My father, David Mayer, who has died aged 94, was a theatre historian and professor of drama. He brought together film and theatre scholars and transformed their understanding of early cinema and the Victorian and Edwardian stage.
At 6ft 3in, he was a towering figure in every way, and always chose humour over decorum. It may not be a coincidence that so many of his students (and I) found their way into comedy – including Rik Mayall, Ade Edmondson and Meera Syal.
