David died on 19th November 2022. Our records show that he first appeared on the Barn stage for the Welwyn Drama Club in April 1959 in Eric Farlie’s production of Peter Ustinov’s Romanoff and Juliet as Freddie Vanderstuyt and later the same year as Tom Wingfield in Eric’s The Glass Menagerie.

By 1969, with the formation of the Barn Theatre Club, he was a regular and valuable member. In the opening season he played in the second production Trelawney of the Wells. He directed The Government Inspector in 1970. He served on Council and as Technical Director. In addition to stage roles, he frequently moved to being a sound operator which he performed on many occasions but was sometimes lured back to the stage for his special accomplishments. First, he was probably the tallest member of the Club, and secondly, he was a language teacher who had learned Russian during his National Service. For his height, in addition to his acting ability, he was cast as Lofty in Alfie in 1972 and as the giant Native American Chief Bromden in the Club’s first production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1980). For his language skills he played Herr Russenberg in Caught Gauguin, Bowled Cezanne, (1974); Herr Fahrenkopf in Night of the Iguana (1979); and Russian roles as Boris Kolenkhov in You Can’t Take it With You (1985) and Boris Trigorin in The Seagull (1971). He never visited Russia but made good friends while visiting Czechoslovakia, and they visited the Barn several times.

With sound, he often worked with his wife Shirley, and his three children feature in Barn archives in performing roles when they were younger. David was knowledgeable in theatre practice, a good friend, a willing and helpful member, and good company.

David was one of the quietest, kindest and most generous men and will be missed by everyone who was lucky enough to have known him.

We offer our condolences to Shirley, Mark, Karen and Jo, and their families, and to David’s many friends.