Having worked on theatre productions with Kevin in other groups I was delighted when he became a member of The Mint Theatre Society.  Live music in shows has always been important to me and Kevin, or K-Bo as some of us called him, never failed to deliver as our Maestro.  He put up with our pleas of “play it louder/quieter or faster/slower” and the oft-repeated request “it is too high/low for me so could you transpose it please?” with good humour and grace and delivered the goods every time. 

He would laugh at the jokes and funny lines in our shows even though he had heard them for weeks at every rehearsal and we could still hear him laughing above everyone else on performance nights as he sat at the front behind his keyboard.  We even enticed him on stage a couple of times, often with his lines hidden in a well-placed newspaper and he loved it! 

My favourite memory of him on stage is when I cast him as the boy that Scrooge sends to buy a turkey in ‘A Christmas Carol’.  Kevin staggered on stage clutching a ridiculously enormous papier-mache turkey and when he realised that the audience found it funny he played right up to them.   The staggering across stage became longer and hammier every night as he revelled in the audience’s laughter!  Happy times!

Friendship is an important part of our group and Kevin was always keen to have a pint in the pub after rehearsals or shows and come along to the many social evenings that we have. Even when his illness had taken his speech he would come along with one of his communication devices.  He didn’t let it stop him from chatting and continuing to tell his bad jokes. 

After lockdown he joined in some of our Zoom evenings and put together a couple of music quizzes for us.  As his illness progressed we were amazed by his fortitude and positivity.

Kevin is going to be missed by all of us in Mint Theatre Society as our musician, fellow performer and most importantly, our friend. 

K-Bo, may you rest in peace.