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YOUR NEWS – Janice Haughton

YOUR NEWS – Janice Haughton

BY THE Greater Manchester Drama Federation (GMDF)

It is with deep shock and heartbreak that we announce the death of our long-standing friend and Board member, Janice Haughton.
Janice was an invaluable member of the Board and had only in the last three years stepped down from her role as Treasurer. This was a role which she held for more years than many of us care to remember, she kept us on the straight and narrow at all times.
Aside of her role as Treasurer the loss to the GMDF Board is huge. Janice was a positive and engaged contributor to the many thorny matters that have presented themselves on various agendas over the years. She was not one to sit on the fence and we loved her for it.
Her long and considerable theatre experience enabled her to bring wise counsel to decisions that were not necessarily easy.
The loss to the world of amateur theatre is massive. Janice was quite simply a stalwart and her dedication to youth theatre was 110% and then some. She was awarded, in 2016, the Muriel Goodwin Trophy (GMDF) in recognition of her outstanding contribution to Youth Theatre. The One Act Festival will simply not be the same without Janice and her children. Her capacity to put a wide age range of young children on a stage and direct them all to achieve the best of their very different abilities was something to behold.
As a result of a well-deserved win in 2010 at the GMDF One Act Play Festival, Janice took her charges and their performance to the All Winners’ Festival in Essex and came in as runner-up with the Buxton Trophy; quite an achievement!
Janice will be greatly missed by so many. She was bright, positive, colourful, fun, engaging, always immaculately turned out and she faced her health challenges with an attitude that would leave many of us standing in awe.
We send our heartfelt condolences to her lovely husband Trevor and the family; it’s a dreadful time for them.

Joan Cooper RIP (Your News)

BY THE GMDF

It is with huge shock and sadness that we tell you all of the death of Joan Cooper.

In short, Joan was an unstinting, fantastic champion of amateur theatre who served on the GMDF (Greater Manchester Drama Federation) Board for many years and also adjudicated for GMDF.
Her enthusiasm for and knowledge of local theatre would be difficult to match. It would be a rare event if Joan missed attending the GMDF AGM (that’s what you call dedication in anyone’s book!) or a night of the One Act Play Festival no matter where it was. She regularly attended Awards Night and if you didn’t run into Joan at various GMDF member societies’ theatres, throughout the season it was unusual, she travelled all over the place.
Joan’s home society was Droylsden Little Theatre or rather ‘Clayton and Droylsden’ as it was when Joan was first involved and we send her theatre family there our deepest sympathy, they have lost a stalwart of theatre as well as a loyal friend.
The world of Amdram is a poorer place with Joan’s passing, she will be much missed by a great many.

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