John Reed

JOHN Reed, who died on his 94th birthday, was known to and loved by the army of enthusiasts for whom Gilbert and Sullivan are the greatest names in the history of musical entertainment.

The fourth and youngest child of a butcher, he was born in the village of Close House, near Bishop Auckland, and when he was 11, the family moved, now being near Darlington.

Destined to become a dancer and singer, especially famed for his nimble performances in the comic leads of the Savoy Operas, particularly with

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the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, Reed worked in builders' and insurance offices, but he devoted his spare time – possibly influenced by his mother, a singer – to studying elocution, dancing, singing and mime.

During the Second World War he was in a reserved occupation as a tool fitter and instrument maker, while winning medals for dance across the North East. He worked with amateur companies, including the Darlington Operatic Society, and as a director and dance instructor for the Darlington Education Committee.

He joined the D'Oyly Carte Company in 1951 as the understudy to Peter Pratt, the principal comic baritone of the company.

When Pratt left the company in 1959, Reed took over as principal comedian, hence his growing fame in such roles as Bunthorne in Patience, Sir Joseph Porter in HMS Pinafore, Major General Stanley in The Pirates of Penzance, the Duke of Plaza-Toro in The Gondoliers and, of course Ko-Ko in The Mikado.

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That was the role he loved best, once saying: "Ko-Ko is almost me. There's a lot of me in the character. It lets me bring out my sense of humour."

Criticised by some for taking liberties during the famous D'Oyly Carte encores, he had a ready excuse: "An encore is a different thing – a bit of fun between me and the audience – then I come right back into character again."

His roles made him a star in Australia, the United States and Canada as the company toured almost continuously between London seasons and in 1977 he was awarded an OBE.

After 20 years as lead comedian, he left the company, but on numerous occasion returned to it – most memorably for A Song to Sing O, in 1981, the company's "last night" concert which had been created for him.

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The 1980s saw him spend time in the USA, with the CU Opera Company in Boulder, Colorado, with the New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players, and with the Lyric Opera of Dallas.

After retiring from the stage, he moved to Halifax where he directed amateur Gilbert and Sullivan societies, including the West Yorkshire Savoyards. He also supported the annual International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival in Buxton, Derbyshire, until failing eyesight made involvement difficult.

He is survived by his partner of 52 years, Nicholas Kerri.

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