Kasterborous is saddened to report that renowned set designer David Myerscough- Jones has passed away at the age of 75.
Born on September 15th 1934 in Lancashire, he was educated at Bickerton House School before enrolling in the local school of art. In London, he achieved a diploma with a distinction in stage design and after working at Bernard Miles’s Mermaid Theatre in London between 1960 and 1966 before beginning work with the BBC
As well as creating sets for numerous BBC produced opera’s he also worked on various Doctor Who serials. His first was The Web of Fear (1968) starring Patrick Troughton for which Myerscough-Jones had to recreate the tunnels of the London Underground due to the high fee the real tube station was demanding. So detailed was the set he created that the BBC actually received a letter of complaint from London Underground themselves, complaining that the corporation had filmed on their property without permission!
David also worked on The Ambassadors of Death (1970) starring Jon Pertwee and then returned two years later to deliver excellent set designs of stately mansions and futuristic control rooms in Day of the Daleks (1972).
Described as a modest man with a “disarming sense of humourâ€, Myerscough-Jones’ work was acclaimed on an international level, after making a name for himself in 1969 when designing the set of Benjamin Britten’s opera Peter Grimes.
David Myerscough-Jones was married to Pelo Cumpston, with whom he had a son and three daughters.
Obituaries can be found in the following publications:
Didn’t know his name but loved his work particularly on Day of the Daleks. Respects to his memory and condolences to his family