Dennis trained at RADA after which he understudied for three years or so in the West End of London, mainly with Paul Schofield in "Ring Around The Moon" and "Time Remembered". From there, he went into weekly repertory at Aldershot, Bexhill, Guildford, Margate, Bromley, Eastbourne, Ipswich, Leatherhead, Leicester, Bristol and Plymouth.
He worked with Sir Donald Wolfit at the King's Theatre, Hammersmith, then joined the Robert Atkins Company in the Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park, after which he spent two years at the Old Vic Company in Waterloo Road, where he played various Shakespearean roles, including "Macbeth".
It was about this time that he met Hancock and started his run in the "Hancock's Half Hour" episodes. He has also appeared in many other television programmes, including "Coronation Street", Doctor Who", "The Naked Civil Servant", "The Prisoner", "The Avengers", "The Bill" and many more. From time to time, he returned to the West End of London, appearing in "The Tinker", "Everything in the Garden", "Misalliance", and a year's run in "The Mousetrap", as Major Metcalfe. He was also leading man for two seasons at the Festival Theatre, Pitlochry, and made many films, including the Hammer horror movie "Plague of the Zombies", "The Midas Run" in which he appeared with the legendary Fred Astaire, and "Bullseye", with Roger Moore and Michael Caine.
About five years ago, he appeared in a production of "Othello", directed by Edward Hall, playing at the Watermill Theatre, Newbury, followed by a tour to Japan.
Dennis Chinnery's appearances in "Hancock's Half Hour"
[BBC-TV]
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