My father, James Leavey, who has died aged 75, was a journalist, writer, actor, blogger, broadcaster, cigar aficionado and raconteur.
His winding career path began in 1964, when he became road manager of his school friends’ band, The Villains, before studying acting at Mountview theatre school, then in north London (1968-70). Besides appearing in various London shows and working backstage and front of house for West End productions of Cabaret, The Sound of Music and Fiddler on the Roof, James performed Shakespeare in basketball stadiums on Mountview’s first US coast-to-coast tour in 1970. His last theatre work came backstage at the English National Opera in the 1990s.
