The Stage

Derek Pollitt,

Published Monday 16 August 2010 at 17:27 by Brian Pollitt

My brother Derek Pollitt, the actor, manager, producer and director has died in hospital in Surrey, aged 83.

Born in Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales in 1926, one of seven children he was brought up in a theatre-loving family and starred in local pantomimes as a youngster.

Always determined to become an actor he went to RADA in 1944 where he won the prestigious BBC prize. He always joked that this led to his first radio broadcast a quarter of a century later.

Army service led to him being a member of Stars in Battledress touring Italy and Austria, then demobilisation and the quest for work. Months with the West of England Theatre Company and some years at Farnham Rep fired his ambition to run his own theatre company.

In July 1955 Derek and his then wife Pamela Rayner started The Galleon Theatre Company at Prestatyn - its title affirming the spirit of adventure and daring destined to be its trademark.

After a choppy start and near floundering on the financial rocks Derek pressed on, firmly believing that things would improve. Foolhardy, thought some; over-optimistic, thought others. But the word I associate most with Derek is fearless.

This fearlessness pulled us through. Suddenly a season which made a profit of five pounds, one shilling and threepence. “We’re on our way” said Derek, and was proved right. The Galleon went from strength to strength, spreading its sails so that for a couple of years there were three companies, a theatre and a brother for each.

Derek was at Llandudno where the magnificent stage of the Grand Theatre enabled him to put on bigger productions. A policy of buying scenery from London shows after their closure included the purchase from Linnit and Dunfee of the entire scenery, props, costumes (and magic pianos) of Salad Days which Derek presented for about 20 weeks in 1962 and 1963.

At the end of 1965 Galleon went into dry dock, the three brothers amicably going their own ways, Derek stuck with his first love, the excitement and hurly-burly of rep, and much radio and TV including about ten episodes of Doctor Who with three different doctors.

Derek hated playing his own age. He was a born character actor, brilliant in comedy, however outlandish, with impeccable timing.

Long seasons at Colchester, Salisbury, Northampton (twice as their panto dame) and many years at Derby Playhouse were part of his career. Sadly Derek’s eyes packed in very suddenly and he spent a dozen or more years in a RNIB hostel in London, moving to a Surrey nursing home last year. A truly hectic career cut short.

Always a keen sportsman - Derek enjoyed tennis, golf and cricket but his real passion was walking. At the age of 64 he did a solo JOGLE (John O’Groats to Land’s End) taking the long, 1301 mile route. This was sponsored at a penny a mile for his local hospital in Wimbledon, raising many hundreds of pounds with another sum going to the Hospice in Llandudno from sponsors in North Wales.

We were in the provincial rep theatre-world in its golden twilight - this time embodied the excitement, the slog, the wonder of playing so many parts in so many productions, as well as the fun, commitment and continual sense of achievement.

These attributes were never more clearly demonstrated than in the careers of such as Derek, and I know that he and his peers will be owed a debt by their successors which might not be realised.

Derek, who died on Sunday, July 11, leaves two sons, two daughters and me, his only remaining sibling. I would frequently telephone Derek on Sunday afternoons until a few days ago. He was always cheerful, funny, uncomplaining and positive. Another great performance, for I now know that he carefully hid from me the fact that he was very seriously ill. As always, fearless.