A BROMSGROVE playwright has paid tribute to theatre and film producer Bill Kenwright who has died, aged 78.
Euan Rose, who wrote Brummie musical Wallop Mrs Cox, 3 Summers and Charlotte Badger based on the true story of the Bromsgrove female pirate who was feared the world over, said: “On the occasions I met Bill it was always a pleasure.
“He came to the premiere of mine and Nigel Wright’s musical 3 Summers at the Artrix in 2011 and again when it went to the REP a few years later.
“He went out of his way to talk to every member of the company and had incisive notes for everyone.
“He had never been to the Artrix before and thought it was quite unique and offered to bring productions of his own there.”
Liverpool-born Mr Kenwright, who was also chairman of Everton Football Club for almost 20 years, had a cancerous tumour removed from his liver eight weeks ago.
Euan added: “He dedicated his working life to theatre and Everton Football Club and will be remembered for what he did for both.
“He had an uncanny eye and ear for success starting with ‘Blood Brothers’ a Willy Russell play which closed after a couple or weeks in the West End. Bill bought the rights, turned it into a musical and toured it nationally for a few years until it returned in triumph to the West End, running on and off for 28 years and counting.
“He had a similar challenge with the musical ‘Joseph and the Technicolour Dreamcoat’ where he again bought the rights for a song and breathed new life into it.
“And, more recently, he produced the mega successful teenage cult musical ‘Heathers’.”
In his career, Mr Kenwright produced over 500 shows worldwide and was one of the few British producers to have conquered Broadway as well as the West End.
Euan said: “The bright lights of theatre are dimmer for his loss.
“He was a one off original, a dinosaur, a blunt Northerner and a man of the theatre I was privileged to talk show business with. RIP Bill.”
