... 70. Boden, of Manor Road, Scarborough, worked closely with actor-director Stephen Joseph to set up the original and innovative theatre-in-the-round in the town's Vernon Road library in the fifties. After Joseph's death in 1967, Boden kept the venture going so that it sur vived to become one of the town's most famous attractions with world-famous playwright Alan Ayckbourn as its artistic ...

... educated at Rossall, and throughout his life resolutely refused all offers to join the professional theatre. Nevertheless, he had a considerable impact on the theatre in general, both as someone who discovered both actors and authors, and as an explorer of stage forms. For example, he was the inspira tion behind the construction of the new Questors Theatre, opened by Queen Elizabeth the Queen ...

... Beatrice De Leon On 'Q' is the title of a book of memoirs by Kenneth Barrow, soon to be pub lished. The index reads like the celebri ties' Who's Who The names in those honoured columns reflect, quite defi nitely the two passions of its subject; the Professional Theatre and the train ing of Theatre Practitioners. It is a won derful tribute to BEATRICE DE LEON who passed away peacefully aged 90 ...

... Obituaries DAISY BROWN, who danced and sang in summer shows and pan tomime as Daisy Day, died on March 30 in hospital at Glasgow. She was 79 and had suffered a stroke three days earlier. She appeared in revue and pan tomime at theatres in Scotland, England and Ireland, and had her own act as comedienne and dancer. She was born Daisy Hinzley Hayden at Hereford, and toured theatres and halls all ...

... Sunday Wilshin SUNDAY WILSHIN (right), one of the great beauties of the British stage and screen in the 1920s and 1930s, a well-known broadcaster in the 1940s, and later a leading drama producer for the BBC World Service, died at Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford, on March 19. She was 86. Born in London on February 26, 1905, the daughter of a farmer, Leonard Horne-Wilshin, and his wife, Mary ...

... POPULAR Stage correspondent in the Midlands, Maureen WUletts died on Thursday March 28, aged 47, after a long fight against can cer. Maureen, who wrote as Natasha Fielding, was a prolific commen- taor for many yean on light enter- tainment and night life in Birmingham and the surrounding region. She also raised funds for the treatment of fellow cancer suf ferers. An obituary will appear in a ...

... Martha Graham THE curtain fell finally on actress LESLEY DAINE on Friday, March 8, after a long struggle against can cer. Born in Blackpool, Lesley came to London in her late teens to fol low in her family footsteps and break into an acting career. Her first break came in the film The Family Way, playing the sister of Hayley Mills, and work followed work. Her face became known to millions, ...

... NELSON FIRTH Senior died peacefully after a sudden stroke, in the Royal Victoria Hospital, Blackpool, on April 9, 1991, aged 85. He was at one time the oldest member of the Entertainment Agents Association in the North West of England, having worked as an agent for 50 years. Born in 1905, into a theatrical family in Manchester, his father, who was a leading composer, arranger and conduc tor of ...

... The mime community throughout Europe and the United States will be deeply saddened by the passing away of ETIENNE OECROUX on Tuesday, March 12 at his home in Boulogne- Billancourt. on the outskirts of Paris. Perhaps one of the greatest luminar ies of the theatre world, with one foot planted firmly in the 19th century and the other in the 20th, Decroux brought modern mime fully into being. His ...

... Andre Turp FRENCH Canadian operatic tenor ANDRE TURP has died in Mont- II real aged 65, leaving a widow and II two sons. He was trained in II Canada and Italy, making his debut II in operetta in Montreal in 1950. II After making a name for himself II in Canada he came to Britain in 1959 with a contract for the Royal Opera House, making his debut opposite Joan Sutherland, in Lucia di Lammermoor ...

... Gerald Blake NATASHA FIELDING, light entertainment and variety contributor to The Stage and Television Today from the Birmingham area died on March 27, age 47. after a brave struggle against termi nal illness. Born in Birmingham of a Berkshire family, Natasha had studied writing and became a professional writer ten years ago specialising in fictional romance, short sto ries and poetry. Her ...

... Gilbert Harding, has died at Glasgow, aged 86. He was one of Glasgow's most cele brated citizens, writers and journal ists for the past seven decades, and wrote 67 books about Glasgow, the Clyde, the theatre and Scotland. In a long career he had been fea tures writer, crime reporter, local historian of Glasgow, book review er, writer on food and wine, and had worked on the editorial staffs of ...