Theatre director DAVID MACSWAN died in Australia on Friday (14Jan11) - the opening night of one of his shows.
MACSwan passed away on the day he was set to debut an adaptation of A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Band Rotunda on Sydney's Balmoral Beach.
The director has been lauded as helping pioneer outdoor productions of the classic plays in Australia, after setting up the Shakespeare By The Sea company in 1986.
Actor Craig Coventry has paid tribute to MACSwan, telling ABC News he was well known for making Shakespeare accessible to people who rarely go to the theatre.
He says, "The shows served the stories Shakespeare was trying to tell. They weren't gimmicky but they were seen by thousands of people. He dedicated his life to directing Shakespeare, writing about him and teaching others about him."