Entertainment

Theatrical tributes as Peter Quigley Archive opens at Linen Hall Library

A series of readings, plays and songs will mark the launch of the Peter Quigley Archive at the Linen Hall Library in Belfast next week, paying tribute to the flamboyant theatre star who died last year, writes Brian Campbell

The Linen Hall Library launches its Peter Quigley Archive next week
The Linen Hall Library launches its Peter Quigley Archive next week The Linen Hall Library launches its Peter Quigley Archive next week

PETER Quigley has been described as “one of our most flamboyant, colourful and talented theatrical trailblazers”, so it was a shock to the Irish theatre world when he died last year after a short battle with cancer.

Now, to honour the late actor, director and choreographer, Belfast’s Linen Hall Library is holding a week-long series of events to launch their Peter Quigley Archive. The archive consists of more than 150 plays and it is intended to serve as a valuable resource for actors, writers, directors and anyone with a general interest in the arts.

Here, some names who knew Quigley and worked with him share some memories of a man who made a big contribution to Northern Ireland theatre:

Irish News columnist Anne Hailes:

My abiding memory is Peter playing the role of Emcee in Cabaret. He was chilling and thrilling, grotesque and distorted. He was ultra theatrical, very intense but always a pleasure to talk to. He became a icon of the gay community and this was very much the case with his funeral last year, when he was carried shoulder high in a white coffin draped with silver tinsel, along with a samba band and dancers. His enthusiasm appealed to people.

Peter, like all of us, had his down times but I remember him for his love of talking theatre, his voice and his ready smile when we met. At 65 he was remarkably energetic until the cancer hit. He said he had a stomach upset, then he was getting checked out, then four weeks later he was dead.

Towards the end he entertained not only his visitors but the hospital staff and patients. He would want to be remembered as a man of the theatre, perhaps for his last role as a transgender housewife in Tuesdays At Tescos.

Actor Christina Nelson:

I met Peter in 1982 when I was 12 and he auditioned me for what was to be the start of my career in a way. He was choreographer for the Lyric production of Oliver, with Ian McElhinney as Bill Sikes. I showed up three weeks into rehearsals pleading to be in it. The director said 'No way’ but Peter wanted to give me a chance and said, `If you catch up you can be in it’. And the rest as is history.

I took the title role in Annie the following year, also choreographed by Peter. He continued to give me opportunities and he was a great inspiration to me on and off stage. We worked together on stage in many productions but one of my fondest memories was when he made a speech at my wedding in 1991, saying how much he admired me. He was a great mentor and friend.

Actor Richard Clements:

I first worked with him on a production of Edward Albee's Zoo Story in 2006. It was a huge role to take on but Peter's direction was superb and it's a show that I have particularly fond memories of. Peter was an entertainer and a man who inspired many people to step on to the stage; there was never a dull moment when he was around.

I last spoke to him shortly before he died. The wicked sense of humour was still there in spite of knowing what was ahead of him. My abiding memory of Peter is what he instilled in me as a performer during our rehearsals for Zoo Story. The directorial understanding and attention to detail that he brought to that character made the process so easy.

Gerard McCabe of Pintsized Productions:

Sixteen years ago Peter directed my first professional panto – Jack & the Beanstalk in the Millennium Forum – and we became good friends. He had an incredible energy, a zest for life and a huge love for the arts. He was glamorous too – he was one of the first guys in Belfast to wear make-up, and he didn't care what people thought. Peter created his own world in Northern Ireland and I loved being part of it. He kept doing what he loved his whole life.

Actor Abigail McGibbon:

I first met Peter in 1987 when he ran Belfast Youth & Community Theatre and we stayed friends since then. The intensity and thrill with which he taught and shared is unforgettable. It was of such a high standard regarding voice work and technique. He was a perfect teacher. In conversation he demanded an honesty and a willingness to share that some may have found too provocative. But I learned so much from him about theatre and humanity.

:: The Linen Hall Library hosts a week-long series of free readings, plays and songs from February 15 to 19 to launch the Peter Quigley Archive (www.linenhall.com)