Patrick Barlow (born 18 March 1947) is an English actor, comedian and playwright. His comedic alter ego, Desmond Olivier Dingle, is the founder, Artistic Director and Chief Executive of the two-man National Theatre of Brent, which has performed on stage, on television and on radio.
Barlow is the scriptwriter, as well as lead performer, in many National Theatre of Brent productions, in particular Desmond Olivier Dingle's Complete History of Shakespeare and The Arts and How They Was Done (2007). In non-Theatre of Brent performances, he wrote the 4-part situation comedy for radio called The Patrick and Maureen Maybe Music Experience which ran for four weeks from January 1999.
He played the part of Om in the radio adaption of Terry Pratchett's Small Gods (2006), which was adapted by Robin Brooks.
Barlow co-starred with Imelda Staunton in Is it Legal? (1996-1998), and played the part of the vicar in Jam & Jerusalem. He has also written and directed his National Theatre of Brent material for television.
Patrick Barlow wrote a stage adaptation of John Buchan's The 39 Steps , which premiered in June 2005 at the West Yorkshire Playhouse. After revision, the play opened at London's Tricycle Theatre in August 2006, and after a successful run transferred to the Criterion Theatre in Piccadilly in September 2006. The play was also performed in the USA in early 2008 and in Australia by the Melbourne Theatre Company in April 2008..
Patrick wrote the script for The Young Visiters, (yes, the misspelling is deliberate), and had a cameo as the priest. His one-time Theatre of Brent partner Jim Broadbent co-starred with Hugh Laurie.
Most of his film work has been in small, cameo roles, for example:
