The Questors has lost yet another stalwart from the old days with the recent death of Pam Nash, better known under her maiden name of Richards.
Pam joined the theatre about 1946. Her first contribution was to work on props and then she acted in several productions, including Shaw's The Apple Cart in 1948 and the 21st birthday revue, By Further Request in 1951. But she soon became a tireless worker in many directions. No task was beyond her. Apart from acting and directing, when the new theatre project started in 1956 she was ceaseless in her fund-raising efforts, from organizing fetes in the old theatre garden to jumble sales in a local hall. She was also instrumental in persuading the Leche Charity to make a substantial gift to the New Theatre Fund.
She directed some memorable productions in the Old Tin Hut (including the second-year student plays for a time) and wasn't afraid to tackle the less popular choices, including new plays. She will best be remembered for a stunning production of Tennessee Williams' Summer and Smoke (1958) featuring Theresa Heffernan and John Clemow in the leading roles. Two of that cast are still with the theatre today in Diana Benn (who played the heroine's pathetic mother) and Vincent McQueen. Diana recalls that she had to wear a special fitting inside her mouth to alter her voice.
Somehow Pam found time to join the new theatre building team during all this, and she was a familiar figure laying bricks or mixing concrete as members themselves built the Shaw Room and Stan Room in the evenings and at weekends.
Strangely enough, she never had the chance to work in the new theatre when it was completed in 1963. Shortly before, she had moved to Hove and although she retained her interest she was never able to take an active part again, later living in Cornwall for many years. Her last visit was in 1998, for the Tin hutters' reunion.
MIKE GREEN
PAMELA RICHARDS AT THE QUESTORS
(Actor)
1946 Children in Uniform
1946 Riders to the Sea
1947 Final Dividend
1947 Mr Bolfry
1947 The Playboy of The Western World
1948 The Apple Cart
1951 By Further Request
1958 Maria Marten or The Murder in The Red Barn
(Director)
1951 Riders to The Sea
1953 A Family Comedy (1840)
1953 Storm in a Paint Pot
1953 Tinkers' Idyll
1953 The Women from The Voe
1954 Crabbed Age and Youth
1954 Murder in the Cathedral (excerpt)
1954 The Old Man of the Mountain
1954 The Other Son
1955 The World's Wonder
1956 Getting Married
1957 The Golden Cuckoo
1958 Summer and Smoke
1959 The Scythe and The Sunset |
