One of the UK's most prolific and accomplished sound designers, Rick Clarke started out as a roadie and mix engineer for the 1970s band Medicine Head and The Grateful Dead. He went on to enjoy a successful career in theatre, especially musicals.
In 1980, Clarke joined the staff of the National Theatre, under Peter Hall, and worked there for four years. He was fondly remembered by the National's technical coordinator Rob Barnard as "a very capable technician - fearless, self-confident and a lot of fun".
Clarke himself recalled Richard Eyre's 1982 Guys and Dolls as a stand-out National production that helped to make musicals more highly regarded by the theatre establishment.
He left the National in 1984 to work on Howard Goodall's groundbreaking musical The Hired Man and Me and My Girl, which ran for nine years at the Adelphi. He also set up his own company, the Sound Department, providing sound for live events and installing systems in theatres and clubs.
Clarke designed the sound for more than 40 West End shows, but was most often associated with the musicals Chicago - which he worked on for 12 years all over the world, from Vienna to Buenos Aires - and the similarly long-running revival of West Side Story.
In a tribute on the Association of Sound Designers website, Chris Headlam of Orbital Sound writes: "Rick was a truly gentle man with a spirit that soared, a mind that enquired and an ear that was golden. One of the most modest of men, he nevertheless made a mark on musical theatre that leaves an incredible legacy.
"Above all, Rick was someone prepared to try something new and to teach, to take risks in terms of advancing sound quality and adopting new technology - he never tired of getting behind a new idea, testing it out until he was satisfied that it provided something uniquely new and interesting. That is a rare quality in our industry - particularly from such an unassuming yet totally adventurous player. He relied on his ears - not statistics nor figures - Rick was always vocal that the best measurement devices in the world were given to us for free - and the great news is we were given two!
"Rick had so much experience. Experience he never kept to his chest - experience he enthused in passing on to others. The list of names who "are where they are" and "he gave me my first job" is so long - he supported and touched so many engineers lives in a way that is rare and priceless. We will miss you terribly; we will miss your golden ears."
Rick Clarke, born on 19 October 1946, died on 10 July 2016, at the age of 69. He is survived by his wife Jenny and two children, Emilia and Ben.
(Jim Evans)
