An informal evening is to be held to remember the life and work of Adrian Lloyd-James, actor and one of the founders of Derbyshire-based Tabs Productions who died in April 2017.
In 28 years, Lloyd-James was involved in more than 140 productions for Tabs including many seasons at the two theatres closest to his heart, the Pomegranate in Chesterfield and Nottingham’s Theatre Royal.
He set up Tabs with Karen Henson who said, “Adrian had a wicked sense of humour—working with him was always fun!
“Last year he was diagnosed with cancer of the tongue, throat and neck—a cruel irony for an actor. Ade loved his life in the theatre, he lived it to the hilt and was loved by so many people.”
Lloyd-James trained at Birmingham School of Speech and Drama. One of his first jobs was as touring acting / ASM on a national tour of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. There he came across Colin McIntyre who offered him work at the Pomegranate and on tour on a production of Charles Dyer’s Rattle of a Simple Man. Lloyd-James continued to work for McIntyre as an actor and director up to McIntyre's death in 2012.
“As an actor, Ade had an incredible range,” said Henson, “playing Shakespeare (Macbeth, Bottom, Capulet and a part in As You Like It for the Sir Peter Hall Company on tour), comedy and more serious drama.
“In his youth, he appeared alongside Placido Domingo in Othello at the Royal Opera House and in Monteverdi’s The Return to Ulysses and The Masked Ball by Verdi at the English National Opera.
“He also appeared in many pantomimes across the country, mainly as the baddie.
“In 1989, we started Tabs Productions with Educating Rita at the Music Hall Theatre in Shrewsbury and Adrian’s directing career flourished. He was always particularly proud of his productions of David Mamet’s Oleanna, Patrick Marber’s Closer, The Graduate, Skylight by David Hare and Death and the Maiden by Ariel Dorfman.”
The informal evening will be held at the Pomegranate on Sunday 17 September from 6PM. “We want to make this an opportunity to celebrate the long tradition of drama at the theatre to which Adrian contributed for more than 30 years,” added Henson.
“We want to bring actors, current and former staff and patrons together to swap stories and have the kind of convivial evening that Adrian would have enjoyed.”