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Nomad News:
An Evening of Celebration Bill Pearson Award |
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Our annual evening of celebration proved to be a great success. Again Paul Evans gave his masterly round-up of all the many activities that made up the theatre's programme during 2001, with the aid of Lauren Fantham's high-tech, big-screen presentation.
It highlighted all the many jobs that, sung and unsung, have to be undertaken to keep the theatre running. Among those whose work was singled out were three members who over the years have given the Nomads huge support and who are now leaving us. Paul gave each of them a special commemorative certificate.
Deb Nurse who, over the years, has played a wide range of parts in many productions, been stage manager and wardrobe mistress, has designed and made costumes for a number of shows, been both Nomad secretary and company secretary for Nomad Players, been chairman of the Nomads, redrafted our constitution, helped with many social events and done the catering, and even been one of our first audio describers.
Roger Brandon Jones has been a tower of strength backstage, designing and building sets, organising the scenery workshop and Tuesday working parties, stage managing shows and on occasions has been tempted onto the stage. People have only had to mention jobs needing to be done around the theatre and Roger volunteered to help - particularly over the difficult period when we were without a theatre. The whole family have been involved, Alison with lights, Naomi, Julian and Alistair as actors.
Richard Brookman has over the last 3 years done a wonderful job as tutor for the ever expanding Nome classes and as director and often writer of the Nomes' annual show. He has also been the organiser for the Young Nomads and has even played parts in several plays.
Finally Paul asked Bill Pearson to make this year's presentation of the award named after him. In doing this Bill said: "The recipient this year is a member whose contribution to the theare has been vary varied, both on stage and backstage. Someone who doesn't wait to be asked to help with a task - but actually volunteers and even gets on quietly with a job without having their arm twisted - like clearing up the theatre after some activity or another.
Both an actor and a director, this Nomad has also helped back stage - prompting, helping to find props and in other ways. A great supporter of the Play in a Week project, for it is a HE, wrote last year's show London Lives, keeping every one of the the 32 Nomads involved happy and making himself very popular.
He is of course Peter Forbes.
At the same time he was writing our pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk, in which he was the 'voice over' giant. And he has done so much more. He wrote and directed a one-act play. 2001 was his last year as a very diligent Council secretary, often bullying the Council members into doing what they had promised to do at meetings - in the friendliest way.
He has certainly not been a backward Nomad in his ability to make every Nomad News so readable, for which he is editor, lead writer, publisher and distribution organiser.
He has also masterminded and edited many show programmes and has taken on the nasty chore of organising their collating and stapling for each show. Another job he volunteered to do.
I first met Peter sitting quietly in the corner at a Prompt Corner lunch some 6 years ago, and I hope he will forgive me for saying it, not looking too well at all. Little did one think he was going to play such a major and vital role in the Nomad world.
I do think Damon, the backward Nomad, should have a special T-shirt with the slogan on his back - 'Peter does it on stage, backstage and everywhere else too!'
With his usual modesty Peter sat through the presentation quite unaware that he was the recipient until his name was mentioned but thought Bill was getting it wrong - again - when things he had done started to get mentioned. Everyone shoed clearly by their applause how popular the choice was and congratulated him afterwards while they enjoyed Deb Danaher's excellent buffet.
Peter says: In another context J B Priestley once wrote, "I was taken aback, and may be said to have stayed aback ever since." That neatly encapsulates my feelings. People who get Oscars or at least know they've been nominated and can have a speech ready. I didn't, and now I have no idea what I said after the presentation. I hope I expressed astonishment, disbelief and gratitude for the honour. If not, I have now. Thanks again |
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2002 Newsletters:
Yearly Archive:
1999, 2001, 2002,
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