Don Poole

A Timperley lad and plumber by trade, Don was a wonderful comedy performer who took part in over 50 productions in a 30-year career.

His first roles on stage, in 1967, were as Reverend Mercer in When We Are Married and as a character in Toad of Toad Hall. He is best remembered for playing the Dame in pantomime, and as the Chairman and Master of Ceremonies in the theatre's popular Old Time Music Halls in the 1970s and 80s.

He played the Dame a total of eight times, the first being in Jack and the Beanstalk in 1970 and the last as Widow Twankey (whom he played three times) in Aladdin in 1998 before hanging up his frocks. He occasionally took on other roles in the pantomime such as Ugly Sister Tuti in Cinderella in 1997.

Don was Chairman of the Music Hall seven times from 1976-85, and is shown in this photograph in his Music Hall 'uniform'. On one memorable occasion he helped organise the evacuation of the theatre, gavel in hand, when a curtain started smouldering because it was too close to a lamp.

He also took part in many other productions, mostly but not exclusively comedies, such as The Owl and the Pussycat, The Ritz, Oh! What a Lovely War, Last Tango in Whitby, Run for Your Wife, and Oliver! (playing Mr Sowerberry) in 1997.

Don was also a well-known stand-up comedian and, in the early 1990s, he helped organise 'Comedy Clubs in the Bar' as part of the STAGE Appeal to renovate the theatre. Unsurprisingly they were always packed out.

 

He also appeared on television (his credits including Coronation Street, Crown Court, The Mallons, and Brideshead Revisited) and onstage at the Royal Exchange. In addition he was an accomplished film-maker, casting many Garrick actors of his era. 

As well as all this, Don was thoroughly likeable and sociable and was wonderful company in the bar with his jokes and stories. A true Garrick character.