Sadly I only worked with Dom once on the last Ordinalia project, but happily I worked with Dom once on the last Ordinalia project! He had such enthusiasm and managed to pass that on to everyone around him, no other Director would be able to get me in a flesh coloured leotard or squatting on a small circle of wood only to have a giant fibreglass pot lowered on top of me. I learnt so much and most of that is down to Dom. I can't believe it's been nearly four years, but I'll remember that summer forever. Thanks Dom xxx

I just heard the news. I feel totally numb.

I met you clowning in London. I was blown away by your wit, your intelligence, your spontaneity, your sweet warmth. You worked that red nose like noone else and you lit up the whole room. Then to find out that you had lived 5 doors down from where I was living in Greenwich! All the best people have lived in Calvert Road! I'll miss our Big Brother commentary, your picturesque photos of your feet laying on some beautiful beach in Cornwall while I slogged away in London. We went to see the quartet before Edinburgh and I was absolutely staggered by what you'd achieved, by your creativity. I'll miss you Dom. I'll forever be in awe of you, trully.

May angels sing thee to thy rest.

Sleep well sweet man, love always, Tamsin xx

Dear Dominic, I only found out about your passing today, so much time later. I was only thinking of you recently, wondering what you were up to and how your life was. I wish I'd tried to contact you all the times I thought of it...you were very special when I met you at college and by all accounts you stayed special. I hope you are happy and at peace lad. My love goes out to you and your family, Tracyx

Thank you for everything. We knew you for less than 2 years, but you changed our lives forever.
Knutton,
I still watch the video on my phone of us in the pyjamas in the Cross Keys that crazy August night 2005. "Just the one", you said, and we left at 5 in the morning, leaving plenty of time......for rehearsals at 10am! I miss you buddy, and I think about you every day. Thanks for all that you did for me, I'll never forget you, Lots and lots and lots of Love Russell xxx
Dear Dom,
How could I fit into such a tiny space the amount of gratitude I have for all that you did for me? Completely changing my life in every way that summer of 2005- and to think, it all started 'p-asda! I knew it was you there at the end of my queue! I never got to thank you enough for saving me in every single way, and for helping me to see clearly for the first time. Thank you for showing me Penryn, even though I'd lived there all my life- you've helped me see and appreciate my heritage like never before. Your belief in me and your magic have put me where I am today, and I am forever grateful to you in every way. With Love always, Kate xxxxxxx

My Dear boy,
The news reached us on Friday 13th of July and it took time to admit that those "moooooot!" and "proooooooooooooooon!" and all the cheerful moments and our wonderful friendship are now history. We miss you very much mon "Frond", and we send our sincere love to your family and close friends.
May the CTC carry on what you initiated and brought in.
With much much love,

Eric and Tiuku

I’ve only just heard this tragic news. Dom you were an inspiration to me – my first “real life” director when I was a stage management student - offering me the opportunity to work with the CTC on their first production of Bohelland in 1997. It was a fantastic summer - I learnt so much from you and am eternally grateful for your support, good humour and enthusiasm. I’m only sorry that no-one else will have the benefit of your genuine kindness. Much love to your family and closest friends. God Bless.

I would like to convey my sincere regard for all that Dominic achieved, the depth of his potential and the huge loss to his family and the arts world.

I was lucky enough to have worked with Dom on some 14 projects during the ten years of our friendship, and have the scars and bruises to prove it. He made exciting theatrical things happen, and had a great knack of bringing good people together on his projects. He always thought big, which, i have to be honest, is not something i always loved him for, when i was the one who had to work out how on earth to build it! Although us sitting atop heaven together watching the sunset is a very fond memory (Ordinalia 4). I admired his honesty and that he wasn't afraid of the repercussions of speaking his mind (even though he was a great diplomat) - if a show was rubbish he'd say it was rubbish. Dom was one of lifes great adventurers and i'm proud to have been on his crew for so many voyages into the unknown. He was a very great mate and i will miss him very, very much. Love you Dom - Ten Men Wilton xxx

Very sad to hear about Dominic. We were in the same year at Rose Bruford and my abiding memory of him is his smoking a pipe! He was like a shaggier, less plummy version of a young Michael York. As one of only three students to get a First he was a great talent who'll be sorely missed I know. Just sorry I didn't get to know him better...

To help share memories I have created a 'Flickr' group called 'Remembering Dom', so we can all share photos, and added a few of my own to get started. I'd love to see other people's photos of Dom, so please join the group, which is free and easy to do -

http://www.flickr.com/groups/352783@N25/

You may need to cut and paste the above link into your browser, or if you have trouble with this search for Remembering Dom within the Flickr site http://www.flickr.com

You will need to join Flickr first, which requires a Yahoo email account, but this is all free.

Much love
Gabe

Like so many, I still can't yet believe that I will never see dear Dom again. I truly feel that he was a brother to me, after we'd worked on so many projects together, over so many years, and shared such a wealth of incredible times and happy memories with the fantastic actors in all the shows we did. Dom truly changed my life and shaped my work as a writer. In all our time, we never had an argument or disagreement - which I think is extraordinary over so many years and projects. I knew, instinctively, always, that Dom knew exactly what was right and was so sensitive to actors and friends alike, at work and at play. It's so sad to think that he's not going to be around to create his wonderful theatre in the years to come. The service in Penryn was an incredibly painful and moving but also inspiring event, which truly felt as if 'directed' by Dom from some invisible place. His presence was certainly there amongst all those hundreds of people. Just to look round and see the talent and love filling the church was enough to say that Dom made an indelible mark on all who knew him - indeed on two whole twons, in St Just and Penryn - and he was truly a person who brought families of friends and actors together to achieve amazing things. Cornwall for me will always be completely linked to Dom and the wonderful gifts he gave me, in believing in my writing and making my words and thoughts come to life with such vision and care. I will carry Dom with me, whatever I go on to do in my life and writing, and all I can hope is taht the wonderful friendships that came from knowing Dom can go on, for us all, for the rest of our lives. I send all my love to Dom's family, who gave him so much and made him the man he was.

Dom,
thankyou for all you did, you touched so many people. i will never forget how much you changed my outlook to theatre and performance thankyou for being there for me last year when i needed a friend. you helped me so much and im so thankful.
you will be deeply missed, you gave so much to the youth and community of cornwall. thanks again.
love and hugs as always
Zoe xxx

You beautiful man, Dom, you are so missed. You touched so many. Remember you with fondness,love Mandy

I clearly did not know Dom at all compared to all of the above. But playing in the band in ordinalia 3 meant sitting and watching him work .... what a special special spirit. and the only way I can put any of it into perspective is that his work is done.... we all have a reason for being here and he is one of those special souls that have completed their 'project' here and can learn no more, has no need to be here....
He has left this world - leaving it a better place than when he arrived, he has left a light shining for us all X

We have received so many messages by so many people who knew Dom. I don't know how to tell you all how deeply touched we both are apart from adding this note here. It seems so impersonal - but how glad we are to know he had so many friends, that he had love, that he had friendship, that his work was so appreciated. I've only known him 26 years and I've missed so much and will be missing so much more. Yan and Mike

Nearly 30 years ago Dominic first entered my life; a small shy blond haired boy, just starting at a new school in Falmouth, and I of course had no idea of what the future held for us both. I was simply one of his teachers at primary school.

I so clearly remember that lovely little boy – little did I know how large a part he would eventually play in our lives.

Years later I met him again – barely recognising the tall handsome young actor performing in a mummers’ play in Truro’s Cathedral Square – and was instantly charmed. When he was invited to bring “Bohelland” to Penryn’s Killigrew Festival, and Suki made costumes for his company, he became an increasingly dear friend to us, and rapidly became a familiar face in Penryn.

His boundless energy and distinctive talents drew us into the magical circle of the Theatre Collective, and after inadvertently expressing interest in set design after the Falmouth performance of his Cornish version of The Scottish play, I soon found myself working with Dom on a regular basis.

Now he was the teacher and I was the student – and we both relished the role reversal. Like so many of us here today, I learned a huge amount from our dear friend; he always offered me a challenge – and while he always brought imagination and clear vision to a project, never had the faintest idea of how it might be made – that was a problem for others to solve! I began writing this surrounded by a curious assortment of props and set items, and reflected long on the huge impact he made on my life. Truly I wouldn’t have been sitting in a church hall, knee deep in wood shavings %26 covered in paint, aware of the need to clear up before the brownies arrive if he hadn’t come into our lives.

In his last week he sat in our garden painting shoes, gluing and pinning things together – taking remarks such as “Could you paint in these bits that you missed please Dom?” – “These nails need to be knocked in completely”, - “Next week we’ll move you on to sanding” - with good humour – remarking that he was back to being a pupil again.

I can hear him again – “More quickly please Pad – or the show will last a week!” Bless you Dom – Penryn will always remember you and treasure what you gave us.

Paddy

Thankyou for the friendship.
Thankyou for the laughter.
Thankyou for the times we shared.
Dominic touched and influenced so many lives in so many ways that his spirit will live on in all who were lucky enough to know him.

Peace

Jonathan Amos

Though we only knew you for a short while, you were a shining light in our lives. Dominic, your namesake, remembers you vividly though he hasn't seen you in so many years.
Your gift of making others feel good about who they really are lives on in their souls and they will pass it on to others.
We wish you'd given yourself that precious gift, also

xxx

Dear friend. Yesterday I attended your funeral. It broke my heart. Of all of us, you were the one with the most possibilities before you. A fury of talent and passion, a lovely smiling lollygagger of a man who took us all on the ride with you. And we will never be the same again.

Loving is so short, forgetting is so long.

Dear Dom, Its with a sad heart that I write this. we were at college together, we even shared a house together, we made Theatre, we talked, we argued but through out all that we remained friends. i shall mis that infectious smile. Sleep well old friend. Love Jez

many costumes, many hugs, many biscuits, MAKTUB, will miss you hugely; Suki

Dear dear DOM,
Its been over a week now since I was phoned with the tragic news that you had chosen to leave us..I am still reeling with grief..Oh Dom,I shall miss you so,you BRAVE BEAUTIFUL BEING.I have nothing but the deepest love and respect for you and always will.THANKYOU for all the opportunities you gave me,thankyou for Pilchards!! I realise that recently I found myself honouring your decisions to cancell projects...the Penlee play .. Joseph Emidy...I always trusted you and tried to understand because of my huge respect for you..I guess I have to do that now and trust your decision to cancell your life.But it aint easy .I pray that you have found peace now.I am a far richer person for having known you. ALL LOVE Jill.

Dom I can't believe you've left us behind! with perfect theatrical timimg, your departure has co-incided with the opening week of my run of "Much Ado About Nothing" and so I'm writing this to you my cocker to say sorry because i can't come to the funeral. The show must go on - I hope you'll understand! I'll be there very much in sprit though- thinking of you and all your wonderful qualities; your wit, your intelligence, your creative brilliance, your warm and lively spirt. You re-ignited my love of Cornwall and you inspired me as an actor and also as a person. I was so proud to work with you in "Bohelland" and also remember the absolute hoot that we had rehearsing and filming "Cocks on the Box" at the Minack back in 2005. I often hear your beautiful and distinctive voice in my head and I dearly hope we'll talk again one day. Who's going to take the piss out of my love life now??!
Hugs and Tap-Ass
Love you and miss you
Emmeline xxx

I have too many memories of Dom to write here. We seemed to end up cast side by side throughout college and he was always a delight to play with. We were both known for our love of props. If we could add spectacles, pipes, gloves or handkerchiefs to a character, we would. (Ironically, Dom wouldn’t allow them in the Cornish Theatre Collective!)
During the production of Clever as Paint we went through every emotion imaginable. We laughed, cried and screamed at each other, but we got it right when the audience were in. My point is that true friends should challenge each other every day, and no one has challenged me more in my life (personal and professional) than Dom.

The news I heard a week ago is only just starting to sink in. I have spent a week wishing it not to be true, but now with your funeral only a couple of days away I have to face reality.

You were my creative inspiration, Dom. I met you through the Ordinalia, and the timing of me writing my dissertation on it at the same time as you were directing it was impecable. We helped each other, and developed a deep respect for each other. You valued my opinion from the historical and Cornish language context and I revered you for being able to bring to life those brilliant plays which had lain dormant for so many years.

You were a director of the highest level, always finding an inspired way to interpret a play. I shall never forget the testicle sauce and three foot phalloi in Bursting the Grape at Eden! Cornwall has lost its leading theatrical light, and I only wish you knew how greatly admired you were for your unique and enviable skill.

On a personal level you were a dear friend. I truly cherished you and loved being in your warm and energetic company. I can't quite believe that I will never see you again, or be able to talk to you again, and that you will never again see me across a crowded room and make your way through everyone especially just to give me a kiss.

A year ago exactly from the time of your funeral you and I were sitting together at the Penventon, sharing a lunchtime drink on my birthday. You bought me a mini bottle of champagne, you dear heart, and I shall remember you always as you were then: smiling, laughing, generous and overall probably the most inspiring person I have ever met, or ever will meet.

I wish you peace, dear Dom, and want you to know that you will always have a piece of my heart. Lowena dhis,

Elizabeth xxxxxx