Numerous schoolchildren had their first theatre expertise watching my good friend Steve Lee at work as a puppeteer. As a charismatic storyteller, Steve, who has died aged 73 of pneumonia, would captivate youngsters whereas concurrently entertaining their lecturers along with his witty remarks.
He was the face of the Puppeteers’ Firm, which he co-founded in 1980 along with his companion, Peter Franklin, constructing on their experiences over a decade on the Da Silva Puppet Firm.
Steve was born in Southampton, the son of Raymond Lee, a machine instrument maker, and Freda (nee Watson), a supervisor for Surridge Dawson wholesale newsagents. Though he cherished all issues theatrical, on leaving King Edward VI faculty Steve discovered himself designing types for Southern Gasoline and United Glass. After an inspirational go to to the 1968 worldwide puppet competition in Colwyn Bay, north Wales, he determined to throw away his go well with, develop his hair and develop into a puppeteer.
Between 1971 and 1980 Steve labored for the Da Silva Puppet Firm, at first in Godmanchester, Cambridgeshire, and later on the Norwich Puppet Theatre, based by Ray Da Silva. There he met Peter and so they turned companions at work and in life, later registering their civil partnership in 2008. They created and carried out productions for colleges and humanities centres, akin to an progressive manufacturing of Peter and the Wolf that includes a number of several types of puppets that toured internationally.
With the Puppeteers’ Firm, Steve and Peter carried out extremely polished cabaret on cruise liners the world over. The corporate toured nationally and took reveals to arts festivals in Japan, Hong Kong and throughout Europe. Profitable productions included an acclaimed rod puppet Coppelia (1984), The Pleased Prince (1986) and St George and the Dragon (1992). Additionally included within the repertoire had been musical revues, notably Prime Hats & Tales (1993), that includes 10 several types of puppets.
In 1986 they appeared on the BBC youngsters’s programme Stilgoe’s On, and in 1988 on The Paul Daniels Magic Christmas Present, with greater than 12 million viewers. In 1996, Steve – an avid Disney fan – was commissioned to jot down scripts for Disney Time specials, broadcast within the UK and Europe.
The Puppeteers’ Firm got here to an finish in 2012, and Peter died 4 years later. Steve continued to work creatively, writing an as but unpublished novel (Resident Alien) whereas engaged on a number of design initiatives.
Steve appreciated his personal model of the outdated joke that he all the time began the day by studying the obituaries within the Stage. If he didn’t seem in them, he would rise up.
He’s survived by Griff Melluish, his civil companion since 2019, his sister, Barbara, and his niece, Ceri.
