Allister Bain

Allister Bain
Born
Allister Victor Bain

(1932-01-13)13 January 1932
St Andrew's, Grenada, British Windward Islands
Died24 September 2026(2026-09-24) (aged 94)
Islington, London, England
OccupationsActor, playwright, screenwriter, dancer
Years activec. 1957–2009

Allister Victor Bain (13 January 1932 – 24 September 2026) was a Grenadian-born British actor, playwright, screenwriter and dancer, who moved to the United Kingdom in 1958. A veteran of British performing arts, his television appearances included roles in Us Girls, Vanity Fair, Bugs, Doctor Who and Waking the Dead. On the stage, Bain appeared in plays by Derek Walcott, Earl Lovelace, Michael Abbensetts, Noël Coward, and William Shakespeare, among many others.

Life and career

Allister Victor Bain was born on 13 January 1932 in St Andrew's in the island country of Grenada, in the Caribbean. His parents were Thorance and Beatrice Bain. In 1958, Bain moved to England, having taught Dorothy Dandridge to limbo for the film Island in the Sun (1957).

Sometime before the start of his career, Bain was in charge of his own dance troupe, the Bee Wee Ballet of Grenada, whose performances were some of the first that contributed to the birth of what became the Notting Hill Carnival.

From the 1970s, Bain appeared on stage in many notable productions. In 1978, he was in the original cast of Michael McMillan's play The School Leaver, which was produced at the Royal Court Theatre's Young Writers' Festival. In the 1990 production of Winsome Pinnock's play Leave Taking at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, Bain played the role of Broderick.

Bain wrote a number of plays during his career. His first play, 2001 People, was written in 2001. His play Effie May debuted at Oval House Theatre in 2005, when he was 73 years old. Catalysta was staged in 2008 (also at Oval House, with a cast that included Angela Wynter and Carmen Munroe), and Pardon My Simplicity in January 2012 (Rosemary Branch Theatre). He was also the author of One Slice of History (Good Vibes Records & Music Ltd, December 2012).

His memoir, The French Cashew Tree, was launched at New Beacon Books, at an evening event hosted by broadcaster Alex Pascall in November 2017.

Bain died in London on 24 September 2026, aged 94. He was cremated in Islington on 13 October.

Filmography

Film
Year Film Role Notes
1982 Made in Britain Hopkins
1983 Fords on Water Winston's father
1987 Sammy and Rosie Get Laid Father
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1964 Theatre 625 Male nurse One episode: "Women in Crisis #2: With Love and Tears"
1969 The Troubleshooters Jerry One episode: "This Place Is a Paradise, Mister"
Dixon of Dock Green Bus conductor One episode: "Bobby"
1971 Softly, Softly Mr. Gill One episode: "Hostage"
1975 Shades of Greene Waiter One episode: "Cheaper in August"
Quiller Charlie 1 One Episode: "Objective Caribbean"
1976 Love Thy Neighbour Electrician One episode: "Power Cut"
Spring & Autumn Bus conductor One episode: "Episode 3.1"
1977 The Professionals Mr. Culver One episode: "Klansmen"
The Fosters Lawrence One episode: "The Diet"
1978 The Chiffy Kids Stall Holder One episode: "All in a Good Cause"
1979 Empire Road Alvin Four episodes: "Football Crazy", "Godfadder at Bay", "Streets of Thornley", and "Wedding"
1985 Black Silk Pedro Ojo Two episodes: "A Long Way Away", "The Cause of Liberty"
1986 Kit Curran Ambulance mate One episode: "The Lucky Break"
1987 Vanity Fair Sam Three episodes: "Miss Sharp and Miss Sedley Open the Campaign", "Vauxhall Gardens" and "Crawley of Queen's Crawley"
1992 Us Girls Grandad Pinnock 12 episodes
1996 Bugs Airport guard One episode: "Whirling Dervish"
2003 Waking the Dead Lawrence One episode: "Final Cut: Part 1"
2005 The Bill O'Ryan (1986) and Mr. Earle (2005) Two episodes: "The Chief Super's Party" (1986) and "279" (2005)
2009 Doctor Who Winston Katusi One episode: "The End of Time (Part 1)"

Stage

References

  1. ↑ Author's note on cover of One Slice of History, London: Good Vibes Records & Music, 2012.
  2. 1 2 Cobbinah, Angela (8 December 2017). "Making all the right moves". Islington Tribune. Retrieved 25 September 2026.
  3. ↑ "Allister Bain". Companies House. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
  4. 1 2 BWSM (14 October 2026). "Allister Victor Bain: The Man, The Artist And The History We Must Not Forget". Black Wall St Media. Retrieved 15 October 2026.
  5. 1 2 "Left of Karl Marx by Dr. Carole Boyce-Davies".
  6. ↑ "Michael McMillan", Black Plays Archive, National Theatre.
  7. 1 2 "School Leaver, The". Black Plays Archive. National Theatre. Retrieved 27 September 2026.
  8. 1 2 Mick Martin; Desmond Christy (7 August 1990). "The writer of racial wrongs / Hope in hell". The Guardian. p. 33. Retrieved 28 February 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. 1 2 3 Allister Bain at Black Plays Archive, National Theatre.
  10. ↑ Lewis, Katy (3 June 2005). "Theatre and Dance Reviews: Effie May". Beds Herts and Bucks: BBC.
  11. ↑ Allister Bain - Complete Guide to the Playwright, Plays, Theatres, Agent
  12. ↑ Kopplin, Carolin (18 January 2012), "Pardon My Simplicity at the Rosemary Branch Theatre" Archived 2 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine, UK Theatre Network.
  13. ↑ Loxton, HowardPardon My Simplicity (review), British Theatre Guide, January 2012.
  14. ↑ Good Vibes Records & Music Ltd.
  15. ↑ Cobbinah, Angela (17 November 2017). "Retracing his steps: Dancer Allister launches memoir". Camden New Journal. Retrieved 25 September 2026.
  16. 1 2 BWSM (14 October 2026). "Allister Victor Bain: The Man, The Artist And The History We Must Not Forget". Black Wall St Media. Retrieved 15 October 2026.
  17. 1 2 "#allistervictorbain #windrushgeneration #blackbritishhistory #caribbeanheritage #britishtheatre #honouringlegacies #blackwallstmedia | BLACK WALL ST. MEDIA". LinkedIn. Retrieved 15 October 2026.
  18. ↑ "Allister Victor Bain | EverAfter". discovereverafter.com. Retrieved 15 October 2026.
  19. ↑ "Sweet Talk". Black Plays Archive. National Theatre.
  20. ↑ "Come Jubilee". Black Plays Archive. National Theatre. Retrieved 27 September 2026.
  21. ↑ "Say Hallelujah". Black Plays Archive. national Theatre. Retrieved 27 September 2026.
  22. ↑ "In The Mood". Black Plays Archive. National Theatre. Retrieved 27 September 2026.
  23. ↑ "Where There Is Darkness". Black Plays Archive. National Theatre. Retrieved 27 September 2026.
  24. ↑ "Two Can Play". Black Plays Archive. Natiional Theate. Retrieved 27 September 2026.
  25. ↑ "El Dorado". Black Plays Archive. National Theatre. Retrieved 27 September 2026.
  26. ↑ "New Hardware Store, The". Black Plays Archive. National Theatre. Retrieved 27 September 2026.
  27. ↑ "Echo in the Bone, An". Black Plays Archive. National Theatre.
  28. ↑ "Remembrance". Black Plays Archive. National Theatre. Retrieved 27 September 2026.
  29. ↑ "Rock in Water, A". Black Plays Archive. National Theatre. Retrieved 27 September 2026.
  30. ↑ "Take Back What's Yours". Black Plays Archive. National Theatre. Retrieved 27 September 2026.
  31. ↑ "Maskarade". Black Plays Archive. National Theatre. Retrieved 27 September 2026.

Further reading