Editing Richard Briers (section)

==Early career==
Briers's first job was a clerical post with a [[London]] cable manufacturer, and for a short time he went to evening classes to qualify in electrical engineering, but soon left and became a filing clerk.<ref name="The Good Life"/>

Aged 18, Briers was called up for two years' [[national service]] in the [[Royal Air Force]] (RAF), during which he was a filing clerk at [[Northwood Headquarters|RAF Northwood]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.parkinsons.org.uk/about_us/who_we_are/our_honorary_vice_president.aspx |publisher=Parkinson's UK |access-date=18 February 2013 |title=Richard Briers, Honorary Vice President |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120517084331/http://www.parkinsons.org.uk/about_us/who_we_are/our_honorary_vice_president.aspx |archive-date=17 May 2012 }}</ref> where he met future ''[[George and Mildred]]'' actor [[Brian Murphy (actor)|Brian Murphy]]. Murphy introduced Briers, who had been interested in acting since the age of 14, to the Dramatic Society at the [[Borough Polytechnic Institute]], now [[London South Bank University]], where he performed in several productions.

When he left the RAF, Briers studied at [[Royal Academy of Dramatic Art|RADA]], which he attended from 1954 to 1956.<ref name="The Good Life"/> Placed in a class with both [[Peter O'Toole]] and [[Albert Finney]], Briers later credited academy director John Fernald with nurturing his talent.<ref name=bbcobit>{{cite news | url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-21294570 | title = Obituary: Richard Briers | date = 18 February 2013 | access-date = 18 February 2013 | work = BBC News}}</ref> Graduating from RADA with a silver medal,<ref name=Indp1313648/> he won a scholarship with the Liverpool Repertory Company, and after 15 months moved to the [[Belgrade Theatre]] in [[Coventry]] for 6 months. He made his [[West End theatre|West End]] debut in the [[Duke of York's Theatre]] 1959 production of ''Gilt And Gingerbread'' by [[Lionel Hale]].<ref name=bbcobit/><ref name="Coveney">{{cite news | url = https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2013/feb/18/richard-briers | work = The Guardian | title = Richard Briers obituary | first =Michael | last = Goveney | access-date = 18 February 2013 | date = 23 February 2013}}</ref>