Unusual’s Paul Taylor passes away
- Details
A statement from Robin Elias on the company’s blog reads: “PT started his ‘Unusual years’ in March 1988. He joined the company because he felt that as he was now a family man, he should have a quiet 9-5 job! It did not quite turn out like that. He soon became one of the foundation stones of the company. PT was a pioneer in the field of automation and quickly established his position as our Electrics & Automation Guru.”
Elias continues: “He had an encyclopaedic knowledge of Theatre and Automation and was happy to pass on his knowledge and expertise. In an atmosphere of impossible deadlines and challenging problems, none of us can remember PT ever raising his voice. He retained a serene disposition and a dry sense of humour.”
“During the 2012 Olympics, PT spent his time raising the flags for the swimming event medallists. People would ask him the daftest questions. One day he gave into his dry wit and advised someone who had asked what the big red button was for (the emergency stop), that it was to empty the pool if any of the swimmers were in distress. Satisfied that they now had insider knowledge they wandered off happily.”
“One project PT was particularly proud of involved programming and operating the automation desk for New York aerial choreographer Elizabeth Streb, for the cultural events leading up to the 2012 Olympics. He managed, against the odds, to turn Elizabeth’s vision, through sequencing clever and ambitious cues, into cohesive aerial ballets. He used technology to facilitate art, with safety in mind. A specialty of PT’s, and not for the feint hearted. A task he undertook again with dedication (whilst battling the cancer) in October 2018 at the Musée d'Orsay, in Paris.”
Elias concludes: “We have lost an encyclopaedia of knowledge, a depth of experience that spanned many decades, and a dedicated colleague. But mostly we have lost a true gentleman, enthusiast, mentor, father figure, and friend. It might be that he and AJ are already putting their heads together to make celestial events even greater . . .”
Read the full statement from Robin Elias here.
