
I’m raising funds to get my friend and mentor Richard Wilson home and help his partner Mark Wheeler with the medical expenses and travel.
While Richard and Mark were visiting friends in Peru, Richard suffered a serious stroke that left him in a coma for two weeks. He is currently receiving treatment in a clinic in Cusco, Peru. Mark needs help bringing him back to England so he can get the further medical attention he needs to recover. Medical transport is very expensive, however. In addition, medical bills are mounting with no insurance coverage. An air ambulance is approximately £150 000 and the hospital bill so far is £70 000. Together, we can help.
Here is a link to the campaign: https://gofund.me/7b0aa3d9
I first met Richard in the end of 2014 at this seminar he was running at the Rose theatre Kingston. At that time I was struggling with my doctoral research and mental health but Richard took an interest in me and my work—this would prove to be crucial for my well-being. Soon we started organizing events together and he introduced me to not only Mark but the wider Shakespeare community. He and Mark have become dear friends and valued colleagues, as they are for so many of you.
As most of you know, Richard is a Shakespeare scholar and the Sir Peter Hall Professor of Shakespeare Studies at Kingston University. There he convened this, the Kingston Shakespeare Seminar series. His publications include Will Power, Secret Shakespeare, Shakespeare in French Theory, Free Will and Worldly Shakespeare. He is on the editorial board of the journals Shakespeare and Marlowe Studies, and has published over one hundred chapters and articles in scholarly journals. He has also been involved since 1999 in the plan to build a Shakespeare North theatre, serving as a Trustee and an Academic Advisor on the project. He was Academic Advisor to and appears in the BBC series In Search of Shakespeare. Although retired, Richard has many ongoing projects, with a new book ready for publication.
Mark Wheeler is a master “maker” who has specialized in accessories and millinery for the theater. He got his training at Croyden and then the Slade. In an article in the Costume Society Journal, Rebecca Morrison wrote, “From theatre royalty to well, royalty, Mark Wheeler has accessorized them all. When first introduced to his work I was struck by his incredible craftsmanship, something he would probably describe as ‘rougher magic in the Messel tradition.’ Then when working at Kensington Palace, I discovered that he had made a copy of the Poltimore tiara for Princess Margaret, and of course I was intrigued by this royal connection. So hurrying past dozens of tourists I headed towards Mark’s workshop hidden in the shadow of St Paul’s to find out more…”
The situation is critical. Please be generous.
Yours kindly,
-Timo Uotinen
NOTE: Amid this distressing event a communication mishap led to both Mark and I creating separate campaigns.
We will be using that going forward and all the donations will be transferred securely to Mark’s campaign. I am in communication with GoFundMe to facilitate this.
Apologies for this bump in the road to getting Richard home