David McPhail

For New Zealand rugby league professional, see David McPhail (rugby league).

David McPhail ONZM QSM
McPhail in 2011, rehearsing a play
Born	David Alexander McPhail (1945-04-11)11 April 1945 Christchurch, New Zealand
Died	14 May 2021(2021-05-14) (aged 76) Christchurch, New Zealand
Occupation(s)	Comedian, actor
Relatives	Neil McPhail (half-brother)

David Alexander McPhail ONZM QSM (11 April 1945 – 14 May 2021) was a New Zealand comedic actor and writer whose television career spanned four decades. McPhail first won fame on sketch comedy show A Week of It, partly thanks to his impressions of New Zealand prime minister Robert Muldoon. He went on to appear in multiple series of sketch show McPhail and Gadsby, and hit comedy Letter to Blanchy. All three shows featured his longtime friend Jon Gadsby.

Early life and family

McPhail was born in Christchurch on 11 April 1945, the son of Alexander Edward McPhail and his second wife, Ivy Freda Halford.^[1][2][3] His father was described as a "devout atheist" of Scottish descent who was a businessman and chairman of New Zealand Rugby.^[1][4] His half-siblings included Neil McPhail and Clement McPhail, both of whom represented Canterbury at rugby.^[2] Neil McPhail was also coach of the New Zealand national rugby union team, the All Blacks, from 1961 to 1965.^[5] David McPhail was educated at Cathedral Grammar School and Christchurch Boys' High School, and went on to study at the University of Canterbury.^[4]

Career

McPhail joined the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation as a journalist in 1967 and worked on both radio and television news stories.^[6] Between 1968 and 1969, he was a reporter on the magazine show Town and Around.^[6] From 1971 to 1977, he worked as a television producer and actor and produced light entertainment shows for three years, before winning fame with A Week of It.^[6] One of the earliest New Zealand comedy shows, both to satirise politicians and win a wide audience, the series mixed sketches lampooning politics, sport, and television.^[7]

McPhail went on to create and appear in at least seven series of skit show McPhail and Gadsby,^[8] co-starring his A Week of It colleague Jon Gadsby, and backwoods comedy Letter to Blanchy, which spawned a 2008 play.^[9]

McPhail starred in the two seasons of the series Seven Periods with Mr Gormsby. McPhail plays Gormsby, a dominating, old-fashioned school teacher who ruffles feathers when he begins teaching at a low-decile school i.e. a school in a low-income area. McPhail went on to play eccentric superhero The Green Termite in The Amazing Extraordinary Friends.^[10]

McPhail's autobiography The Years Before My Death: Memories of a Comic Life was published by Longacre in 2010.^[1]

Honours and awards

In the 1992 New Year Honours, McPhail was awarded the Queen's Service Medal for public services.^[11] He was presented the Reilly Comedy Award from the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand in 2003. In the 2008 New Year Honours, he was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to television and the theatre.^[12]

Personal life

McPhail married Anne McLeod on 25 February 1967.^[6] He had two children.^[4][13]

McPhail died on 14 May 2021 at the Merivale Retirement Village in Christchurch.^[4][13] He was 76, and suffered a heart attack prior to his death.^[4][14][15]

Credits

Television

• A Week of It (1977–1979)^[14][16]
• McPhail and Gadsby (1980–1987, 1997–1998)^[16][14]
• Issues (1991)^[14]
• Letter to Blanchy (1996–1997)^[16]
• Seven Periods with Mr Gormsby (2005–2006)^[16][10]
• The Life & Times of Te Tutu (director)^[17]
• Crumpy (director)^[18]
• Then Comes Love by James Griffin (director)^[19]
• Amazing Extraordinary Friends (2007–2010)^[16][10]
• The White Elephant (2012)^[20]

Theatre

• Then Comes Love (director, 2005)^[19]
• Alone it Stands – Court Theatre, Christchurch (director, 2005)^[21]
• Muldoon – Downstage Theatre, Wellington, (25 June – 17 July 2004) — a play about the former New Zealand Prime Minister Robert Muldoon^[15][22]

References

1. McPhail, David (1 March 2012). The Years Before My Death: Memories of a Comic Life. Penguin Random House New Zealand Limited. ISBN 9781877460463.
2. "Obituary: Mr A. E. McPhail". The Press. Vol. 95, no. 28270. 7 May 1957. p. 15. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
3. "Marriage search:registration number 1938/8465". Births, deaths & marriages online. Department of Internal Affairs. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
4. Bayer, Kurt (13 May 2021). "A truly beautiful man': Actor and comedian David McPhail dies aged 76". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
5. "Late cuts: Of Grizz, The Needle, J. J. and others in the hot seat". The New Zealand Herald. 21 September 2001. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
6. Jackson, Desney, ed. (1979). Notable New Zealanders. Auckland: Paul Hamblyn. pp. 311–312. ISBN 086832020X.
7. "Kiwi actor and comedian David McPhail dies age 76". Newshub. 14 May 2021.
8. "'McPhail and Gadsby". 2020.
9. "Letter To Blanchy Takes The Stage". scoop.co.nz. Scoop. 18 November 2008.
10. "David McPhail List of Movies and TV Shows". TV Guide. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
11. "No. 52768". The London Gazette (2nd supplement). 31 December 1991. p. 31.
12. "New Year honours list 2008". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 31 December 2007. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
13. "David McPhail death notice". The Press. 15 May 2021. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
14. "Actor and comedian David McPhail dies". Radio New Zealand. 14 May 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
15. "'A truly beautiful man': David McPhail dies at 76". Otago Daily Times. Otago Daily Times. 14 May 2021.
16. Van Beynen, Martin (14 May 2021). "'A truly beautiful man': Kiwi actor and comedian David McPhail has died". Stuff.
17. "NZ on Air Funds Return of Te Tutu Comedy". scoop.co.nz. Scoop. 31 January 2001.
18. "David McPhail – Biography". NZ On Screen. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
19. "Then Comes Love at Civic Theatre". The New Zealand Herald. NZ Herald. 7 September 2005.
20. "The White Elephant". NZBS on Demand.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
21. "Alone It Stands - at Court Theatre". John Smythe. 1 April 2005. Archived from the original on 17 August 2005.
22. "Downstage Theatre Company Ltd :[Ten posters. 2004]". Downstage Theatre Company Ltd :[Ten p... | Items | National Library of New Zealand | National Library of New Zealand. 1 January 2004. Archived from the original on 15 May 2021. Retrieved 15 May 2021.

External links

• David McPhail at IMDb
• Agent's info page
• David McPhail discography at Discogs