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WITH the untimely death of Allan Sharpe from motor neuron disease, the Scottish theatre community has lost one of its more colourful and popular personalities.
As a writer, actor and director, he preferred to operate on the fringes of the mainstream where he was more able to satisfy his independence of spirit and need for creative freedom. In doing so, he engaged in a body of work that illuminated the Scottish theatre scene and had a considerable impact on its development.
Allan was born in Falkirk in 1949 and was educated at Strathallan School. He left there in 1966 and went on to St Andrews University, where his major achievement was to be voted best-looking student in his year. His course uncompleted, he dropped out and returned to Falkirk to work in the family timber business and to pursue an interest in motor racing, at which he enjoyed considerable success. He returned to university and completed his degree at Edinburgh, trained as an English teacher and took up posts at Fettes and, later, Loretto schools.
His interest in theatre developed during this period and eventually he left teaching...