A lover of theatre, Rory subsequently became involved in projects beyond the Royal Court: he was a founding partner of lighting rental company White Light; he was part of the team that created the Riverside Studios in Hammersmith; he was deeply involved with Field Day in Northern Ireland; and, he worked with David Hare at the Nottingham Playhouse, and subsequently lit many of Hare's plays including Plenty and Pravda.
In the early 1990s, Rory moved to Australia, where he continued to concentrate on projects that interested him, forming a close working relationship with director Neil Armfield and his Sydney-based Company B at Belvoir Street. Rory's collaboration with Armfield included productions on three continents; their Sweeney Todd was seen at the Royal Opera House in London last December.
Rory was too ill to attend these performances, having been diagnosed with mesothelioma, a lung disease associated with exposure to asbestos fibres, early in 2003. He passed away last Saturday. Those wishing to commemorate Rory's life and work are invited to make a donation to the Company B Theatre Foundation New Scholarship for Young Lighting Designers at 25 Belvoir Street, Surry Hills, NSW 2010, Australia.
Further enquiries should be addressed to John Simpson at White Light in London, telephone 020 8254 4800 (email address below), or to Judith Alexander or Virginia Braden at Arts Management in Australia, telephone +61 2 9310 2466.
(Lee Baldock)
