Giles has been professionally involved in entertainment for nearly forty years.  He started as a child actor in the ‘Midsomer Murders’ of its time 'Gideon’s Way' with John Gregson.  Those with elephantine memories may remember he played Malcolm Gideon.

He has worked in a wide variety of media as a producer, director and actor.  He is probably best known to the public for his performances in many sitcoms but particularly for spending a few years being the cringing Oswald the vicar in Carla Lane’s 'Bread'.

His TV Drama credits go from 2nd Lieutenant James Marriot in 'Upstairs Downstairs' in the mists of history, to 'The Tutankhamun Conspiracy' a few years ago.  Set in Egypt, he played Howard Carter as presenter and was a co-writer.  He recently produced an off-the-wall spooky documentary for Channel 5.

For the past fifteen years or so he could be described as a leading man of the British Theatre with numerous credits - generally as a ‘juvenile’ - ridiculous.  He is happy to report that in the last few years the business has at last let him grow up a little and allowed him to play middle-aged parts like Henry Higgins in 'Pygmalion' at the English Speaking Theatre in Vienna and Frank in a tour of 'Educating Rita'.

Jumping seriously in at the deep end he was persuaded to make his first ever pantomime appearance as Sarah the Cook at Tewkesbury. A task he faced with trepidation, but, in the event, loved. His daughters don’t seem to have been too traumatised by the experience of watching their father with a Jordanesque chest prancing about in a skirt. In fact they had to endure the whole unnerving spectacle again in Worthing this year where he became Dotty the Miller. Oh well, there’s nothing like a dame and that was nothing…  Enough!

A few years ago he was very butch and lifted a few weights in order to become Heracles in Ben W Levy’s 'The Rape of the Belt' for Kate O’Mara’s British Actor’s Theatre Company, and he played the prissy George in 'Why Not Stay for Breakfast' and suave Clive in 'All For Mary' at the Mill Theatre, Sonning.

2002 saw him on tour in 'The Dragon Variation' with Neil Stacy and Britt Ekland. He had no idea how good his Swedish was. Then it was back to the Mill to play the part of the rogue builder David in 'Building Blocks'.  As he was having an extension built at the time his research was straightforward.

2003, 4, and 5 were spent largely working for that most prolific of producers Ian Dickens on tour in Ray Cooney’s 'Out of Order' and Marc Camoletti’s 'Just Desserts' which he helped adapt and co-directed.  This reunited him with Britt Ekland and Sabina Franklyn and introduced him to Malandra Burrows. His favourite part to date has been ‘Robert’ in 'Don’t Dress for Dinner', one of the finest farces ever written. He has been playing that part for so long now that the character has had to age with him. He tried dyeing his hair but fooled nobody.

Just so you don't get the impression he's been swinging the lead, last year he created the roles of Ross, a pair of twins, in Brian Clemens' brilliant new thriller 'Strictly Murder' back at the Mill in Sonning and directed Ian Dickens' national tour of 'Funny Money' a Ray Cooney farce.  He then toured in the comedy thriller 'A Party to Murder'.

He sails, plays chess poorly and lives by the sea with his long-suffering wife and twin 14-year-old daughters, who are either making him old or keeping him young… he’s just not sure which.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Being attacked by Melanie Stace while my good friend Rob Duncan looks on!  Oh well, someone's got to do it.