In Memory of
Dvid John Goodger
21 . 12 . 1942 – 19 . 01 . 2024
In 1962 Jean Porter, Wick’s then leading lady, was the drama teacher for the Sompting Congregational Church’s Youth Fellowship. [Sompting is sandwiched between Lancing and Worthing].
For many years Youth Festivals were held to provide a challenge for drama groups. One such challenge was the County Youth Drama festival.
In 1963 Sompting Congregational Youth Club’s drama section won the Adur area heat with Ill Met by Moonlight and David Goodger was among the cast. Jean invited David to join the Young Wick, as we known at the time, and two years later David was on the Barn Theatre stage.
David, son of a French polisher was brought up in Amberley and Lancing, lived for about ten yrars in Cowper Road, Worthing.
In February 1965 Bess Blagden directed The Queen and the Welshman, casting David in the part of Henry Beaufort. The Brighton and Hove Herald review said: “David Goodger successfully projected the ascetic image of Henry Beaufort, later Cardinal of Winchester”.
In the same year George Porter cast David as Richard Rich in A Man for All Seasons, and the review said: “David Goodger was excellent as the slippery customer, Richard Rich – a man who knew no truth when faced with bribery”.
Through the rest of the 60’s whilst David was working in retail, mostly in London, he appeared in 6 other Wick productions. But the attraction of a professional career was strong and David took the stage name “Nigel Hamilton” when he joined Equity in 1967.
The first professional work, we believe, was appearing in Cinderella in Belfast in 1968. David’s professional ‘break-through’ came in 1976 when he joined the Eric Sykes – Hatti Jacques summer season show A Hatful of Sykes for a season at Torquay. Hattie’s biography shares: “Nigel and Hattie spent a great deal of time together and he looks back on that summer with absolute joy” and from then on became friends. The show then toured internationally – Hong Kong and Canada – as well as the UK, including Brighton in 1979. This photograph is of the cast in Canada.
The BBC series Sykes in 1972 included David in some episodes appearing both as a Policeman and a Red Coat.
Hattie’s biographer notes that David would be both her chauffeur and secretary. Watching over her during the years until her death in 1980.
When not acting Hindhead-born David worked at major department stores selling suits and furniture, his emplyers including Harrods, Selfridges, Army and Navy (Chichester) and Multiyork Furniture Ltd, Brighton,
Over the subsequent years – 1996 to 2004 – David appeared in 12 more Wick productions, with a particular highlight being Rene in our very bawdy version of ‘Allo, ‘Allo of which a review said, “David Goodger proved to be the perfect Rene was impressive and set the standard matched by others in the cast”
He then living in Hove, moved on to the Brighton Little Theatre to be with more of his friends.
However, in 2007 Ray Hopper celebrated his 50th anniversary of Wick membership by directing a production of his first Wick play, The Happiest Days of Your Life. Ray says; “I managed to twist David’s arm into taking on the role of the Headmaster, Godfrey Pond, probably the character most contributing to the farcical elements of the play. Unfortunately, by this time, although he understood the character perfectly, David was having great trouble remembering lines. However, by dint of hours of line bashing and the occasional help of his fellow actors we managed an excellent performance.”
In later years David’s health deteriorated and although friends gathered for an 80th birthday celebration and creating a book a book of memories. David was too unwell to join.
Let us leave a poignant memory from his long-time friend and Wick Theatre member, Joy Talmage [1937 – 2022]
“David was a very special friend ever since we were teenagers.
Remembering the happy times, we shared over the many years and the fun we have had. He always used to arrive at my house, with a smile on his face and a bunch of flowers in his hands. Not forgetting our many country walks, ending with a nice pub lunch.
He helped me paint the inside of my house. He was so good with colours and style; I would never have made a decision on colour matches without him”.
David was a great contributor to Wick Theatre. And his Memorial Service, February 20, was attended by twenty of us who remembered him.
With acknowledgement to The Worthing Journal April 2024 for additional information.