My father-in-law, Edward “Teddy” Burnham, who has died aged 98, had an acting career that spanned eight decades, from 1938, when he graduated from Rada with the Bancroft gold medal, to his final TV appearances in the comedies Black Books (2003) and Swiss Toni (2004).
Edward was born in Stafford. His father, an opera singer, left his young family to return to the opera houses of Europe; his mother was a gifted cook, whose work in the grand houses of the day enabled her to keep herself and her two children.
Teddy won a scholarship to Latymer school in north London, where he played Macbeth in his last term. He read history for a year at London University, but in 1937 won the Leverhulme scholarship to Rada. As a first-year student there, and as a man never afraid to speak his mind, he wrote to George Bernard Shaw, then on the board, informing him that the acting course was not just poor: it was more like a finishing school for young ladies. Shaw replied with a letter of support.
Teddy studied for a term at the Comédie Française in Paris, and worked in repertory companies until war was declared in 1939. As a conscientious objector – he had always opposed violence of any kind, and refused to sign up for anything demanding that he should kill – Teddy spent the war years working on the land.
He returned to the stage for the Old Vic company’s 1945-46 season at the Liverpool Playhouse. There he renewed his acquaintance with Lucille Steven, a contemporary at Rada; they married in 1946.
After appearing in many West End plays, including Vanbrugh’s The Relapse, with Paul Scofield, Teddy returned to Rada to teach: his students included Peter O’Toole, Sian Phillips, Albert Finney, Anne Reid and Alan Bates. His staging of Under Milk Wood with students was seen by the impresario Henry Sherek, who commissioned Teddy to direct it at the Edinburgh Festival of 1956; from there, it moved to the New Theatre in St Martin’s Lane.
On TV he appeared in everything from Emergency Ward 10 and Z-Cars to The Saint, The Avengers, Rumpole of the Bailey, The Bill, Miss Marple and Doctor Who.
His appearance opposite Sidney Poitier in To Sir, With Love (1967) led to other film roles in When Eight Bells Toll, Young Winston and Little Dorrit.
His love of family meant that he was able to play the role he loved best, with his wife, children and grandchildren, right to the very end.
Lucille and their children, Tim, Vin and Lal, survive him.
