Vale Richard Pacholski

We were very saddened to hear about the untimely passing of Richard Pacholski – universally known as R2 – over the weekend, after a short battle with cancer.

R2 was a highly respected member of the lighting community, as a lighting designer, associate designer or production electrician. After starting his lighting career at the Adelaide Festival Centre, and then with The Australian Ballet, Richard joined Cameron Mackintosh Australia in the late eighties as Lighting Manager, and over the next decade toured extensively on productions of Cats, Les Misérables, Five Guys Named Moe, The Phantom of the Opera, Miss Saigon and Rent!

More recently R2 worked as a freelancer, with his own company r2 design + production pty ltd, and has been the Associate Lighting Designer for Cats (Australia, Korea), The Phantom of the Opera (Australia, Korea), Les Misérables (Argentina, Brasil, Mexico, Germany, Holland, Korea), Mamma Mia! (Australia, Asia, Korea), We Will Rock You (Australia, Japan, South Africa, Canada, New Zealand, Asia, UK tour, Italy tour), Spamalot (Australia), Boeing Boeing (Australia), The Graduate (Australia), Billy Elliot The Musical (Australia, Korea), Avenue Q (Australia), Miss Saigon (Australia, Korea, Brasil, Holland, Japan, London), Mary Poppins (Australia), War Horse (Australia, Japan), Les Misérables 25th Anniversary (Korea, Japan, Canada, Australia), Strictly Ballroom The Musical (Australia), Barnum (UK tour), Mathilda The Musical (Australia) and Kinky Boots (Australia).

Our condolences are with his family and his friends all around the theatre world.

R2’s sisters Julie Wells and Leonie Degaris have arranged their dear brother’s funeral. It will be held on Monday, 27th August at 11am in the Magnolia Chapel, at the Macquarie Park Cemetery (cnr Delhi and Plassey Roads, North Ryde), Sydney.

This will be a chance for his friends, family and colleagues to gather together and celebrate his life.