In June 2022 we heard of the sad death of Roger Chapman. Roger was the founding director of the original Leeds Playhouse Theatre in Education Company, the forerunner of the current Leeds TiE Company. He was a great enthusiast and influencer and as well as running the company he organised national and international festivals in Leeds and beyond. After leaving the company he extended his work to production involving work across the world and will be sadly missed by many international friends as well as by Isy, their three children and six grandchildren.
Some words from some of those who worked with Roger in the 70s:
“When Roger gave me the job at Leeds TiE and accepted me into the team he changed my life. Working with Annalyn, John, Jim and Libby gave me the skills and courage to embark on what’s turned out to be a long career. So exciting, such a privilege, to be in TiE and around Leeds Playhouse at that time.”
“Amongst the huge sadness we are able to find the laughter…. I remember Bille’s Wonderful Kettle in Doncaster and an outrageous entry from Mr Chapman at the back of the town hall that seemed to finish everyone off.”
“Roger, of course, was a massive influence on me and my working life. He invited me to join in the adventure of setting up a new company in Leeds; he established and developed a high standard of work for Leeds schools; very importantly he impressed on me certain educational theatre values that have never left me. That company reconvened as a separate charity after the playhouse made it redundant and recently we passed our 50 year anniversary, and although I didn’t manage to contact him about this I hope he would have been proud.”