Geoffrey Brown April 18 1930 to October 20 2011
Geoff Brown has been a very active member and friend to the Southern Peninsula Players since 1975. Apart from his many philanthropic achievements outside the group, he has worked tirelessly for this theatre company with his acting ability and his directing skills. Also he has, as I understand it, worked as front of house manager for all but one play since joining in 1975. I’m sure you will all have seen him there splendidly attired in his tuxedo.
I have had the privilege of working on stage with Geoff as have many others and, like me, I’m sure they found it to be a real pleasure. Between 1978 (playing Charles Dickens in A Christmas Carol and 2003 (in the role of Mr Grace in Are You Being Served?) he appeared in no less than twelve plays.
His directing skills were very meticulous and professional: his only concern was to get it right. He directed on more than one occasion: Move Over Mrs Markham in 1984, There Goes the Bride in 1986, Tomb with a View in 1988 and two one-act plays, Queer Street and Déjà Vu in 1995 and 1996.
He was also very involved in the set building side of things. I remember with fondness his very small models of the set he used to make for each play. We would follow them to the letter and on many occasions the audiences would applaud the sets on opening night much to Geoff’s delight. He would also do any painting such as portraits that we needed and he created seating plans that were painstaking in their attention to detail.
On the political side of things, he has been a committee member, Vice President and President of the group for a number of years and, even when not on the committee, he would still like to have his say whether anyone liked it or not and that included councillors on the Shire if he felt the group was being undermined in anyway.
Geoff was a very strong advocate for this group and a very dear friend and will be sorely missed by ALL.
R.I.P.
Tony Staunton
President
