34 Forever Surrey / anniversary issue


A student’s perspective


Ian Ricketts: the teacher, the actor, the legend


Guildford School of Acting (GSA) at the University is one of the most highly regarded theatre schools in Britain and can also boast the longest serving acting coach in the UK: Ian Ricketts.


Ian, a Teaching Fellow in Acting, has taught some of the country’s most well-known actors and actresses and, such is their affection and respect for him, that former student Brenda Blethyn commissioned a bronze bust of Ian for permanent display at the School.


We asked final-year GSA student Al Coppola to find out more about Ian’s life and his 47-year history with the School.


Al says: “It was a privilege to sit down with Ian and interview him about his life and his time at GSA so far. It was extraordinary, and I hope you enjoy this small snippet.”


The teacher


But for a dirty pair of shoes, Ian may never have joined the GSA. Cleaning them over an out-of-date copy of the Times Higher Education supplement, he noted an advertisement for a director at GSA, or the Bellairs Studio as it was then called. He mentioned it to his wife, Celia, and she insisted that he went and had a look. Reluctantly, he did and the rest is history.


Ian had initially thought of becoming a farmer but didn’t take up his place at the Royal Agricultural College, instead opting for art school in Bath.


In the three months prior to starting, he found a job at the Arden Hotel in Stratford, so that he could catch all the plays – Ian maintains that the only thing that had ever mattered to him was Shakespeare. One day, a guest asked him what he wanted to do with his life. It transpired that this guest was the assistant principal of LAMDA, and that autumn Ian started his actor training that set him on his path.


Despite Ian’s huge teaching experience, he admits: “I have never taken a teaching session in my life without feeling nervous beforehand.”


The actor


Aſter graduating, Ian undertook some remarkably varied roles and worked with an impressive array of actors. He cites a recording of The Caretaker with Robert Shaw, in which he played Davies as one of his favourites, because it was so unexpected – “the most unlikely piece of casting”.


He was sought for this role aſter being spotted in a production of Much Ado About Nothing at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, opposite Dennis Quilley. Within the space of a year, Ian appeared in the original production of Cider With Rosie, playing Jack Lee – a part which really resonated with him. Starting at the Hampstead Theatre, the production moved up to Norwich where it was seen by the Queen Mother and then into the Garrick Theatre in London’s West End.


Following this, he played a classic Eton bully in an adaptation of


We touched on whether he would ever feel the need to slow down. He said: “I am acutely aware of that now. I hope I shall have an intuition of what is appropriate and that I shall achieve it quietly and graciously. But I would like to participate in some measure as long as I can see what that should be.”


He concluded by saying: “Anything that I have been able to offer has been a consequence of the generosity of others’ listening.”


Ian’s kind spirit, wisdom and virtue have made him a cornerstone of life at GSA, and a fundamental part of training for everyone who has passed through its doors. Though Ian insists it is our generosity in listening, I don’t think there is anyone who would concur. It is us who are grateful for anything he is willing to impart, and it is he who is generous enough to share it.


David Benedictus’ first novel, The Fourth of June. He very modestly noted that the critics of the day “wrote rather nice things about it”.


The legend


Ian is a legend of sorts: the longest serving acting coach at any UK drama school and famous for his woodland walks, putting students in touch with country smells, plants and creatures. It was first undertaken when he was directing A Midsummer Night’s Dream and was appalled by how little the cast knew of the countryside – it is now part of every student’s education.


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