Remembering Gordon Hamlin
A Goosfest Tribute
The Goosfest Team is deeply saddened by the irreplaceable loss of our much loved and valued member, Gordon.
When Gordon (and Sue; always an indivisible team) first came to us to suggest in his inimitable, self-effacing way, that “he might be able to help with lighting”, we could not have guessed at the game-changing input he gave to the Festival. And to Goostrey’s Rural Touring Arts productions, for which he quickly became an indispensable addition too.
Gordon’s life-long love of and involvement in the full spectrum of the arts, and especially to theatre, brought to us so many skills and talents: an established performer, director, writer, lighting director, set designer, stage manager, cue-ing and sound engineer, all combined to improve our output and ambition, as immediately our standards were raised by him in every way.
Gordon encouraged us to take more artistic risks, with our series of “After the Watershed” performances, in which he assisted both a young local writer and newly formed group of actors to perform their play, and also produced and directed two deeply moving plays, with his protegee actor, Sian, whose consummate acting and powerful skills had a deep and lasting impact on our audience.
He understood theatre with such breadth and depth and so could help greatly in our choice of acts, but also in staging them, along with Sue’s own skills and experience also.
He transformed the lighting in Goostrey Village Hall, working with the Parish Council and Clerk to renew and improve the offering there, and at every Goosfest and Rural Touring Performance , he could be found, till not long before the show began, up his vertiginously high stepladders preparing and adjusting the lighting to best suit the show and the actors and performers.
As companies’ expectations seemed to increase in recent years, he calmly and unflappably cued-in all the lighting changes, and sound, in memorable shows, which were greatly enhanced by his skill and knowledge of where to place a spot, what colour to wash the stage, and in reading a previously unseen script throughout the performance at his lighting desk. He would advise touring companies and music acts on how best to stage their show to best effect in our Hall.
Gordon had a brilliant, dry and playful sense of humour, undimmed through his recent illness, with a wonderful way with words, which could always lighten an email thread or the most tense of pre-show set-up…..And we shall never see a Tunnocks’ Caramel Wafer without thinking of Gordon.
His seeking out of interesting shows and performers has been of huge benefit to Goosfest audiences, who will mostly be unaware of the amount of time and preparation he has devoted to ensuring a good show for them. This year he engaged the performance poet, Luke Wright who is bringing his “Later Life Letters” production to Goosfest. Gordon had been a fan and follower since his previous performance here wowed him, and so this is a fitting performance at which, as at all this year’s Festival, we shall miss and remember him.
Gordon was generous in giving his time and expertise, extending to mentoring and coaching one of our team’s family members to a (now achieved) ambition to go into the theatre. His help was hugely influential. A self-penned musical celebration of Cole Porter’s life and music, featuring this young person, was a sell-out, twice over.
His loss to Goosfest alone is immeasurable, not to mention Goostrey Rural Touring Theatre; and already his theatrical involvement is being recognised and remembered around the County.
Our love and thanks to you, Gordon, for these years of camaraderie and expertise, and our deepest sympathies to Sue, and his family in their loss. We shall miss you deeply.
The Goosfest team
