David Gamble, an award-winning film editor known for his work on Shakespeare in Love, has died at the age of 70. His twin passions were film and music, and he enjoyed DJing at his friends' live club in east London, What's Cookin'.
Early life and career
David was born in Derry, Northern Ireland, to Ida (nee Haire), a housewife, and William Gamble, a clerk. He attended the Model primary school and Foyle College before studying ecology at Edinburgh University. While living in Edinburgh, his love of film grew through the annual film festival. After graduating in 1977, he worked various jobs, including as a park ranger in the Hermitage of Braid, Edinburgh, and as a wildlife conservation researcher in Loch Leven, where he studied the mating patterns of brown trout.
In 1983, hearing from a friend about job openings selling tickets at the Royal Academy in London, he moved there. He then became an assistant projectionist at the London Film School before working as a freelance assistant editor from 1984 to 1989, and later as a freelance editor.
Notable works
One of David's early editing credits was the 1989 TV series Streetwise, starring Andy Serkis. In the 1990s, he co-edited the miniseries Tales of the City starring Laura Linney, and edited dramas including the TV movies Loved Up, Black Easter (both 1995), Truth or Dare (1996), and the pilot episode of Cold Feet in 1997. Moving into feature films, he edited Different for Girls (1996) and My Son the Fanatic (1997), written by Hanif Kureishi, before working on Shakespeare in Love (1998).
For his work on Shakespeare in Love, starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Joseph Fiennes, David won a Bafta and was nominated for an Academy Award. The film, directed by John Madden, won the Oscar for best picture. Subsequent films included Veronica Guerin (2003), starring Cate Blanchett, and Shopgirl (2005), featuring Steve Martin and Claire Danes.
Teaching and personal life
In 2006, David moved from editing to teaching, inspiring students at various film schools, including the National Film School and London Film Academy, and universities such as Edinburgh, Kent, Goldsmiths, University of London, and Southampton Solent, which made him an honorary fellow in 2015. He continued teaching until last year.
David married Alex Mackie in 1997, having met in 1983 at a gig by the electro-funk band Prince Charles and the City Beat. He is survived by his wife and his sisters, Jenny and Heather.
Colleagues, friends, and neighbours remember David for his kindness, wit, humour, and distinctive laugh. His love for art, music, and literature made him an erudite companion.
