Rafe Blackthorne

About Rafe Blackthorne

Rafe Blackthorne's early years were marked by a curious contradiction. His father was a man of robust entrepreneurial instincts whose business associates were occasionally interviewed by the police, while Rafe himself attended a school so respectable that boys apologised before winning fights.

This left him caught between two worlds. He learned Latin, Shakespeare and public speaking by day, and rather more colourful life lessons by night.

Naturally, he decided to become an actor.

Unfortunately, the world proved slower to recognise his genius than he had anticipated. Despite occasional triumphs, a memorable performance as a corpse, and one critically acclaimed appearance in which he was described as "noticeably present", fame remained elusive.

To pay the bills, Rafe drifted into teaching drama. What was intended as a temporary arrangement somehow lasted many years.

The experience eventually inspired his novel Rafe's Reckoning, a darkly comic thriller in which a struggling drama teacher finds himself under the thumb of a terrifying headmaster, Henry Rockwell Higgins III, aided by the mysterious and dangerous Tallulah. The book combines comedy, crime and a healthy disregard for educational best practice. It is available now.

These days, Rafe has embraced his role as storyteller, actor and raconteur. Drawing upon a lifetime of theatrical disasters, improbable encounters and questionable decisions, he creates one-man shows that blend humour, mystery and live performance.

His latest production, The Immortal Beloved, explores the great mystery at the heart of Beethoven's life: the identity of the woman who inspired his famous love letter. Accompanied by a live musical soundscape, it is currently available for bookings.

Whether every detail of Rafe's history is entirely accurate remains a matter of ongoing debate.