John Badcock 1937 – 2025

It’s not often we mention people we’ve loved and lost. Well for John Badcock (30th Sep 1937 – 1st Jan 2025) we make an exception. John was a very special friend and supporter of aod and we’ve known him for over thirty years.

Recently Tamsin attended a celebration of his life on 8th March at St Dunstan’s Church, Cranbrook, Kent and spoke a few words about his hospitality during the many visits to Cranbrook School, where John was the Head of Classics from 1974 to 2000. It was an incredible honour to be asked to speak by his wife Dinah. John was a popular man and the church was packed to the rafters.

Here’s the transcript of Tamsin’s words:

I first met John when the charity and touring theatre company I manage, Actors of Dionysus visited Cranbrook School in the mid 1990s. John was Head of Classics from 1974 to his retirement in the year 2000 and like us, he loved old things. I wouldn’t say that John was antiquated but I always thought of him in an avuncular way because he was kind and warm hearted. He particularly liked our company name, which is borrowed from an ancient troupe the Artists of Dionysus (or hoi peri ton Dionuson technitai) as John would have said, who toured the Peloponnese in 270s BC during the Hellenistic period. John liked us so much that he often invited us to perform at the wonderful Queen’s Hall Theatre at his school. We would come back again and again and again and John always welcomed us with open and very generous arms. Not just to the school but also to he and Dinah’s wonderful home. I remember one particular occasion when we were performing Medea by Euripides, one of John’s favourite Greek tragic playrights. He rather liked Euripides original take on things and the fact that Iphigenia got 2 plays named after and in one, Iphigenia at Tauris, she managed to escape her fate! Anyway on this one particularly memorable occasion right at the point of the big explosive ending (or Deus ex Machina as it’s called) our set fell down, to reveal me as Medea up a set of step ladders (that’s small-sale touring for you!). We put it to audience as to whether we should continue and I’m sure John had the loudest voice to get us back out there and finish what we started. Like the acting troupe we were named after John was a trooper. That night was particularly special. Like many others during our visits, we enjoyed a post-performance soirée back at the Badcocks (my favourite place on tour!) which included eating much delicious cheese, beautifully presented on Dinah’s vine leaves and drinking many libations to the God Dionysus. Bacchus, the Roman equivalent, would have been proud!

I think John rather dined on that anecdote of the set falling down. He liked the fact that we dusted ourselves off and got on with it, because that’s what he did right to the end.

We’ll miss him and his kind spirit, which I feel presides over us still. Thank you John for making the word a better place.

Rest in peace John or Ave atque vale as you would say.