Dave Flynn: 1974-2024

Max Roberts, former artistic director of Newcastle’s Live Theatre, offers an appreciation of Dave Flynn, the former colleague and “understated genius”, who has died suddenly

The North East arts and cultural sector has sadly lost one of its most creative practitioners.

Dave Flynn, who was born on April 15, 1974, was the technical director at Live Theatre, having started working for the company as a young technician 23 years ago.

Constantly developing, he became a highly skilled sound engineer and extremely talented theatrical sound designer.

He also oversaw the transformation of Live Theatre’s technical and digital resources, sourcing and commissioning the equipment that helped shape the company as one of the country’s leading new writing theatre producers.

This was crucial to delivering production standards of the highest order, way beyond the company’s scale and finances.

As a former artistic director of the company it was my good fortune to work alongside Dave who played an integral role in creating an unprecedented body of work that delighted our audiences here in Newcastle.

Many of the shows he worked on found a life elsewhere, in London and on tour nationally and internationally.

I remember many long and arduous technical rehearsals where, on numerous occasions, I was simply at a loss as to how we might move the play forward.

I would turn to Dave and ask for inspiration, and always he would offer an elegant solution. He epitomised creative ensemble endeavour.

Through sound and music, he was able to create moments of magical theatricality, mixing his masterful understanding of technology with an encyclopaedic knowledge of music across all genres and an extensive library of sound effects he had sourced or created over many years.

He could enhance moments of emotional poignancy, he could conjure up a sound to make us laugh as well as providing sudden explosions that could make an audience jump out of their seats. He was an alchemist, a quiet and understated genius.

Dave was generous with his time and mentored a number of younger technicians who were grateful for his guidance as they progressed into the industry.

His loss has been sudden. He was taken ill during technical rehearsals for Live’s recent autumn production, Saint Maud.

Two weeks later he posted on social media, in his usual quiet manner, that he had been diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour and was to spend time being the best version of himself with his children and loved ones.

Those of us who knew him were completely stunned.

I understand Dave passed away peacefully on the evening of December 10 at the Marie Curie Hospice in Gosforth while listening to Oasis, one of his favourite bands.

He leaves behind two beautiful children, Oscar, aged eight, and five-year-old Mila, who should grow up proud in the knowledge that their dad was an incredibly gifted creative artist and a brilliant human being.

And our thoughts must also go out to his loving mother and father, Ken and Mary, sister Katherine and partner Lesley and her children.

Dave will be remembered fondly by his close friends and colleagues who will long respect his professionalism and talent.