Norman Beaton was one of those unique actors who managed to stand out in classical roles, yet excel in light comedies. From 1989 to 1994 he enjoyed nationwide popularity on British television with Channel 4’s highly successful situation comedy series Desmond’ s. This show was described as an African-Caribbean equivalent of America’s The Cosby Show. With sharp scripts by young Black writer Trix Worrell, Beaton gave a brilliant performance as the manic owner of a South London barbershop.

Born in Guyana (then British Guiana), Beaton came to Britain in 1960. His reputation as an actor grew steadily. He progressed from regional theater to leading roles at the Old Vic, the National Theatre (where he played Angelo in a Black-cast version of Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure in 1981), and the Royal Court Theatre. Apart from Shakespeare, his theater roles also encompassed Pinter, Beckett, Gilbert and Sullivan, Brecht, Moliere, and pantomime. In 1974 he established the Black Theatre of Brixton, which was instrumental in developing Black theatre in Britain. During this period he also became one of Britain’s leading television actors. Among his biggest successes were dramatic roles in Afternoon Dancing (1974); Black Christmas (1977); Empire Road (1978–79), Britain’s first all-Black soap opera; Play for Today’s “Easy Money” (1981); Nice (1984); Dead Head (1986); Playing Away (1986); Big George Is Dead (1987); When Love Dies (1990); and Little Napoleons (1993). He was also interviewed in the documentary Black and White in Colour (1992), a history of Black people in British television.

Alongside Lenny Henry, Norman Beaton was the star of British television’s first Black situation comedy series, The Fosters, which ran for two seasons in 1976–77. But the actor will be best remembered for Desmond’s. As a result of its popularity, African- American television star Bill Cosby invited him in 1991 to make a couple of guest appearances in The Cosby Show. Beaton readily accepted a role as a cricket-loving doctor, and Cosby was so taken by the actor that he wore Beaton’s gift of a Desmond’s baseball cap in the show. Shortly after he died in 1994 at the age of 60, Channel 4 aired Shooting Stars in the series Black Christmas, with a memorable appearance by Beaton reading a sonnet by Shakespeare.