in a police station located in fictitious Gasforth.

Atkinson has fronted campaigns forKronenbourg,[33]Fujifilm,andGive Blood.He appeared as a hapless and error-prone espionage agent named Richard Lathum in a long-running series of adverts forBarclaycard,on which character his title role inJohnny English,Johnny English RebornandJohnny English Strikes Againwas based. In 1999, he playedthe DoctorinThe Curse of Fatal Death,a specialDoctor Whoserial produced for the charity telethonComic Relief.[34]Atkinson appeared as theStar in a Reasonably Priced Caron the BBC'sTop Gearin July 2011, driving theKia Cee'daround the track in 1:42.2. Placing him at the top of the leaderboard, his lap time was quicker than the previous high-profile record holderTom Cruise,whose time was a 1:44.2.[35]

Atkinson appeared at the2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremonyin London as Mr. Bean in a comedy sketch during a performance of "Chariots of Fire",playing a repeated single note onsynthesizer.[36]He then lapsed into a dream sequence in which he joined the runners from thefilm of the same name(about the1924 Summer Olympics), beating them in their iconic run along West Sands at St. Andrews, by riding in aminicaband tripping the front runner.[37]

In November 2012, it emerged that Atkinson intended to retire Mr. Bean. "The stuff that has been most commercially successful for me – basically quite physical, quite childish – I increasingly feel I'm going to do a lot less of," Atkinson toldThe Daily Telegraph's Review. "Apart from the fact that your physical ability starts to decline, I also think someone in their 50s being childlike becomes a little sad. You've got to be careful".[38]He has also said that the roletypecasthim to a degree.[39]Despite these comments, Atkinson said in 2016 that he would never retire the character of Mr. Bean.[40]Appearing onThe Graham Norton Showon the BBC in 2018, Atkinson toldGraham Nortonthat it was unlikely Mr. Bean would reappear on television again before also saying "you must never say never".[citation needed]

In October 2014, Atkinson also appeared as Mr. Bean in a TV advert forSnickers.[41]In 2015, he starred alongsideBen MillerandRebecca Frontin a sketch for BBCRed Nose Dayin which Mr. Bean attends a funeral.[42]In 2017, Atkinson appeared as Mr. Bean in the Chinese filmHuan Le Xi Ju Ren.[43]In February 2019, Atkinson appeared as Mr. Bean in a commercial for Emirati-based telecommunications companyEtisalat.Atkinson, who also narrated the commercial, takes on multiple characters: a Scottish warrior, a gentleman and a lady from the Victorian era, a football player, a jungle man, a man revving up a chainsaw, a racing car driver, and a masked sword-wielding Spanish vigilante.[44]

Atkinson starred asJules MaigretinMaigret,a series of television films from ITV.[45]

In October 2018, Atkinson (as Mr. Bean) receivedYouTube's Diamond Play Buttonfor his channel surpassing 10 million subscribers on the video platform. Among the most-watched channels in the world, in 2018 it had more than 6.5 billion views.[46][47]Mr. Bean is also among themost-followed Facebook pageswith 94 million followers in July 2020, "more than the likes ofRihanna,Manchester UnitedorHarry Potter".[47]

Animated Mr. Bean

In January 2014,ITVannounced a new animated series featuring Mr. Bean with Rowan Atkinson returning to the role. It was expected to be released online as a Web-series later in 2014, as a television broadcast followed shortly after.[48]

On 6 February 2018, Regular Capital announced that there would be afifth seriesofMr. Bean: The Animated Seriesin 2019 (voiced by Atkinson). Consisting of 26 episodes, the first two segments, "Game Over" and "Special Delivery", aired on 29 April 2019 onCITVin the UK as well as onTurnerchannels worldwide.[49][50]All five series (104 episodes) were also sold to Chinese children's channelCCTV-14in February 2019.[47]

Film

Atkinson at the 2011 premiere ofJohnny English Reborn

Atkinson's film career began with a supporting part in theJames BondfilmNever Say Never Again(1983) and a leading role inDead on Time(also 1983) withNigel Hawthorne.He was in the 1988 Oscar-winning short filmThe Appointments of Dennis Jennings.He appeared in Mel Smith's directorial debutThe Tall Guy(1989) and appeared alongsideAnjelica HustonandMai ZetterlinginThe Witches(1990), a film adaptation ofRoald Dahl'sdark fantasy children's novel.He played the part of Dexter Hayman inHot Shots! Part Deux(1993), a parody ofRambo III,starringCharlie Sheen.

Atkinson gained further recognition as a verbally bumbling vicar inFour Weddings and a Funeral(1994, written and directed by his long time collaboratorRichard Curtis), and featured inDisney'sThe Lion King(also 1994) as the voice of Zazu thered-billed hornbill.He also sang the song "I Just Can't Wait to Be King"inThe Lion King.Atkinson continued to appear in supporting roles in comedies, includingRat Race(2001),Scooby-Doo(2002), jewellery salesman Rufus in another Richard Curtis British-set romantic comedy,Love Actually(2003), and the crime comedyKeeping Mum(2005), which also starredKristin Scott Thomas,Maggie Smith,andPatrick Swayze.[51]

In addition to his supporting roles, Atkinson has also had success as a leading man. His television character Mr. Bean debuted on the big screen withBean(1997) to international success. A sequel,Mr. Bean's Holiday(2007), (again inspired to some extent by Jacques Tati in his filmLes Vacances de Monsieur Hulot), also became an international success. He has also starred in the James Bond parodyJohnny English film series(2003–present).[52]In 2023, Atkinson stars as priest, Father Julius, inWonka,a film which serves as a prequel to the Roald Dahl novelCharlie and the Chocolate Factory,exploringWilly Wonka's origins.[53]

In February 2024, it was announced that he would star in a fourthJohnny Englishfilm.[54]

Theatre

Atkinson outside the West End'sTheatre Royal, Drury Laneon 16 June 2009.

Atkinson performed live on-stage skits – also appearing with members ofMonty Python– inThe Secret Policeman's Ball(1979) in London forAmnesty International.[55]Atkinson undertook a four-month tour of the UK in 1980. A recording of his stage performance at theGrand Opera Housein Belfast was subsequently released asLive in Belfast.[56]

In 1984, Atkinson appeared in aWest Endversion of the comedy playThe Nerdalongside a 10-year-oldChristian Bale.[57]The Sneeze and Other Stories,seven shortAnton Chekhovplays, translated and adapted byMichael Frayn,were performed by Rowan Atkinson,Timothy WestandCheryl Campbellat theAldwych Theatre,London in 1988 and early 1989.[58]

Oliver!billboard at the West End's Drury Lane in 2009.

In 2009, during the West End revival of the musicalOliver!based onCharles Dickens' novelOliver Twist,Atkinson played the role ofFagin.[59]His portrayal and singing of Fagin at theTheatre Royal, Drury Lanein London gained favourable reviews and he was nominated for anOlivier Awardfor best actor in a musical or entertainment.[60]

On 28 November 2012, Rowan Atkinson reprised the role of Blackadder at the "We are Most Amused" comedy gala forThe Prince's Trustat theRoyal Albert Hallin London. He was joined by Tony Robinson as Baldrick. The sketch involved the first new Blackadder material for 10 years, with Blackadder as CEO of Melchett, Melchett and Darling bank facing an enquiry over the banking crisis.[61]

In February 2013, Atkinson took on the titular role in a 12-week production (directed byRichard Eyre) of theSimon GrayplayQuartermaine's TermsatWyndham's Theatrein London with costarsConleth Hill(Game of Thrones) andFelicity Montagu(I'm Alan Partridge).[62]In December 2013, he revived his schoolmaster sketch for Royal Free Hospital's Rocks with Laughter at the Adelphi Theatre.[63]A few days prior, he performed a selection of sketches in a small coffee venue in front of only 30 people.[64]

Comic style

Best known for his use ofphysical comedyin his Mr. Bean persona, Atkinson's other characters rely more on language. Atkinson often plays authority figures (especially priests or vicars) speaking absurd lines with a completelydeadpandelivery. Journalist Anwar Brett writes, "Although his deadpan wit is in evidence as he speaks, Atkinson – beloved to Blackadder as much as Bean fans – takes his comedy very seriously."[65]On his ability to keep his focus on set during comedic moments,Johnny EnglishdirectorOliver Parkercommented, "There’s a scene where Johnny English is in a meeting going up and down on an office chair. Rowan's focus is astonishing in that scene, because everybody else – he hadn't realised – was having to hold back, and when I said 'cut!' there was an explosion of laughter".[65]

One of his better-knowncomic devicesis over-articulation of the "B" sound, such as his pronunciation of "Bob"in theBlackadder IIepisode "Bells".Atkinson has astammer,[66][67]and the over-articulation is a technique to overcome problematic consonants.[68]

Atkinson's often visually based style, which has been compared to that ofBuster Keaton,[30]sets him apart from most modern television and film comics, who rely heavily on dialogue, as well as stand-up comedy which is mostly based on monologues. This talent for visual comedy has led to Atkinson being called "the man with the rubber face"; comedic reference was made to this in an episode ofBlackadder the Third( "Sense and Senility"), in whichBaldrick(Tony Robinson) refers to his master,Mr. E. Blackadder,as a "lazy, big-nosed, rubber-faced bastard".[69]

Influences

Atkinson's early comedy influences were the sketch comedy troupeBeyond the Fringe,made up ofPeter Cook,Dudley Moore,Jonathan MillerandAlan Bennett,major figures of the 1960s Britishsatire boom,and thenMonty Python.Atkinson states, "I remember watching them avidly as students at university".[70]He continued to be influenced by the work ofJohn Cleesefollowing his Monty Python days, regarding Cleese as being "a major, major inspiration", adding, "I think that he and I are quite different in our style and our approach, but certainly it was comedy I liked to watch. He was very physical. Yes, very physical and very angry".[70]He was also influenced byPeter Sellers,whose charactersHrundi BakshifromThe Party(1968) andInspector ClouseaufromThe Pink Pantherfilms influenced Atkinson's characters Mr. Bean and Johnny English.[71]

OfBarry Humphries'Dame Edna Everage,he states, "I loved that character – again, it's the veneer of respectability disguising suburban prejudice of a really quite vicious and dismissive nature".[70]Of visual comedians, Atkinson regardsCharlie Chaplin,Buster Keaton andHarold Lloydas influential.[70]He was also inspired by French comedianJacques Tati,stating, "Mr. Hulot's HolidayI remember seeing when I was 17 – that was a major inspiration. He opened a window to a world that I'd never looked out on before, and I thought, "God, that's interesting," how a comic situation can be developed as purely visual and yet it's not under-cranked, it's not speeded-up, it's more deliberate; it takes its time. And I enjoyed that ".[70]

Personal life

Rowan Atkinson at theMr. Bean's Holidaypremiere atLeicester Squarein London (2007)

Marriage and children

Atkinson met makeup artist Sunetra Sastry in the late 1980s when she was working for theBBC,and they married in February 1990.[72]They had two children together,[73]and lived inApethorpe.[74]His son Ben was an army officer in theBrigade of Gurkhas.[75]In 2013, at the age of 58, Atkinson began a relationship with 32-year-old comedianLouise Fordafter they met while performing in a play together.[76]Ford ended her relationship with comedianJames Acasterin order to be with Atkinson,[76]who in turn separated from his wife in 2014 and divorced her in 2015.[77]He has one child with Ford.[78]

Cars

Atkinson holds a category C+E (formerly "Class 1" )lorrydriving licence,gained in 1981, because lorries held a fascination for him, and to ensure employment as a young actor. He has also used this skill when filming comedy material. In 1991, he starred in the self-pennedThe Driven Man,a series of sketches featuring Atkinson driving around London trying to solve his obsession with cars, and discussing it with taxi drivers, policemen, used-car salesmen and psychotherapists.[79]A lover of and participant in car racing, he appeared as racing driverHenry Birkinin the television playFull Throttlein 1995.[80]

Atkinson racing in aJaguar Mark VIIM at theGoodwood Revivalmotor racing festival in England in 2009

Atkinson has raced in other cars, including aRenault 5 GT Turbofor two seasons for itsone make series.From 1997 to 2015, he owned a rareMcLaren F1,which was involved in an accident in Cabus, nearGarstang,Lancashire, with anAustin Metroin October 1999.[81]It was damaged again in a serious crash in August 2011 when it caught fire after Atkinson reportedly lost control and hit a tree.[82][83]That accident caused significant damage to the vehicle, taking over a year to be repaired and leading to the largest insurance payout in Britain, at £910,000.[84]He has previously owned aHonda NSX,[85]anAudi A8,[86]aŠkoda Superb,and aHonda Civic Hybrid.[87]

TheConservative PartypoliticianAlan Clark,a devotee of classic motor cars, recorded in his publishedDiariesa chance meeting with a man he later realised was Atkinson while driving throughOxfordshirein May 1984: "Just after leaving the motorway at Thame I noticed a dark redDBS V8Aston Martin on the slip road with the bonnet up, a man unhappily bending over it. I told Jane to pull in and walked back. A DV8 in trouble is always good for a gloat. "Clark writes that he gave Atkinson a lift in hisRolls-Royceto the nearest telephone box, but was disappointed in his bland reaction to being recognised, noting that: "he didn't sparkle, was rather disappointing andchétif."[88]

In July 2001, Atkinson crashed anAston Martin V8 Zagatoat an enthusiasts' meeting, but walked away unhurt. This was while he was competing in theAston Martin Owners Clubevent, at theCroft Racing Circuit,Darlington.[89]

One car Atkinson has said he will not own is aPorsche:"I have a problem with Porsches. They're wonderful cars, but I know I could never live with one. Somehow, the typical Porsche people – and I wish them no ill – are not, I feel, my kind of people."[87][90]

In July 2011, Atkinson appeared as the "Star in a Reasonably Priced Car"onTop Gear,driving the Kia Cee'd around the track in 1:42.2, which at the time granted him first place on the leaderboard; subsequently, onlyMatt LeBlancset a faster time.[85]

A February 2024 report by theHouse of Lordspartly blamed Atkinson for poor sales ofelectric carsin the UK by "damaging" the public's perception of the vehicles. The report criticised a June 2023 opinion piece by Atkinson inThe Guardian,who as an early adopter of electric vehicles, described EVs as "fast, quiet and, until recently, very cheap to run", but burdened bybattery issues and misleading beliefs on their impact on the environment.[91][92]

Plane incident

In March 2001, while Atkinson was on holiday inKenya,the pilot of his private plane fainted; Atkinson managed to maintain the plane in the air until the pilot recovered and was able to land the plane atWilson AirportinNairobi.[93]

Political views

In June 2005, Atkinson led a coalition of the United Kingdom's most prominent actors and writers, includingNicholas Hytner,Stephen Fry,andIan McEwan,to theBritish Parliamentin an attempt to force a review of the controversialRacial and Religious Hatred Bill,which they felt would give overwhelming power to religious groups to impose censorship on the arts.[94]

In 2009, he criticisedhomophobicspeech legislation, saying that the House of Lords must vote against a government attempt to remove a free-speech clause in an anti–gay hate law.[95]Atkinson opposed theSerious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005to outlaw inciting religious hatred, arguing that, "freedom to criticise ideas – any ideas even if they are sincerely held beliefs – is one of the fundamental freedoms of society. And the law which attempts to say you can criticise or ridicule ideas as long as they are not religious ideas is a very peculiar law indeed."[96][97]

In October 2012, he voiced his support for theReform Section 5 campaign,[98]which aims to reform or repeal Section 5 of thePublic Order Act 1986,particularly its statement that aninsultcan be grounds for arrest and punishment. It is a reaction to several recent high-profile arrests, which Atkinson sees as a restriction of freedom of expression.[99]In February 2014, Parliament passed a redaction of thestatutewhich removed the word "insulting" following pressure from citizens.[100][101]

In 2018, Atkinson defended comments made byBoris Johnsonover wearing theburqa,which were criticised asIslamophobic,and for which Johnson later apologised.[102][103][104]Atkinson wrote toThe Timesstating, "as a lifelong beneficiary of the freedom to make jokes about religion, I do think that Boris Johnson's joke about wearers of the burka resembling letterboxes is a pretty good one."[105][106]Atkinson's remarks were condemned by former colleagues and fans.[107][108][109]

In August 2020, Atkinson added his signature to a letter coordinated byHumanist Society Scotlandalong with twenty other public figures including novelistVal McDermid,playwrightAlan Bissett,and activistPeter Tatchell,which expressed concern about theScottish National Party's proposedHate Crime and Public Order Bills.The letter argued the bill would "risk stifling freedom of expression".[110][111][112]

In January 2021, Atkinson criticised the rise ofcancel culture.He said, "It's important that we're exposed to a wide spectrum of opinion, but what we have now is the digital equivalent of the medieval mob, roaming the streets looking for someone to burn. The problem we have online is that an algorithm decides what we want to see, which ends up creating a simplistic, binary view of society. It becomes a case of either you're with us or against us. And if you're against us, you deserve to be 'cancelled'."[113]

Filmography

Main article:Rowan Atkinson filmography

Stage

Year Title Role Notes
1981 Rowan Atkinson in Revue Various roles
Also writer 		Globe Theatre
Rowan Atkinson in New Revue Various roles
1984 The Nerd Willum Cubbert Aldwych Theatre
1986 Rowan Atkinson at the Atkinson Various roles
Also writer 		Brooks Atkinson Theatre
1988 The Sneeze Various roles Aldwych Theatre
2009 Oliver! Fagin Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
2013 Quartermaine's Terms St. John Quartermaine Theatre Royal, Brighton
Theatre Royal, Bath
Wyndham's Theatre

Honours

Atkinson was appointedCommander of the Order of the British Empirein the2013 Birthday Honoursfor his contribution to drama and charity.[114][115]

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