Christopher Gable

After leaving the Royal Ballet because of chronic problems with arthritis in his feet, Gable tried his hand at acting, joining the Royal Shakespeare Company. He performed in productions of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and "Hamlet" as well as various roles in theaters in Oxford, Manchester and Bristol. In 1970, Gable appeared in Ken Russell's adaptation of D H Lawrence's "Women In Love," marking the first of many collaborations with the renowned director. He had starring roles in "The Music Lovers" and the more popular "The Boy Friend" (both 1971), both with Russell acting as producer and director. Gable is probably best remembered by moviegoers as Tony, the boyfriend of Twiggy's Polly in the latter, a film which showcased his talents for singing and dancing as well as acting. He was also featured in "The Slipper and the Rose" (1976), a musical retelling of the Cinderella story, starring Richard Chamberlain. In 1977, he appeared on US television as Pierre in the NBC TV movie adaptation of Victor Hugo's "The Hunchback of Notre Dame." He returned to the small screen in 1984, acting in the popular syndicated miniseries "A Woman of Substance" and reteamed with Ken Russell for the thriller "The Lair of the White Worm" (1987) and another D H Lawrence adaptation, "The Rainbow" (1988). In 1982, Gable opened the Central School of Ballet in Clerkenwell, England. He was brought back to the stage in the role of painter L S Lowry in Northern Ballet Theatre's production of "A Simple Man" in 1987. Gable later took over as director of the Northern Ballet Theatre, breathing new life into the company with productions such as "Dracula" and "Don Quixote." NBT's production of "A Christmas Carol," with Gable as artistic director, was aired on A&E in 1994. He was appointed Commander of the British Empire in 1996, and continued to work with the Northern Ballet Theatre in a creative and directorial capacity through 1998, when illness forced him to leave the position.