Tributes To "Lovely Force of Nature"

The founder of the West Kent Youth Theatre, Diana Edwardes, who inspired hundreds of young people over several decades, has died aged 98.

Diana Edwardes helped countless young actors, singers, musicians, stage managers, costume creators and theatre technicians from West Kent.

The company's productions including local, UK and international tours were critically acclaimed over a 25-year period.

West Kent Youth Theatre (WKYT) was seen by many as second only to the National Youth Theatre in terms of the quality of its shows and the talent it developed - both on-stage and back stage.

Many of those involved have gone on to enjoy successful careers in the theatre, TV, film and music, as well as other arts and media roles.

Guardian obituary

In an obituary for The Guardian, Diana’s daughter Jane Edwardes wrote: "Diana set up the West Kent Youth Theatre in 1965, providing opportunities for local teenagers, with a wide-ranging choice of plays, including The Fair Maid Of The West, Caucasian Chalk Circle and Arc, for which she co-wrote the book and lyrics.

“The company toured local schools and theatres and won invitations to play in London, at the Minack theatre in Cornwall, and in Belgium, the Netherlands and the US.”

On one such tour in 1981, WKYT garnered much praise for a production of The Caucasian Chalk Circle by Bertolt Brecht which the company took on tour to the twin cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, as well as Vineland and Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Local WKYT tours included An Italian Straw Hat, How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, Old King Cole and Cabaret.

Shows were developed and rehearsed - with sets and costumes created by the cast and crew - during school and university summer holidays, followed by tours of local theatres, schools, colleges and other venues. These included memorable shows performed in a barn at The Plough pub at Leigh and Trinity Theatre, Tunbridge Wells.

Local people also remember Diana fondly as a teacher and head of English at Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School (TWGGS), where she directed many school productions. Diana was also a judge for local drama festivals.

In the 1990s, she wrote and directed community theatre. Thousands of people saw her production of Celebration in 1993, which told the story of Sevenoaks and surrounding villages and was performed in Knole Park with a cast of 599 actors, 11 horses, two dogs and more than 100 technicians.

Pictured more recently, above, Diana directs a production of Under Milk Wood at The Oast Theatre, Tonbridge.

Tributes from cast and crew

Former WKYT members have been leaving tributes on company’s Facebook page. Here are a few:

"Diana was a huge influence on my life from The Alchemist through to How to Succeed in Business. The US trip with Caucasian Chalk Circle at the tender age of 17 was an eye opener in so many ways. My life would have been so much less exciting without her."
Caroline Bray (WKYT backstage and costumes)

"Diana was an inspiration! Can’t really understate how much I loved being part of her productions at TWGGS and in WKYT. Will always be grateful to her."
Rowena Webster (WKYT performer; national newspaper journalist and former BBC and newspaper senior executive)

"RIP to a formidable, inspirational, occasionally slightly scary but ultimately lovely, force of nature."
Mark Ayres (WKYT musician; composer and musician, with credits including Dr Who)

"She had faith in and helped a lot of young people find confidence in their skill and craft and was a true inspiration."
Nat Sones

"There were hundreds of us, perhaps thousands, who had happier teenage years and more fulfilling early adulthoods as a direct result of Diana’s work, especially with WKYT."
Paul Southgate

"Diana was such an inspiration, so supportive, full of energy and enthusiasm, always interested in you as a person. I so looked forward to those summer rehearsals, and later was lucky enough to be directed by her in a couple of her brilliant adaptations outside of WKYT; she was such a talented lady."
Rob Picton

Passionate about youth theatre

Diana was passionate about the theatre and developing young people, and focused as much attention on those who worked backstage as she did on her on-stage performers.

Asked by TVS in the 1980s about how many WKYT members went on to work in the theatre and media, she joked: "Lots and, oddly enough, principally into the technical side, into back stage. Starlight Express would collapse - and so would the BBC and ITV - if West Kent Youth Theatre members were to withdraw their labour!" 

• Read the The Guardian obituary (published 14 May)
• TVS broadcast a report on the production that marked West Kent Youth Theatre's 21st anniversary: ARC or, Noah And His 40-Day No-Sunshine Cruise! It was broadcast on the Coast to Coast programme on 3 September 1986. Watch here (2 mins 54 secs).
• Visit the WKYT Facebook page.