Ivan Beavis was born on the 22nd of April 1926 in Liverpool to Walter Douglas Stuart Beavis and Gladys Emily Bowling. He was one of five children, with two sisters and two brothers. The family subsequently moved to Hendon, Middlesex where Ivan attended Christ's College, Finchley from 1937 to 1941. In 1943, at the age of 17, he enrolled in the Fleet Air Arm where he served for three years with his father dying in 1946. He then became an audit clerk for Price Waterhouse and after being transferred to Northern Island he contracted TB. Released on leave of absence he went into a sanatorium in Shropshire for six months before he eventually became an accountant for Industrial Models in Manchester. However when returning to Manchester he couldn't return to work immediately and began engaging in amateur dramatics. Gradually the amateur stage played an increasingly important part of his life, ending with him attending the Little Theatre Guilds Unnamed Society, from where he turned professional, and ended up at the RSC in such plays as 'Much Ado About Nothing', 'Troilus and Cressida', 'The Alchemist' and 'Romeo and Juliet'. Ivan married teacher Kathleen Atkin, on the 27th of October 1956, in Manchester and they had two children, Hilary in 1957 and Michael in 1959, and the family lived in Manchester, however they then separated. Ivan made his stage debut as an ageing gardener in 'Man About the House' but was soon taking leading roles. Eventually, he turned professional and went on to appear on stage as the Uncle in 'Death of a Salesman' and after arriving unannounced to see the Granada Television casting director Margaret Morris, he made his television debut in the popular situation comedy 'The Army Game', which made stars of Bill Fraser and Alfie Bass. He followed it up with roles in other Granada programmes such as 'Skyport', 'Knight Errant Limited' (1960), 'Biggles and On Trial'. Harry Elton, who produced Biggles, was instrumental in encouraging the writer Tony Warren to create a serial based on his knowledge of life in a working-class Northern backstreet. It eventually became 'Coronation Street', with Margaret Morris as its first casting director and in 1960, as a 35 year old, he was cast in the new drama serial.
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| Harry Hewitt marries Rover's Return barmaid Concepta Riley |
He joined the serial from the second episode, on the 14th of December 1960, playing the shy widowed bus conductor Harry Hewitt. His character was responsible for bringing up daughter Lucille following the death of her mother in a car crash. In 1961, Harry found new love with barmaid Concepta Riley (Doreen Keogh), they married and had a son, Christopher. When, in October 1962, the baby was kidnapped, it gave 'Coronation Street' its most dramatic storyline to date and a then-record 21 million viewers Ivan continued in this role until 1964, when Harry and Concepta moved to Ireland. It was during his time on Coronation Street that he fell for his on-screen wife, Doreen Keogh, and the couple began dating in the 1960s. However, the strength of the character of Harry prevented Ivan being cast in other roles. He asked the show's producers if they would kill the character off, so in 1967 Harry returned to the show in time to be crushed to death when a van jack slipped during the wedding of Steve and Elsie Tanner. After leaving he toured with fellow actors Doreen Keogh, Frank Pemberton, Ruth Holden and Lynne Carol in a farce, 'Coronation Street On The Road' , written by Coronation Street writers Vince Powell and John Finch. However, the tour was a failure. There followed stints in 'Freewheelers' (1968-69), 'Hardy Heating Company Ltd' (1970), 'Six Days of Justice' (1973) and as Mr Hutchinson in 7 episodes of 'The Liver Birds' (1971-75). Having separated from his wife, by 1968, Ivan was living in Teddington, south west London.
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| Working as a barman in The Harrow, off Fleet Street, London |
He then returned to the stage and toured New Zealand with Pat Phoenix in 'Gaslight'(1975) before continuing working on stage with The Royal Shakespeare Company in productions such as 'South Pacific', 'When We Are Married', 'The Seven Year Itch', 'The Wild Duck', 'Much Ado About Nothing', 'Troilus and Cressida', 'The Alchemist', 'The Seagull', 'Cure For Love', 'Romeo and Juliet', 'The Rivals', 'The Price', 'Fur Coats No Knickers', 'Hobson's Choice', 'Salonica', 'Good Morning Bill', 'A Chorus of Disapproval', 'The Changeling', 'Key For Two', 'Good Morning Bill', and 'School For Scandal'. He also appeared in the 1967 film 'Frankenstein Created Women'. His TV work continued and he had roles in Bless This House (1972-74), 'Z-Cars' (1967-78), 'The Onedin Line' (1972-78), 'Casualty' 1990) and 'The Bill' 1990-91), Ivan's mum died in 1979 and he lived in Northampton where he passed away on Christmas Eve 1997; he was 71 years old.
see also :- http://www.thefootballvoice.com/2023/08/a-history-of-liverpool-thespians-gerald.html
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