‘A great loss’ – Tribute paid to stage talent following death

David Edgar passed away peacefully on Monday, November 25, in the company of family and friends, aged 59.

David (or Dave) will be known to many locally through his involvement with the Boston Playgoers Society.

He acted in numerous productions at Boston’s Blackfriars Theatre and Arts Centre, but will perhaps be best remembered for playing Basil Fawlty in Fawlty Towers and René in ‘Allo ‘Allo.

He also directed and acted in the society’s production of The Weir, which swept the board at the Skegness Play Festival in 2013 and came runner-up at the British All Winners Drama Festival, with David being nominated for a special award for his talent as a director and an actor.

“Dave was a great friend who was fantastic fun to act alongside and will be greatly missed,” said chairman of the Boston Playgoers Society Rachel Rowett.

Alongside the parts played on stage, David took on a key role in helping save Blackfriars from closure during a period of financial hardship for the venue in 2008.

He was part of a group of users who campaigned against the closure and, ultimately, took control of the theatre.

Chairman of Blackfriars’ board of directors Stuart Bull said: “David became a member of the new board of directors, and was instrumental in forming a business plan which saw the theatre avoid bankruptcy and become a viable business again.

“He continued to drive for changes in the administration and helped update the constitution of the charity which has allowed the arts centre and theatre to go from strength to strength.”

Outside of theatre, David also had a strong interest in football, and played weekly – despite having asthma.

In recent years, David – an Essex native – moved away from Boston.

He was diagnosed with rectal/colon cancer in January 2017, and made a decision not to follow the conventional path of treatment of radiotherapy, but pursue a range of alternatives.

Last year, following an MRI scan, he was told he could die in a matter of weeks, but went on to live for a further 19 months.

Debbie Moore, his long-term partner, said: “David’s courage and strength amazed me. He had so much determination and focus on what he was doing, never doubting himself, and never letting himself be beaten, even when he got bad news from a scan showing the cancer had spread, he just researched some more and carried on!”

She added: “I am going to miss him so very much, his energy and vitality for life, his determination in the face of adversity, his quirkiness and fun-ness, all the things that made David who he was, I shall miss terribly!”

Other tributes:

* Peter Kay, former Boston Playgoers Society committee member, said: “David joined Boston Playgoers in 2003 and quickly became a real character within our society. In those days everyone went for a drink after rehearsals and he always held court in the bar, making everyone laugh as well as not being at all frightened to be controversial with his opinions. A fine actor, gifted with a legendary memory for lines, which were normally learnt before first rehearsal!

“Everyone warmed to Dave and the audiences loved him: maybe his stature and long, lanky legs made him look a little like John Cleese (who he subsequently played – twice – in Fawlty Towers, at Blackfriars!); often it was merely his laugh which was long, drawn-out and unique, that could make others laugh too.”

* John Jackson, Blackfriars Theatre and Arts Centre board member, said: “He used to terrify us all by turning up to the first rehearsal knowing all his lines until we realised the force of vanity that used to drive him to learn all the lines so that he didn’t have to wear glasses in public.

“He joined the Blackfriars quiz team which used to be in the Boston Quiz League and in which we did very well.

“The last time I met David was to see a performance of Clarence Darrow at The Old Vic, we had dinner a few drinks and said goodbye.

“I knew David from about 2002 and I am truly saddened by his death. He was intelligent, witty and could at times be truly irritating.”

* Mick Broadhurst, Blackfriars Theatre and Arts Centre board memeber, said: “He worked with more than one theatre company in Boston and liked each for their different ways of working: he enjoyed participating in NODA (National Operatic and Dramatic Association) competitions with Playgoers and loved touring new work to villages with Cutwater.”

* Neil Watson, local theatre photographer, said: “What a great loss. David was so good at encouraging and supporting. In my early theatre photography with Blackfriars and Playgoers he was always so positive.

“And with my two sons James and Mark (who have both now gone into the world of professional theatre and entertainment), he always spent time encouraging them and giving them a boost. They loved working with him.

“Theatre was fun with David! A sad loss, but with some great memories.”