Ivan Beavis
Ivan Beavis
Died: 24 December 1997
Played: Harry Hewitt (9 December 1960 - September 1967)
When Ivan was a teenager he joined the Fleet Air Army where he stayed for three years. He then became an audit clerk for Prince Waterhouse and was transferred to Northern Island where he contracted TB. He was released on leave of absence and went into a sanatorium in Shropshire for six months. He then became an accountant for Industrial Models in Manchester.
After returning to Manchester he couldn't work immediately and began working in amateur dramatics. Gradually the amateur stage played an increasingly important part of his life, ending with the Little Thearte 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 made his television debut as a gardener in the sixties comedy Man About he House. He went on to appear on stage as the Uncle in Death of a Salesman and took his chance by seeing Granada's casting agent Margaret Morris in person, and soon after was offered a part in The Army Game. Roles in Skyport, Knight Errant, Biggles and Famous Trials followed before, in 1960, he was cast as bus conductor Harry Hewitt in the new soap Coronation Street, a role he played until 1964 when the character and his wife Concepta moved to her native Ireland.
Ivan then returned to the stage and toured New Zealand with Pat Phoenix in Gaslight. 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.
Ivan continued working on stage with The Royal Shakespeare Company and 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. On television he had roles in The Liver Birds, Z Cars, Crown Court, No Honestly, Biggles, Famous Trials, Special Branch, The Onedin Line, Casualty, The Bill, The Enigma Files, Jury, Juliet Bravo, Shine On Harvey Moon, Return of the Antelope, Truckers, Charter and Caldicott and Paradise Postponed. He also appeared in the 1967 film Frankenstein Created Women.
Ivan lived in Northampton with his wife, teacher Kathleen Atkins and they had two children, Hilary and Michael. Ivan passed away on Christmas Eve 1997; he was 71 years old.
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