Bernard Bullbrook

Bernie Bullbrook (left) as Alonso in Fuente Ovejuna. Photograph by Phil Gammon

Member, 1967 to 2011

One of the founding fathers of the SLTC, Bernard "Bernie" Bullbrook was one of the longest serving members of the theatre.

Until his retirement and move to South Petherton, Somerset in 2006, Bernie was a regular feature in the the SLTC Members' Club bar.

Bernie was Deputy Chairman for many years and fought hard to ensure the SLT's voice was heard in council meetings and community groups throughout Lambeth.

Bernie was the leading light in founding Prompt Corner (see below).

Bernie died on 4th July 2011.

Acting Roles

• Leonine in Pericles (1968) (Theatre)
• Col. Wainwright Purdy III in The Teahouse of the August Moon (1969) (Theatre)
• Jaques in The Miser (1968) (Theatre)
• Antonio in Twelfth Night (1969) (Theatre)
• Ilya Shamrayev in The Seagull (1970) (Theatre)
• Sgt. Match in What the Butler Saw (1971) (Theatre)
• Policeman in Toad of Toad Hall (1971) (Theatre)
• Ensemble and Guitarist in Under Milk Wood (1972) (Main Stage)
• Chuck in The Iceman Cometh (1972) (Main Stage)
• Lieutenant Rooney in Arsenic and Old Lace (1973) (Main Stage)
• Sergeant O'Hara in Rain (1973) (Theatre)
• Man-at-Arms in The Thwarting of Baron Bolligrew (1973) (Theatre)
• Artiste in Music Hall (1974) (Main Stage)
• The Dreamer in Camino Real (1974) (Main Stage)
• Inspector Hound in The Real Inspector Hound (1975) (Main Stage)
• Waiter in Servant of Two Masters (1975) (Main Stage)
• Mr Brownlow in Oliver! (1975) (Main Stage)
• PC Peacey in The Charming Spring Smiles on the Carpet of Technical Flowers (1975) (Prompt Corner)
• Huckebee in The Fantasticks (1976) (Prompt Corner)
• Dandy Lion in The Dandy Lion (1976) (Prompt Corner)
• Man in The Waiting Room (1977) (Prompt Corner)
• Meadows in Loot (1977) (Main Stage)
• George in On Monday Next (1980) (Prompt Corner)
• Ivens/Cornforth (voices on telephone) in Post Mortem (1983) (Bell Theatre)
• Freddie in Bent (1985) (Prompt Corner)
• General in Savages (1986) (Bell Theatre)
• Deputy in The Man Who Came to Dinner (1991) (Bell Theatre)
• Butcher Beynon/Mr Waldo/Mr Pritchard/PC Attilla Rees/Drowned Sailor in Under Milk Wood (1991) (Prompt Corner)
• Company of Music Hall (1992) (Prompt Corner)
• Mr Rubinstein in Shut Your Eyes and Think of England (1993) (Bell Theatre)
• Constable Warren in Our Town (1993) (Bell Theatre)
• Gunter Kaufmann in Shakespeare Country (1993) (Bell Theatre)
• Turkle in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1995) (Bell Theatre)
• Court Official in The Life and Death of Almost Everybody (1995) (Prompt Corner)
• Billy Joe Cowstream in Bad Day at Black Frog Creek (1996) (Bell Theatre)
• Pastor in The Visit (1996) (Bell Theatre)
• Max/Party Guest in Cabaret (1996) (Bell Theatre)
• Major W.H.Lewis in Shadowlands (1998) (Bell Theatre)
• Harry in Unsuitable for Adults (2001) (Bell Theatre)
• The Stage Manager ('Himself') in Easy Stages (2002) (Prompt Corner)
• Town Crier in The Stolen Princess (2003) (Bell Theatre)
• Feers in The Cherry Orchard (2003) (Bell Theatre)
• Becket in Four Nights In Knaresborough (2004) (Prompt Corner)
• Lomax in Green Forms (2004) (Bell Theatre)
• Clerk of the Justice in The Miser (2004) (Bell Theatre)
• Town Crier in Dick Whittington & His Cat (2005) (Bell Theatre)
• Alonso in Fuente Ovejuna (2005) (Bell Theatre)

Productions as Assistant to the Director

• Dog Eat Dog (1998) (Prompt Corner)

Productions as Stage Director

• Separate Tables (1974) (Main Stage)

Productions as Stage Manager

• Mutatis Mutandis (1983) (Bell Theatre)

Productions as Assistant Stage Manager

• Mrs Warren's Profession (1974) (Main Stage)
• The End of the War Show (1995) (Bell Theatre)

Productions as Production Manager

• Steel Magnolias (1994) (Bell Theatre)

Productions as Technical Supervisor

• Marking Time (1999) (Bell Theatre)

Productions as Lighting Designer & Operator

• Dusa, Fish, Stas & Vi (1981) visiting production in Prompt Corner.
• The Sneeze (1990) (Bell Theatre)
• Stepping Out (1990) (Bell Theatre) with Richard Wood

Productions as Lighting Designer

• Once a Catholic (1983) (Bell Theatre)
• Skirmishes (1984) (Bell Theatre)
• Steel Magnolias (1994) (Bell Theatre)
• Huis Clos (2000) (Prompt Corner)
• Unsuitable for Adults (2001) (Bell Theatre)
• Terra Nova (2002) (Bell Theatre)

Productions as Lighting Operator

• Masque (1976) (Prompt Corner)
• Rock Concert: Precision (1980) (Prompt Corner)

Productions as Sound Operator

• The Coffee Lace (1975) (Prompt Corner)

Productions as Construction Manager

• Shadowlands (1998) (Bell Theatre)

Set Design & Construction on:

• The Hostage (1972) (Main Stage) with Ray Seaton
• The Odd Couple (1973) (Main Stage)
• The Coffee Lace (1975) (Prompt Corner)
• God and Death (1987) (Prompt Corner)
• A Slice of Saturday Night (1998) (Bell Theatre) with Sarah Williamson
• Wait Until Dark (1998) (Bell Theatre)

Set Construction on:

• The Father (1972) (Main Stage)
• Two for the See-Saw (1973) (Main Stage)
• Make Me an Offer (1973) (Main Stage)
• The Signalman's Apprentice (1974) (Main Stage)
• Entertaining Mr Sloane (1974) (Main Stage)
• Waiting for Godot (1974) (Main Stage)
• A Night to Make the Angels Weep (1974) (Main Stage)
• My Fat Friend (1976) (Main Stage)
• Oddi Orri (1976) (Prompt Corner)
• Funeral Games (1976) (Prompt Corner) with the Technical class
• Fears and Mysteries of the Third Reich , (1979) , (Prompt Corner)
• Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, (1979) , (Main Stage)
• Tom Jones (1980) (Main Stage)
• Dusa, Fish, Stas & Vi (1981) (Prompt Corner)
• Knuckle (1980) (Main Stage)
• A View from the Bridge (1981) (Bell Theatre)
• Carmilla (1982) (Prompt Corner)
• The Merchant of Venice (1982) (Bell Theatre)
• Slag (1982) (Bell Theatre)
• Post Mortem (1983) (Bell Theatre)
• The Golden Pathway Annual (1983) (Bell Theatre)
• Green Julia (1983) (Bell Theatre)
• Cowardy Custard (1984) (Bell Theatre)
• The Homecoming (1985) (Bell Theatre)
• Pygmalion (1985) (Bell Theatre)
• Dames at Sea (1985) (Bell Theatre)
• The Diary of Anne Frank, 1986, Bell Theatre (Scaffolding Advisor)
• Educating Rita (1986) (Bell Theatre)
• Gypsy (1986) (Bell Theatre)
• Charley's Aunt (1986) (Bell Theatre)
• Passion Play (1987) (Bell Theatre)
• The Real Thing (1988) (Bell Theatre)
• Antigone (1989) (Bell Theatre)
• Say Who You Are (1989) (Bell Theatre)
• Daisy Pulls it Off (1990) (Bell Theatre)
• Under Milk Wood (1991) (Prompt Corner)
• A Midsummer Night's Dream (1997) (Bell Theatre)
• Dog Eat Dog (1998) (Prompt Corner)
• Groping for Words (1998) (Prompt Corner)
• Blithe Spirit (1999) (Bell Theatre)
• Huis Clos (2000) (Prompt Corner)
• Latin (2001) (Prompt Corner)
• Easy Stages/Don't Blame it on the Boots (2002) (Prompt Corner)
• Privates on Parade (2002) (Bell Theatre)
• About Alice (2002) (Prompt Corner)
• Hamp (2003) (Bell Theatre)
• Medea (2003) (Bell Theatre)
• The Maids (2003) (Prompt Corner)

Productions as Set Builder's Assistant

• Rain (1973) (Main Stage) Assisting Ray Seaton

Productions as Set Designer

• The House of Bernarda Alba, (1973) (Main Stage
• Separate Tables 1974 Main Stage
• Entertaining Mr Sloane (1974) (Main Stage)
• Camino Real (1974) (Main Stage)
• Oliver! (1975) (Main Stage)

Productions as Scaffolding Erector/Advisor

• Godspell (1984) (Bell Theatre)
• The Diary of Anne Frank (1986) (Bell Theatre)

Productions as Rigger

• Matters of Life and Death (1978) (Prompt Corner)
• Equus (1984) (Bell Theatre) with Don North and David Lamkin
• Sweet Charity (1987) (Bell Theatre)
• Say Who You Are (1989) (Bell Theatre)
• The Detective (1989) (Prompt Corner)
• The Passing Out Parade (1989) (Bell Theatre)
• Significant Others (1990) (Prompt Corner)
• Stepping Out (1990) (Bell Theatre)
• Time to Kill (1990) (Bell Theatre)
• There's One in Every Unit (1991) (Bell Theatre)
• Pantomime Tonight (1992) (Bell Theatre)
• Shakespeare Country (1993) (Bell Theatre)
• Murder in Company (1995) (Bell Theatre)
• The Babel Rap & The Unforgiven (1996) (Prompt Corner)
• Monkey Monkey Bottle of Beer, How Many Monkeys Have We Here? (2001) (Bell Theatre)
• Vinegar Tom (2002) (Bell Theatre)
• Rebecca (2002) (Bell Theatre)
• Carpe Jugulum (2003) (Bell Theatre)
• Between You and Me (2003) (Prompt Corner)
• The Cherry Orchard (2003) (Bell Theatre)
• The Tempest (2003) (Bell Theatre)
• Blood Wedding (2004) (Bell Theatre)
• Female Transport (2004) (Prompt Corner)
• Rats! (2004) (Bell Theatre)
• Roberto Zucco (2005) (Bell Theatre)
• Loveplay (2005) (Prompt Corner) with Bob Callender & Anna York
• The Sacred Flame (2006) (Prompt Corner) 'Drapes'
• Tomfoolery (2006) (Bell Theatre) 'Drapes'

Productions as Armourer

• Coriolanus (1986) (Bell Theatre) (Swords)

Other SLT Roles

• Deputy Chairman 1994 - 1995, 1996 - 2006
• Director without Portfolio 1992 - 1994

Anecdotes

I remember a very moving speech that Bernie gave to the SLT Youth Group when we were preparing for Stay With Me (2006) (Prompt Corner). The play was based in the war and Bernie was an evacuee. He got all the children to lie down in Prompt Corner, in the dark, then turned the lights out - and described his feelings as a small boy, on a cold floor, in the dark, miles from home and frightened. And how he wet the bed because he knew that 'bed-wetters' were given an instant transport home.

Most moving was the fact that his very first theatrical performance was in the room in which we were all lying - long before it was Prompt Corner, it was St Luke's Church Hall and Bernie put on a charity performance to raise money for the war effort.

It is unsurprising therefore that he fought so long and hard to have Prompt Corner rebuilt as a theatre space.

~ Stuart Draper

External Links

• This Member's MySpace page.
• This member's Web Site.