Obituary: Diana Morgan

I first met Diana Morgan 12 years ago, writes Dan Crawford, [further to the obituary by Adam Benedict, 6 January].

I had been asked to produce a revue for the King's Head, Islington, that would use material first performed at the pre- war Gate Theatre. Diana's careful crafting of the history of the Gate and her profound understanding of the time historically and dramatically made the show a considerable success.

Diana was then commissioned by us to adapt Frances Hodgson Burnett's The Secret Garden as a musical. This was finally presented in 1994 both over the summer holidays as a children's matinee and at Christmas. It also played at the Watermill Theatre in Newbury to full houses over the 1994 Christmas season.

Diana Morgan was a marvellous team player, always ready to make rewrites in spite of the infirmity of age and near total blindness. If more humour was required, something that didn't come naturally to The Secret Garden, she was able to supply it on the spot. She well understood the importance of sentimen- tal shading, when to be astringent and when to let emotions flow.

I was also pleased to be able to produce her excellent play The Dark Stranger, starring Ruth Madoc, last year.