Obituary for Bryan Ferriman – 1936 – 2025
November 1936 – October 2025
It is with immense sadness that we announce that Bryan Ferriman died yesterday after an increasing struggle with failing health. Our hearts go out to all his family and friends who will be mourning this great loss.
I remember meeting Bryan in 1970 when he first joined the Loft. We all did something of a double-take, as we thought he looked like the actor Peter Wyngarde, who was then a high profile actor on a tv series.
Bryan had first appeared in a school production at the age of 15 directed by an ‘old boy’ of the school who was then in the resident company of Oxford Playhouse – one Ronnie Barker. An auspicious start, coupled with attending several summer schools with the British Drama League.
Bryan quickly established himself on the Loft stage as an immensely talented actor and off the stage as a brilliant director, performing in 73 productions with us and also performed at other local theatres, the Priory Theatre, The Talisman Theatre and the Criterion Theatre and for the professional outdoor theatre Heartbreak. One of his favourite productions was as Rosencrantz in Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead which was directed by the late Bill Hamilton.
He created an abundance of outstanding and unforgettable performances; who could forget his heartwarming Captain Cat from Dylan Thomas’ poetic Under Milk Wood in 2014, reprised in the radio production presented on stage only last year?
Bryan as Captain Cat, Under Milk Wood 2014
Despite his increasing health issues, Bryan continued to perform until July this year, voicing the Good Angel in David Fletcher’s new adaptation of Doctor Faustus. This was the last time I performed with Bryan as we recorded our respective Angel voices in Jonathan Fletcher’s studio one afternoon.
Sadly health issues prevented him from being in the cast of Macbeth in 2023, but if you were in the audition room the day he auditioned, you could never forget how powerful an actor he still was. With no script in hand he held the room spellbound. A masterclass.
Away from theatre, he was a keen swimmer all his life. Bryan swam for London University in the 1950s and played water polo for King’s College London. He swam for pleasure but also many times raised money for charities. When he turned 80, despite knee and hip replacement surgery, he still swam 60 lengths for Sports Relief. As he said it was a small gesture to raise such important funding.
A long-time devotee of Greece, Bryan spent some time every year in the place for which he had an enduring passion. He loved its culture, history, language and people and felt increasingly at home there as he did in the UK.
He leaves an impressive and indelible print on the history and story of the Loft over many decades. He cared about supporting theatres and appreciated good work. We are fortunate to have several recordings of him which you can hear in audio productions on the Loft website. The incomparable Bryan.
“When he shall die,
Take him and cut him out in little stars
And he will make the face of heaven so fine that all the world will be in love with night and pay no worship to the garish sun” William Shakespeare
How we shall all miss him.
Sue Moore
