Norman Rodway; Shakespearean Actor

Norman Rodway, 72, an actor whose leading roles with the Royal Shakespeare Company included Mercutio and Richard III. Rodway played central roles in plays by Shakespeare, Chekhov, Gorky, Tennessee Williams and Harold Pinter. Known for his strong physical presence, expressive voice and piercing eyes, he joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1966, when he played Hotspur and Pistol in “Henry IV, Parts I and II” as well as Feste in “Twelfth Night.” Born in London’s East End, he was a baby when his family moved to Ireland and he lived in Dublin for the next 30 years. He studied classics at Trinity College and worked as a schoolmaster and an accountant before turning to the theater at the age of 26. Although primarily a stage actor, he made some films, including Orson Welles’ “Chimes at Midnight,” and appeared on television in the Mystery series on public television. His last role for the Royal Shakespeare Company was Polonius to Martin Sheen’s Hamlet. On March 13 in Banbury, Oxfordshire, of a stroke.