MORE than 70 people gathered outdoors under a large gazebo in the yard of Crediton Arts Centre on the sunlit afternoon of Sunday, August 8, to thank Peter Hamilton for his contributions over more than 40 years to the life of the Centre, to the town itself and its surrounding villages.

Peter has done so many things. He’s directed numerous plays, some at the Centre, some in the Town Square, some in village halls. Productions have been toured to other Devon towns. He’s organised processions and events to celebrate the switching-on of the lights at Christmas in the Square, he’s told stories in local schools and he was one of the main drivers of the series of Crediton Festivals.

He was one of those who inspired the creation of the amphitheatre beside the lake in Shobrooke Park.

Before the old Fire Station was demolished (it used to stand on the area which is now the Square), he directed a play called Fire! Fire! based on the work and lives of firefighters with a cast of actors from the Arts Centre.

The play was staged inside and outside the Station (in November!) and during one performance, the action had to be paused because there was a "Shout".

Several firefighters leaped up from their seats in the audience, others came running across the set from their homes and then moments later, they all came running back again, still buttoning up their uniforms (to spontaneous applause from the audience) as they raced outside to the engines, which roared off into the night, bells clanging.

At the celebration (titled "A Lifetime Achievement Award") there were 30 short tributes from individuals, some spoken, some acted, some sung – music from James Cookson and Stuart Toms accompanied the whole event.

Nobody knew when their turn was coming, since the Master of Ceremonies, Stu Wight, maintained dramatic tension by pulling contributors’ names out of a hat, usually accompanied by one of his witty one-liners.

People remembered special moments from the plays and other activities when Peter had in some way influenced or enhanced their lives. The earliest memory was from one of his pupils when Peter was a Drama Teacher at QE in the 1970s.

Four of the original actors re-enacted a scene from the Community Play of 1983, "Today of All Days", with a cast of 120, performed at the Barnfield site of the school.

Some 18 of that cast were present on Sunday, most of them still active in the life of the Centre.

Peter was one of the directors of the Community Play, from which there were several spin-offs.

The Town Band, which had been closed down during World War II, was re-formed to play as it marched through the centre of the extensive acting area, watched by the large audience seated on both sides of that space – and of course the Band is still marching and playing today.

A year or so after "Today of All Days", The Brown Paper Bag Theatre Company was founded with Peter at its heart, based at the Arts Centre.

Since then, the Company has presented innovative, quality productions every year, many of them directed by Peter.

His productions are always inclusive, everyone gets a part without auditions and the script often evolves as the play is rehearsed. Peter is a strong visualiser and in addition to the words, audiences enjoy dramatic choreography to express meaning.

One of his most memorable achievements is a series of 10 Shakespeare’s in the Square – some before the new Town Square was built, some after.

In fact, one of those 10 wasn’t actually in the Square, since the Square was under construction at the time. Thanks to the generosity of the Parish Church, a magical "Midsummer Night’s Dream" was conjured up in the leafy surroundings of the Holy Cross car park.

Peter spoke in response to a toast (accompanied by a splendid cake). His memory was of a favourite moment from "Pericles", one of his Shakespeare’s in the Square.

He’s still been busy in the Square, even during the Pandemic, when the Arts Centre has been one of the small team of organisations bringing music and events to the Town Square every Friday, Saturday and Sunday lunch-time.

Peter has written and directed short plays for all the family. They have featured very large, custom-made puppets (one of his more recent enthusiasms), which have needed the space the Square offers.

All agreed that a great debt of thanks was owed to the entire committee of The Brown Paper Bag Theatre Company for conceiving the event and working so hard to create it, co-ordinated by Jenny Start with the support of the Arts Centre and its administrator, Jack Robson. For once, the word "unique" was an accurate description!

Pam Barnard and Geoff Fox for the Arts Centre