 A familiar face will be missed around the theatre next season: Woody Hughes died on 9 July at the age of 20.
Woody started working at The Questors as an ASM on The Wild Duck in the 1999-
2000 Season. During the seasons which followed he worked on numerous shows in
a variety of capacities: lights, sound, ASM, construction and painting and helping
with get-ins and get-outs. He was known by all who came into contact with him as
utterly reliable and always cheerful.
Although Woody's health had never been good, no-one ever heard him complain; his was always an enormously positive presence. Even in his final illness, which
confined him first to a wheelchair and then to his bedroom, he remained optimistic
and outward-looking, with no breath of self-pity.
Woody was also the first student to enrol on the National Diploma Technical Theatre
course which Kingston College started in September 2000 in conjunction with The
Questors. He made a huge contribution to that course and derived great pleasure
from his work with the College and his developing knowledge and competence; he
came also to love The Questors and to enjoy the various responsibilities and
opportunities which it afforded him. It is a sad irony that his illness prevented him
from completing the course; it is a further irony that the week in which he should
have completed the course saw his death.
Peter and Helen, Woody's parents, who supported him wholeheartedly in all his
work, chose to have his funeral service at The Questors. It is a tribute to the great
affection in which he was held that a full house in the Theatre gathered to celebrate
his life and to remember the young man who brought a kind, Considerate and
positive touch to everything he did. He will be both sadly missed and fondly
remembered by his fellow-students and his fellow-workers at The Questors. |
