GORDON HANDS - OBITUARY

It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that we inform you of the passing of Gordon Hands, one of Wolverhampton Grand Theatre’s biggest champions.

In 2004 Gordon became the Chairperson of the beloved Friends Of The Grand membership, a role he undertook with immense pride and dedication. In 2017, after thirteen years he handed the role to current Chairperson Richard Bourne, whilst remaining a committee member. Gordon’s last meeting was on Monday 10 July 2023, a mere four weeks ago.

Gordon was a theatre lover and enthusiast his entire life, visiting many theatre’s up and down the country. However, the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre held a special place in his heart. We truly were his happy place.

Gordon’s earliest memories of The Grand were from the 1950s. The repertory season would last for 36 weeks of the year and he attended every Friday with his parents. In 2009 he shared one of his earliest memories of the theatre with us,

“It was a play called Wild Horses, a farce by Ben Travers and very funny. I’ve never seen it since or heard of it, but a wonderful play and one of the actresses in it was a lady that started here, Peggy Mount, and my mother said afterwards – I heard her say to my father – ‘Gordon never moved a muscle and he was totally absorbed’. And that was where my love of theatre started. I said ‘Can I come next week?’ Next week was a psychological thriller called Double Door; Peggy Mount played the lead again in that: you can imagine her in that kind of part, as a domineering lady, and I loved that as well. They didn’t think I’d like that one, they thought it would be too heavy for me, but I adored it, and so they brought me every week and I’ve been coming ever since.”

Adrian Jackson, CEO and Artistic Director said “Gordon inspired many people to become theatre lovers. His dedication and sincere belief in the Grand Theatre had been inside him all his adult life. For me personally, I knew Gordon well before I had the pleasure of taking the helm at the Grand. He inspired, enthused and respected people and he will be greatly missed by everyone. A true man of the theatre.”

Gordon may have taken his final bow but he will be in our Spotlight, forever.