My father, Leonard Kingston, who has died aged 84, was a talented writer, actor and teacher. His play Edgware Road Blues, performed at the Royal Court theatre in London with my father playing the lead, won the Charles Henry Foyle award for the best first play of 1964. In 1965, retitled Travelling Light, it had a successful run at the Prince of Wales theatre, London, with a cast including Harry H Corbett, Michael Crawford and Julia Foster, and in 1967 was filmed for ITV Summer Playhouse.
Leonard continued acting in theatre and television and wrote several series for BBC schools television. These included Joe and the Sheep Rustlers (1973) and the award-winning Sky Hunter (1978) for the Look and Read series. In his scripting of plays for teenagers, he managed to portray difficult issues sensitively, but with a raw realism. For the BBC in 1985, he co-wrote with Robin Glendinning A Night of the Campaign.
Son of George and Margaret, Leonard was born in Bermondsey, south London, one of seven children, of whom only four survived. During the second world war he was evacuated to Cornwall, and discovered the joys of reading. On leaving school at 14, he worked in Spitalfields market in east London, and after doing his two years' national service won a scholarship to Rada. He became an actor, working in many repertory theatres around Britain and in the West End. When he submitted a play to the Royal Court theatre he was invited to join their writers' group.
Later in life, he combined teaching at a further education college in South Norwood with his work as a writer and script editor in the BBC films department. He was an original thinker, sparking off lively conversation and passionately defending his own theories with wit and humour. Keen to continue with his own education, he gained a degree through the Open University.
A keen cyclist who stayed active in his 80s, he published a novel called Boot Boy in 2009, performed in a community production at the Watford Palace theatre, and was an active member of his local U3A and of the choir in South Oxhey, Hertfordshire. Every week my father and I went together to a writing group where, reading or acting out his new short story or poem, he entertained us all with his skill and comedy.
Living very simply, he loved to give his family opportunities he had not had. He encouraged us always to be curious about the world, remain open to its endless possibilities and to use our talents and creativity to find fulfilment.
Leonard is survived by his wife, Hoseanna, whom he married in 1955; three children, Roseanne, Wallace and me; four grandchildren, Alice, Michael, Lily and Joey; and his brother, Ted.
