OAUK Director, Angus MacKechnie, attended the ‘Festival of Dave’ – a waterside celebration of the life of the late great Dave Danzig of The Grand Theatre of Lemmings.
On a very blustery but very sunny marina in Manningtree, various representatives of Dave’s eclectic life gathered together for an uplifting celebration of a true creative one-off. Inevitably, it was a suitably joyful and chaotic mini-festival to remember Dave and his work – with many figures from the outdoor arts and street theatre world including producer Robin Morley, Walk the Plank’s Liz Pugh and numerous performers including Bill Palmer, Matt Barnard and Mike Lister. And thrillingly, Tarby Davenport, doyenne of the sector for many years, was in attendance on what was her 86th birthday.
After being ushered to the beach, the entertainment was introduced with calm reflection and a knowing wink by Dave’s partner in life and work, Mandy Medlicott, who set a tone of relaxed celebration. Mark Tillotson of MarkMark Productions was our compare and led us through various performances from Dave’s friends and colleagues, peppered with unexpected facts about his life (including that time Dave and Mandy were declared missing persons after the Boxing Day tsunami). Everything was presented with so much love, generosity and genuinely uplifting sentiment and included the fabulous Lemmings Flying Beer trick, performed by Cassie and Pat Lemming, some suitably fish-based entertainment from Circo Rum Ba Ba’s Marianne Grove with more joy from Pat & Dave from Isosceles, Joe Fleming, young Lemmings Luke & Big Al and Keith & Dini from the Jelly Rollers.
It was a beautifully appropriate event for such a wonderfully colourful life.
Thank you Dave, and fare forward.
