
Georgetown, Guyana
Norman Beaton was a popular and much loved Guyanese born British actor. He arrived in the UK in 1960 and worked as a calypso singer and musician and a teacher - being the first black teacher employed by the education authority in Liverpool. His heart set on a career in showbusiness, he moved to Bristol and became a presenter on the regional news magazine Points West, before a two week prison sentence curtailed his presenting career. He subsequently found work in London's West End, appearing in The Tempest as Ariel, a role he subsequently cited as the most important in his career. He helped set up the Black Theatre in Brixton in the mid 70s and broke into television with the first black British sitcom, The Fosters in 1976, playing Lenny Henry's father. A star turn in the movie Black Joy followed a year later, as did the principal role in the fledgling black soap Empire Road for the BBC. But it is perhaps his performance as Desmond Ambrose, the crotchety Peckham barber in Channel 4's hit sitcom Desmond's that Beaton will forever be remembered for. The series ran from 1988 until his ill health curtailed the show in 1994. He retired to Georgetown, the place of his birth, but collapsed and died of a heart attack at the airport on arrival, on 13th December 1994. He was 60 years old.
as Trevor All

as Carleton
1984

as Billy
1979

as Trevor All
1974

as Chauffeur
1972

as Mr. Ngenko
1980

as Robert Mugabe
1987

as Richard Kydd
1972

1988

as Mal
1987

as Desmond Ambrose
1989

as Byron Judson
1983

as N.K. Edwards
1994
as Governor Chalk
1989
as Mr. Robertson
1994

as Self
1992

as Pastor
1990

as Governor Chalk
1989

as Hamm
1989

as Voice
1988
as Boogie
1987

as Willie Boy
1987
as Narrator
1987

as Priest
1985

1984

as Leon McDonald
1984

as Byron Judson
1983

as Trevor
1982

as Ngenko
1980
as Leroy
1979

as Bertie
1977

as Dave King
1977

as Preacher
1976

as Mr Byron
1975
as Joe Tennison
1975
as Hospital Doctor
1974

as Blacksmith
1972
as Trevor All
1 ep.

as Carleton
1 episodes

as Billy
1 episodes

as Trevor All
1 episodes

as Chauffeur
1 episodes

as Mr. Ngenko
1 episodes

as Robert Mugabe
1 episodes

as Richard Kydd
1 episodes

1 episodes

as Mal
1 episodes

as Desmond Ambrose
71 episodes

as N.K. Edwards
4 episodes

15 episodes

as Samuel Foster
27 episodes

as Caractacus
3 episodes