Hedy (Hedone) died in hospital at the beginning of November after a long period of being confined to her home, so we had not seen her at the Barn for quite a while.

Hedy and her late husband Fred (sometime Bar Manager at the Barn) moved to Welwyn Garden in 1983 from North London, where she was a leading player with one of the best musical societies, Hornsey Operatic. Auditioning immediately, she joined the Club, she was cast in Margaret Hakannson’s very successful production of Neil Simon’s The Sunshine Boys, as the homecare nurse seemingly determined to antagonize her patient, Willie Clark. Hedy, having got involved and demonstrated her talents as soon as she arrived at the Barn, was very soon in demand. A trained singer with a warm voice (and proud of her Welsh roots — Land of my Fathers was sung in Welsh at the funeral — she was cast just six months later as Donna Lucia D’Alvadorez in Where’s Charley?, the musical version of Charley’s Aunt.

A string of performances followed in comedies and musicals, as well as in Mervyn Lloyd’s 1985 production of The Elephant Man, in which she played three roles: one of the deformed Pinheads in the circus, a Countess and a Nurse. She sang in Cabaret in 1986 and also worked on costumes in some productions.

A fine pianist, in 1989 she played on stage as the winter-coated, scarfed and fingerless-gloved accompanist, Mrs. Frazer, with virtually no dialogue yet a significant presence in the tatty church hall dancing class in Stepping Out, directed by Shirley Shaw. The next few years saw her with leading roles in Steel Magnolias, The Cemetery Club and, finally, Cider with Rosie in 2003, directed by Eric Chorley and Tiffany While. She also sang with the local Music Hall group, The Barnstormers, for several years.

A talented and enthusiastic performer, Hedy enjoyed the company of her friends at the Barn and, for some years, contributed significantly to productions. The Barn was well represented at her funeral. We send our condolences to her friends and family.