Tribute to Stephen Pimlott

Sad news this week.

The theatre director Stephen Pimlott died of throat cancer at the terrifying young age of 53. I'm 45 myself, and Stephen was the co-director on my first professional job. I'll tell you about how I came to be working on the production in a later blog.

It was an interesting company - the Musical Director was Jeremy Sams (now an opera translator, composer and stage director), and the assistant Musical Director was Stephen Jackson (now conductor of the BBC Chorus). Stephen Pimlott was a keen amateur oboist - something that we shared as I had originally studied oboe at the RNCM before changing to piano and specialising in accompaniment). Stephen Jackson, as it happened, was a keen bassoonist, so we of course ended up playing the Poulenc trio for oboe, bassoon and piano for fun one day.

The list of actors in the production contained one Derek Lee Ragin, normally a counter-tenor (and a very fine one), making his debut as a tenor. Clive Rowe (musical theatre and tv star) and Clarke Peters (currently playing Porgy in the West End) were the comedy duo, and a very young Kwame Kwei-Armah (then called Ian Roberts) who was a last minute replacement for a sick chorus member, and had to learn the entire opera in about four days. Kwame is now famous for his role in Casualty, for his appearance on Celebrity Fame Academy, and as an acclaimed playwright. It sounds corny, but I thought he was very talented even then.

It was an extraordinary production that has stayed with me ever since - a great job to work on as a recently graduated, wide-eyed newcomer.

Stephen gave a great deal of pleasure to people through his work. To me he was quiet, unassuming, very good at his job, and unfailingly polite. No tantrums, no problems, just great work.

Thank you Stephen for a great first job.

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