We are sad to record the recent death of Tricia a Vice President of BROS since 1978 Helen Jenkins writes that Tricia joined BROS sometime in 1974/75 when her children Judith and Richard were cast as the children in the 1975 production of Fiddler On The Roof. Tricia’s first appearance with BROS was the 1975 concert Milestones Of Melody in which she sang You’ll Never Walk Alone.
She continued to appear in many productions, most notably as Ernestine von Liberdich in Little Mary Sunshine, Aunt Ella in Oklahoma, General Cartwright in Guys and Dolls and of course, Mama Morton in Chicago! When not appearing on stage she could sometimes be found in the prompt corner and also took on the Production Management of many shows.
Tricia spent several years as a committee member and tried in vain to persuade the committee then chaired by Bob Salter to stage Chicago but it was deemed not a suitable show for BROS at that time. Ever a determined lady, Tricia together with Margaret Boughton, defied the committee and set up their own company Thorn In The Side (TITS) and invited many of us to join them. Hence a very successful production was held in the Bull at Sheen (since demolished) and as we self funded it ourselves our investment was returned with interest. Bob had to admit it was a good show although he notes that the pub was later pulled down – although nothing to do with him! Tricia became a good friend, she possessed a beautiful singing voice, a wicked sense of humour and a forthright and outgoing personality. Together with Wendy Edwards we formed a small concert group and Tricia booked us to entertain groups such as the Blind Club. We went on to form our revue group Miscellany together with Shirley Tibbitts. Tricia famously wrote a somewhat risque sketch based on the Sound of Music in which she had me dressed in a Basque, fishnet stockings, etc., singing her version of I am Sixteen going on Seventeen. I was in my forties at the time!
When Miscellany had run its course Tricia joined the concert group The Accidentals run by Shirley. Tricia and her husband Harry retired to Spain where she wasted no time in forming a choir amongst other ex-pats and even persuaded Mike Carver, a former Musical Director with BROS now living in France, to play for them on occasions. After Harry passed away Tricia remained in Spain for a few years before returning to the UK to live near her daughter Judith in Hastings.
A loved and loyal friend, multi talented, a true trouper, great fun to be with, much missed, farewell Tricia!
Bob Salter – still smarting from Tricia’s defiance of his position in relation to Chicago – no doubt in the modern era a show that is performed by Church Groups and children – recalls that it was Tricia in prompt corner during the Mikado at RT when Jane Mitchell playing Katisha fainted. Tricia’s voice was to be heard uttering her lines and she was seen for a moment as she walked on stage in her long woollen cardigan. Steve was one of those on stage at the time and uncharacteristically froze while Roger Roseboom could only manage ‘Oh dear oh dear’. The action somehow resumed even though for a time the only part of Katisha that was visible to the audience were her legs having collapsed in the wings. It is a tribute to Tricia that most members of the audience did not notice that anything had gone wrong – and some even said how much they liked the originality of the direction at that point of the
show.
Our Patron Alan remembers Tricia (as Pat) I remember Pat very well – we served on the committee together and I enjoyed so much her lively sense of realism and humour. From everyone encountered in the course of one’s life there are nuggets to be gleaned and remembered – many of them serendipitous and not necessarily planned: Every time I catch a cold I remember Pat’s wise words: ‘It will be three days coming, three days with you, and three days going. After ten days you’ll be fine.’ She was right. Which is why I think of her every time I catch a cold. Funny really… Our lives are the better for having met her.
Tricia’s daughter Judith writes that just before I went to bed last night I thoughtlessly picked what I thought was a leaf off the floor – turns out it was a bee which had come to visit me. It calmly sat on my hand for quite a while before I let it out to escape into the night air. I think I knew what that meant almost straight away as it felt so odd, and woke up this morning to the news that my mum had passed. Mumma Pups had the heart of a showgirl and the mouth of a sailor, she was full of spirit and optimism with a beautiful alto voice, always up for a laugh and a gossip. She was a massive supporter of me doing burlesque and would sit in the audience cheering me on until she became too sick to attend shows. She was a true queen bee. I will miss her every single day and am full of love and thanks that she was my mum and that I got the chance to spend so much time with her recently.
