Goodbye to a Real Pro
In the theatre world, you get the chance to meet some great and some not so great people. When I moved to Manchester from London in 2000, I met a very special lady. Her name was Angela Kendall-Carpenter. This friendly and witty lady was press officer at the Library Theatre, which quickly became my favourite venue.
After she left the Library, our paths have continued to cross over the years. She was on the M.E.N Theatre Awards Panel and bemoaned the exclusion of Angels In America (which she and I both adored) from the shortlist. She also covered the role of Press Officer at the Octagon for a few months.
Never one to sit still, this hard working lady also promoted zany comedy duo Lipservice, as they toured the North.
Lately, she was absolutely thrilled to be working for Queer Up North and had already built up a great relationship with the likes of Sandra Bernhard and was looking forward to promoting Billy Bragg as he made her “Socialist heart proud.”
I will always remember Angela’s ability to work an entire room. She could go from one end to another and never leave anyone out. She was also passionate about theatre, taking in as much as she could. She especially liked anything with a political message. She loved the work of Out Of Joint.
The past few press nights have been particularly poignant as I have already missed her wonderfully witty tales, her caring nature and the fact she was a great friend.
Angela died suddenly on Tuesday night and Manchester has been robbed of a real treasure of a woman.
My thoughts and sympathies go out to her family and friends.
Goodbye lovely!
Glenn x