Maurice co-founded Stage Electrics with David Whitehead in 1979, and the company has grown into an internationally trading business with a turnover of £27.5 million. Recently, with the onset of illness, Maurice has helped create the current management structure to ensure that the company continues to thrive without his guidance.
His long-time business partner David Whitehead said: "Maurice was a private man with strong beliefs and principles who stuck with them throughout his life. He had a talent for developing individuals and would go out of his way to help others. He remained actively involved in Stage Electrics right up until the time of his death."
Born on May 8th, 1934, Maurice grew up in Exmouth, attending Exmouth Grammar School. On completing his education and after a brief spell in farming, Maurice joined The Royal Electrical and
Mechanical Engineers, where he qualified as a tank mechanic. Maurice left the army in 1955 and began working for an Exeter television and radio shop, before establishing his own business, M.M. Electrical Contracting. When local stage lighting enthusiast George Waldren retired, he left Maurice his stage lanterns and MM Stage Lighting was formed. In 1967 Maurice joined the electrics department at the Northcott Theatre in Exeter as second electrician and was appointed chief electrician in 1973. Six years later he started Stage Electrics with David Whitehead: branches were quickly established in Exeter, Plymouth and Exmouth and originally equipment was moved between the towns on local buses. Over the years, his philosophy of prioritising individual customer needs and responding to them has helped the company develop into a market leader.
Whilst at the Northcott Theatre, Maurice established a two-year apprenticeship scheme for theatre
electricians, persuading the changing theatre management to stick with the scheme. 56 trainees went through the apprenticeship, many becoming members of the media and entertainment Union BECTU; they became affectionately known as the Northcott Bro's.
Many trainees went on to become leading figures in international and national theatre. They include Jeremy Dunn, head of sound at the Royal Shakespeare Company; Sid Ellen, head of lighting at the Ballet Rambert; Martin Lilley, director of entertainment for Cunard Lines; Simon Bowler, head of facilities at the Royal Shakespeare Company and Hugh Vanstone, Laurence Olivier Award-winning lighting designer. Maurice himself was lighting designer on a number of Northcott productions which transferred to the West End, including Abelard and Heloise which starred Diana Rigg.
In addition to being the BECTU representative at the Northcott, Maurice was heavily committed to
training and getting training recognised nationally. He worked for many years to develop course content for a nationally recognised NVQ in Theatre Lighting & Sound. Maurice also qualified as an NVQ assessor in order to facilitate the delivery of the qualification.
Maurice's dedication to the theatre industry was officially recognised in 1997 when he was named
ABTT's Theatre Technician of the Year, and in 2006 when he was awarded a Fellowship for the
Association of Lighting Designers (ALD). In 2009 he described himself as "overwhelmed" to receive an MBE for services to drama.
Throughout his life Maurice was a devout Catholic and a member of the Society of St Pi
