My friend Ken Chubb, who has died aged 80, was the founder, along with his wife, Shirley Barrie, of the London-based Wakefield Tricycle theatre company in 1972. Eight years later he and Shirley set up the Tricycle theatre in north-west London to provide a permanent base for the company’s productions.
Working with a small team of actors, Ken was the theatre’s artistic director for four years from its foundation, until he and Shirley returned to their native Canada. Over that period, and before that with the travelling company, he was a notable champion of new plays by writers such as Sam Shepard, John Antrobus and Olwen Wymark.
