The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Death of talented actress who ‘made people smile’
She was somebody who loved being on stage, collaborating with colleagues and performing in front of audiences all across Scotland.
And now, tributes have been paid to popular actress and singer, Tricia Stewart, who has died in London at the age of just 39.
Friends have recalled how she became a regular at Dundee Rep, participating in an eclectic range of productions during the last 20 years.
With its plethora of theatres and its vibrant dramatic and musical scene, she savoured performing in Tayside in plays, musicals and live events before eventually venturing south to complete her training at drama school.
The north-east author and playwright, Mike Gibb, has spoken of his sadness at how such an “effervescent” personality could have been taken so soon.
The actress, who grew up in Monifieth, was a natural and her family have revealed how she was involved in a film before she even went to school.
They said: “Tricia was a born performer.
“We were approached when she was just four years old by her older sister’s school to see if Tricia would help them make a pre-school assessment training video for teachers in the region, since they had already noticed her natural sparkle.
“She wasn’t at all fazed by the microphone and camera.
“Approximately 10 years later, we first saw her perform on stage and instantly knew that would be her chosen career.
“She loved to perform and her enthusiasm was infectious.
“She went on to perform in many musicals, plays, films and TV, and also released a couple of singles.
“Even when Tricia’s health deteriorated, she was still performing whenever possible.”
But she was never happier than when she was on the road, touring with new plays and bringing theatre to as many different people as she could.
The smell of the greasepaint and thrill of portraying a diverse range of characters, including the great Scottish missionary Mary Slessor, led to her becoming friends with Mr Gibb after they met in Dundee.
And he explained how the actress made an immediate impression.
He said: “I first met Tricia back in 2003 when we were auditioning for a Dundee cast for the musical Mother of All the Peoples and this lovely, sweet young girl breezed in.
“Tricia was a super actress with a lovely singing voice and I was delighted to cast her in the play.
“We remained friends from that day onwards as Tricia was not only a joy to work with but a privilege to know personally.
“She played the part of the young Mary Slessor on numerous occasions at the Gardyne Theatre and the Dundee Rep as well as at the Byre in St Andrews, in Glasgow, and in the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood where the show was the first musical to be staged in that building.
“In writing my second musical play with a Dundee theme, Five Pound & Twa Bairns, I created the central role of Mary Boyd specifically for Tricia. That is how much I liked and respected her.
“Although we never worked together again, we remained good friends and we would meet for a coffee if I was in London. I always felt better having spent an hour or two in the company of the effervescent lass.”
He added: “Tricia was a beautiful girl in all ways and, when she entered a room, the place would suddenly seem brighter and everyone would smile more.
“She died in the Royal London Hospital on Friday (November 26) after a long illness. Just like everyone else who was fortunate enough to know her, I have been left devastated by her passing.”