It was recently announced that Trevor Nairne, who had been directing plays for the past three decades, had been seriously ill.

Trevor Nairne, one of the titans of Jamaican theatre, and master behind Easy Street, a popular Jamaican musical comedy, has died. 

Ricky Chin, a close colleague and friend, shared on social media that the revered artistic director passed at 2:40 p.m. today. He was 73. 

“I lost a friend and mentor …I have known Trevor since 1981, but knew of him since the 60s when he played football for Campbell Town in the minor league and was also league champion in 1966. We did so many groundbreaking entertainment productions together and it would be very hard to surpass what we have accomplished together,” he said. 

“Trevor, I’ll never forget what I was able to learn from you and will always speak about you. Walk good my friend.”

It was recently announced that Nairne, who had been directing plays for the past three decades, had been seriously ill.

Creative Dahlia Harris said Nairne was a “quiet giant”.

“The artistic mind delivering some of Jamaica’s greatest cultural and celebratory moments. Theatre legend. Sleep in peace Trevs. We love you,” tweeted Harris, a broadcaster and former director of culture in the Ministry of Culture. 

Popular actress Camille Davis who was one of the stars featured in Easy Street said Nairne was the best director she has ever had. 

“You were just one in a million; the sweetest, kindest human! I love you,” Davis said in an Instagram post. 

Nairne directed some of the most successful plays of the past three decades. They include Ecstasy, Intermission, Friends, The Last Stand, Oliver and Pinnochio and Breadfruit Kingdom.

He was awarded the Order of Distinction (Officer Class) national honour in 2010 for his contribution to the development of Jamaican theatre. He also won several Actor Boy Awards. 

Nairne worked in film, too. He was one of the consultants for the 1995 dancehall movie, Klash, which starred Giancarlo Esposito and Jasmine Guy.

Nairne’s name became embroiled in controversy in 2017 over a $15-million contract he won from the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission to provide artistic services for the 2016 grand gala, an annual independence event he worked on for years. 

In March, the Integrity Commission cleared the clouds, ruling that there was no conflict of interest involved in the award of the contract.