Christopher John Knight Mantell was born in Cheshire in August 1944 and attended Stockport grammar school before graduating from the drama department at Manchester University. As well as acting in film, theatre and stage he was a prolific stage figure, co-founding the Channel Theatre Company and Lyceum Productions, mounting productions of 'Therese Raquin, 'The Norman Conquests' - one of his teachers at Manchester being Stephen Joseph, where the play was first performed at the theatre named after him, 'Everyman' and 'Don Juan in Hell'. He also directed operas in Japan as well as in Britain. Mr Mantell died in the summer of 2017, aged 72. Show less «