Robert Sidaway obit

Doctor Who and Crossroads actor Robert Sidaway dies

 

He was not on the list.

Actor and writer Robert Sidaway has died after a short illness while abroad.

He had an extensive career in television and the West End theatre with telly roles including in Doctor Who – being one of a small handful of living actors to have worked with both William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton – and other classic programmes such as ‘The Avengers’, ‘Emergency Ward 10’, and ‘Out of the Unknown’.

Robert played Stuart Marshall on Crossroads in 1973, and was part of the writing team in 1975.

As Stuart Marshall in the Midlands motel saga, he was introduced into plots with scenes recorded in Oxford, where Diane (Susan Hanson) had rushed to following her son Nicky being abducted by his father Frank Adam (Jon Kelley) – an American actor who fled back to the states with their child. This left Diane distraught, she turned to drink ultimately leading her husband Vince Parker (Peter Brookes) to leave her. Wanting to get away from Kings Oak and reminders of her failings she headed for time away.

In Oxford she got a job in a cafe, however, her mental health was increasingly in decline and she attempted to throw herself off a bridge – until University lecturer Stuart rushed up and stopped her. Feeling sorry for Diane he offered her a job as his housekeeper, it was the start of a short romance but like so many for Diane it just didn’t work out. She headed back to Kings Oak and that was the end of Stuart’s time in the series.

It wasn’t however the end for Robert who returned just over a year later and spent most of 1975 as one of the writers on the soap. He went on to create The Optimist a Channel 4 series starring Enn Reitel as Nigel.

The first series follows a bumbling everyman who inevitably finds himself in extraordinary situations. In the first series, Nigel’s American adventures see him in a gunfight at a Wild West ranch; entering a mini Grand Prix; enduring a stay at the world’s strictest health farm, and duelling his way across Hollywood. The final second run of episodes sees Nigel back in London where he dances in Swan Lake; becomes involved in international espionage, and inherits a crumbling mansion with some very strange relatives!

In 2021 Robert led a social media campaign, which we were happy to be involved with, to try and get The Optimist released on DVD. Something that finally happened earlier this year, along with a special 24-page booklet that reveals some Crossroads stories such as… what it was like working on the programme; being with Sonia Fox when a crazed viewer attacked her; creating the character of Benny Hawkins; and why Noele Gordon demanded he be sacked from the writing team.

Robert’s son Ashley Sidaway has been updating followers of a GoFundMe page on his father’s health. He notes, ‘as well as my father, he has been my guide and collaborator as we have worked together over the last 40 years. While I tried to be the detail and structure, Robert was the heart and passion, the driving force.

‘Through our close relationship, we have looked to turn dreams into reality and hopefully entertained people along the way. Recently we have been in Sri Lanka, setting up a new film project. A story of redemption and reflection that follows a Western woman returning after the Civil War and remembering the love of her youth. An emotional story born of Robert’s imagination.

‘Our return from Sri Lanka took us through Malaysia and Thailand.’ However, about six weeks ago, Robert experienced a sudden loss of balance and was diagnosed with cancer, which had caused swelling and lesions in his brain. He underwent critical radiotherapy treatment on his brain, which was successful, and a pathway for ongoing chemotherapy was established.

‘Unfortunately, perhaps due to the high doses of steroids affecting his immune system, Robert developed a dangerous infection that required emergency surgery.’

A later update noted that Robert passed away on August 16th.

In other news, John (Walter Laurence) Clegg died peacefully in care aged 90 in Chichester his family announced. He is best remembered for his role in BBC One sitcom It Ain’t ‘Arf Hot Mum where he featured as “‘Lah-dih-dah’ ‘gunner’ Graham”. In 1978 he featured in a Crossroads storyline with Susan Hanson as a pervy painter called Clifford Howes.

 

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