As a fitting tribute night is planned, Paul Jenden is being remembered as a talented, funny and gracious man who has left an indelible mark on Wellington’s theatre scene. Jenden has died at just 57 following a five year battle with leukaemia. The director, set and costume designer, dancer, choreographer and writer gave everything to the stage, even using his experiences fighting the cancer in C- A Musical, a cabaret cancer memoir featuring his partner Louis Solino as the character 'Carcinoma.' The multi-talented and widely admired theatre doyenne wrote and directed his first play when he was just eight. It was a classroom adaptation of Charlotte's Web. In 1975 he graduated from Victoria University with a degree in French Language and Literature and began a theatrical career, moving to New York in 1980 from where he toured the US, Canada, Europe and Asia. Since his return to New Zealand in 1989 his list of productions is cosmic; from Fairy Stories to Dancing the Gay Fandango, from Le Papillon to The Hairy Maclary Show. His also designed sets and costumes for Dirty Weekends, Boys at the Beach and Travesties as well as Circa Theatre's annual pantomimes and his own musicals. Jenden and Farr's Monarchy Gareth Farr and Roger Hall became regular collaborators. With Farr he wrote a trilogy of historical musicals - Troy, Monarchy and Rome and the sci-fi SPACE! He was also the lyricist for Roger Hall's pantomimes, including Cinderella, Aladdin, Jack and the Beanstalk and Red Riding Hood. A mourning Farr says Jenden was a dear friend and collaborator. “What an astonishing lyricist, director, dancer, choreographer, costumer, and artistic genius he was - I will never forget him. We had SO many more stage works to create.” Jenden was loved by people from all areas of Wellington’s theatre scene, including Kay Jones, who knew Jenden for over 30 years, helping on the front of house side of theatre shows. “I was saddened to read about Paul's passing. He and his partner Louis have made a great contribution to Wellington's and New Zealand's culture, through dance, and song, and storytelling, and costuming,” Jones says. “Paul was a multi-talented and genuinely gracious man who was a delight to know. His sense of humour was great and showed in the range of his productions from university revues, to live Hairy Maclary shows, and especially his wicked fairy tales and original musical retellings of history.” Jones says he was one of the creative forces or stars of the show and she was just a helper, “but he was always warm and friendly and generous. I will miss the energy and warmth he gave to Wellington.” Wellington mainstays Scotty and Mal will host a tribute evening for Jenden at their Cuba St bar on Saturday 16 November, which they say will be his final fairy story. They say it will honour “a remarkable and talented man who gave so much to the New Zealand arts and theatre community”. Scotty and Mal say Jenden will be sorely missed, not only in the gay community, but also in the world of theatre and dance. “The talent, humour and effort you put into all your shows was astounding. Thank you for sharing your amazing talent with all of us.” A cast of many of Jenden’s theatrical performers will take part in the tribute evening, which comes with a $10 entry fee to help cover funeral expenses. The performers will be led by 'Lilith Lacroix,' the performance alter-ego of Gareth Farr. GayNZ.com will have funeral details when they are confirmed. If you would like to add your tribute, email it to news@gaynz.com Jacqui Stanford - 28th October 2013