Remembering Gareth James

It is with huge sadness that we share the news of the passing of one of our dearly loved trustees Gareth James. Gareth was so positive, optimistic and lived for experiencing culture. Despite going into hospital for surgery he was adamant that he would lead an away day for Dante or Die just weeks after his surgery.

Gareth was an HR specialist, who joined the Board of Dante or Die in 2018. He had first seen our work when he took a trip to the Hilton Docklands to be an audience member for I Do. Always on the lookout for new theatrical experiences he wrote about the show on his Cultural and Travel blog. Funny that he signed off with: “Dante or Die and their directors Daphna Attias (who directs this) and Terry O’Donovan (the best man) are new to me but I’m locking on to them with my theatrical radar.” Little did he know how involved he would become with the company. 

I propositioned him to join the board, and having agreed he became a key member, dedicating countless hours to support us. Extremely generous with his time and expertise, his passion for the arts was hugely inspiring to us. His Edinburgh Festival excel spreadsheets were things of beauty; and when he spoke about a new show that he adored, he brimmed with life and shared it widely, urging others to get out there and buy tickets. 

We will sorely miss his energy and love for live performance as well as his generosity of spirit. Rest in peace Gareth. We’ll be dedicating our new production, Kiss Marry Kill, to you.