Ashley Thorne

Published Tuesday 5 August 2008 at 12:00 by Charlie North Lewis, general manager, Tivoli Theatre

It is with great sorrow and immense pride that I write this obituary for my friend and colleague Ashley Thorne, who died at the age of 64 on May 14.

Ashley had been my stage manager since I started at the Tivoli in 2002 and this was a post he had held for almost 15 years, since the theatre reopened in 1993.

Born on January 1, 1944, Ashley started working in showbiz at the age of 15, when he was offered the chance of an international skating career with Holiday On Ice. His parents wanted him to complete his apprenticeship first but he continued to skate competitively for ten years and ended up as a judge.

Later on in his spare time, he formed the Canford Heath Amateur Dramatic Society and would be found to be most at home in the backstage area.

Through his involvement with Lansdowne Baptist Church, he produced and directed many Christian shows and concerts at the BIC and Winter Gardens in Bournemouth.

In the nineties, the Tivoli Theatre in Wimborne came to form a big part of his life.

It was here that he really shone and became a key player in forming the reputation that the theatre now enjoys amongst touring performers as “a really nice place to play”.

Over the past few years, the Tivoli has presented many professional concerts and events - this has been where Ashley’s wonderful PR skills have really come into play.

He always greeted the performers with a big smile and a cup of tea. Whether they were regular visitors, professional or amateur, or making their first appearance, he always made them feel their show was the one we had all been waiting for. Many is the time that I’ve heard a road-weary performer breathe a big sigh of relief after an Ashley greeting and say, “This feels just like home”. He would often calm an anxious artist by pointing out to them how pleased and happy we all were to have them at our theatre.

Long may your legacy of courtesy and professionalism continue. Ashley leaves behind his wife Linda, sister Julie, daughters Sarah and Nicki, stepsons David and Duncan and granddaughters Heidi and Millie.