Dad opened the memorial exhibition on his birthday – 21st of October in the Mercury Theatre Digby Gallery. Dad and I were overwhelmed by the number of friends who made the journey – most from London but some from further afield.
Charmian Eyre came from Birmingham, Ronnie Cunliffe came from Newcastle. John Keenan came from Ulster. Other former colleagues included Celestine Randall, Pam Ruddock, Eve Shickle, Peter Yapp, John Harward, Barry McCarthy, Sarah Thomas, Melvyn Hastings, Peter Laird, Giles Phibbs, Mary Gillingham Ian Granville Bell, Adrian Hutson, Romy Alison, Lorelei Lynn, Miranda Bell and Liz Mansfield rushing up from preparing for her superb performance as Marie Lloyd at the Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds. Former Theatre manager David Forder gave a lovely appreciative speech remembering David and Monica’s contribution to the success of the theatre in Colchester.
A big thank you to Chris Snow for the preparing and hanging the photos and Chris Holden and Clare Birks for designing the whole thing.
The photographs reflected the sheer variety of Mum’s work in the theatre from unpaid ASM in Perth, through Summer season at Cromer, on to Oxford, the West End, Birmingham, Colchester, leess, York, Milford Haven, Harrogate and Ipswich.
The exhibition goes on till the 1st November.
