Members will be saddened to hear that Norman died shortly before the New Year after a long illness. His design work at The Questors spanned a period of 30 years starting with The Comedy of Errors in 1969, when he covered a circus ring in pink sawdust, to his final show The Merry Wives of Windsor in 1999. Both of these shows went to the Minack with great success. In between he designed around 30 shows ranging from classic Racine, Ibsen and Lorca to modern playwrights such as Arthur Miller and Alan Ayckbourn.
He also produced some splendid sets for the legendary Christmas melodramas. He was always stimulating to work with but he was also great fun, even when we barrowed a ton of earth to create a potato field in Fen and then had to barrow it out again at the end! Or when he created a real pond, plastic-lined, for Love's Labours Lost into which a misguided actor immediately plunged his sword. It didn't leak too much. There was one occasion when he finished painting a backcloth after the dress rehearsal. We were not sure if it was dry wnen we rolled it up just before the first night curtain. Would it roll down? Fortunately it did.
These adventures apart, he was a brilliant designer, concerned to serve the play and the director's intent with a creative imagination, flair and wit. It was a great loss when he moved to Bolsover some 20 years ago, though he was still able to work at The Questors until distance and advancing years made it too difficult. In his later years he derived much comfort and support from his wife Margaret who latterly cared for him with great devotion. Our deepest sympathy goes to her and his daughters Jo and Aphra.
Alan Chambers (QNews 38 February 2011)