Hugh Newsam
Hugh Newsam and BAL Ami 1958 Juke Box, happy and content at Film Farm 30th April 2022
I’m very sad to report that film editor, filmmaker, film educator, amateur thespian and my very good friend and long-time business partner Hugh Newsam died early this morning, Saturday 14th May. This has come as a bit of a shock, because we had a very happy and successful weekend together here only a fortnight ago when Huge (as he is generally known) seemed on excellent form and in good spirits.
However, early this morning he was stricken with massive internal pains; an ambulance was called to his Hull home which arrived in reasonable time and he was taken to A&E; he was apparently waiting in an anti-room and, while his appointed consultant was out of the room for “two or three minutes” his heart stopped, and in spite of several attempts to get it started, he was pronounced dead at the scene. Hugh has a bit of history here, for we joked during his recent visit about his heart stopping twice previously whilst in hospital, but on those occasions, fortunately they were quickly able to get him going again.
A particular disappointment about Hugh’s sudden departure is that he had already planned his Swan Song: in July this year he had been cast as Bottom in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, a week of performances on the main stage of the Hull Truck Theatre. I’d already booked tickets.
Hugh was a highly skilled craftsman and a consummate film editor who applied his own realistic but imaginative vision to countless productions, taking them to another level - including many of mine. He had a warm and very dry sense of humour; once asked what was his role in Malachite (our joint business venture), he replied “My role in Malachite is to put a dampener on the proceedings”. He will be greatly missed, by me and his many friends.