Tags

, ,

Kieron Jones

* 13th July 1976
† 11th July 2023

Kieron with his wife, Mariana, and their children, Artur and Melodie, in Lugo, near Bologna, in 2022


I came across your name by chance
and landed on your star.
It was a joy to see you dance
close-up and from afar.

Kieron Jones. Like Winston Smith (1984), he was both spectacular and ordinary. Your regular guy, with a spark of genius. The mix was charming. He had a brilliant mind, a sharp wit (a scathing sense of humour), and yet a down-to-earth temperament that made him accessible to all. A Shakespearian actor who had turned to teaching, he was also a gifted storyteller and singer/songwriter.

Over the last 15 years Kieron came to the schools I taught at in Denmark to do Shakespeare workshops. He stayed with me on many occasions, and we became great mates. I’m from Scotland myself, and Kieron was quintessentially English. He told me I was the only Scottish friend he had, and I sensed that he was glad to have a friend from Scotland. My name is Duncan, which no doubt had a special resonance for him, what with the Scottish play. The last time I was with him, just this February, I explained to the company that the Scots and the English have a love-hate relationship. “Yes,” said Kieron, “we love to hate you.”

Kieron was such great fun to be with. He made work seem like play. He was the envy of me and my colleagues as he held the students in the palm of his hand. Easy-going by nature, he had developed a gritty, no-nonsense attitude that made him a force to be reckoned with. And the students loved him because he made them feel special. He had a talent for assessing people and invariably chose the right students to play significant roles in his workshops. He was, no doubt, the best teacher I have ever known, and I’ve known a fair few.

Kieron was a star. He knew this. Otherwise, he would have been unable to perform as he did. He gave and gave of himself in the sure knowledge that what he gave would be given to him in return, and this was what sustained him throughout his workshop marathons. A miracle at work every time.

Thank you, Kieron.

After Kieron’s funeral on 17th July family and friends met for lunch at this pub