Mervyn Gould

Published Monday 18 January 2010 at 16:00 by Ian Grey

Former stage manager and writer of books on cinema history, Mervyn Gould has died at the age of 62.

Mervyn Stockbridge Gould was born on December 14, 1946 and, having been fascinated with technical theatre from his early teens, Mervyn landed his first paid backstage job aged 17 in 1963 as ASM (and props) for a two-week run of Babes in the Wood at Boston Regal, touring into Crewe, Buxton and Leek. He remained a casual showman at the venue (and number two lime boy) until moving to London in 1965 to study history at Marjons in Chelsea.

Having had the foresight to join the National Association of Theatrical Television and Kine Employees, he was able to get work in numerous West End theatres, although it impacted on his degree, as he just scraped through the finals.

After several years of touring, residences and even walking Schnorbitz - a period he described as “the painful death throes of variety” - he spent three seasons at Sunderland Empire as CD operator, then a year as deputy chief engineer at the Palace Theatre during the run of Jesus Christ Superstar.

He joined Loughborough University English and Drama Department in 1979 as a technical tutor, which gave him the opportunity to gain an MA and still work occasional summer seasons or pantos. He remained there for 17 years before taking early retirement due to ill health.

As an author, he wrote four books on cinema history as well as numerous articles for the theatrical press, including The Stage, Tabs, Cue and Cueline.

In 2007, he was interviewed for the Theatre Archive Project and his colourful memories can be found online at www.bl.uk/projects/theatrearchive/gouldm.html

He died peacefully at home in Loughborough on October 29.