Tony's Memorial Party

BY SIMON CORNISH
Tony's party this last Tuesday at RADA was nothing short of a miraculous evening. Linda rang me the following day to say it was all she had hoped for and much more. I had an almost 100% success rate in response to the invitations I had sent out and the guests represented a whole host of people from Tony's personal and professional life. There were people he had worked with over many years from theatre radio and television and even a group of three with whom he was at school. The food RADA had supplied was excellent and there was a planned break in proceedings at about 8.00pm when I made a speech culminating in a Champagne toast to Tony. The room being full of actors there was then no shortage of people willing to step up and share an anecdote or personal memory of him. What I found particularly moving about all of these tributes was the expression of truly heartfelt thanks for Tony's generosity. Whether it was an actor or writer being given a chance they would not have had without meeting him or someone just being shown something new and feeling the richer for it. To witness my father's memory respected and held in such high esteem with so much loyalty and fond affection is a great legacy he leaves us all.