My tribute to Rob Guest: Hinch

I have lots of memories but very few mementoes of my days hosting Midday on the Nine Network back in 1995.

One of the celeb photos I kept  was of a special performance for Midday viewers of the big hit musical Phantom of the Opera. We did the show live from the theatre stage in Sydney.

The photo I kept and stared long and hard at last night was in the Masquerade scene where I am interviewing The Phantom. The man who played the role a record 2289 times - Rob Guest.

Flash forward 13 years. I was talking to Rob and his partner Kellie Dickerson at the after party for Wicked. Actually they were just arriving and we were leaving. He urged me to come back inside for a drink. I declined and made a joke about not drinking and looking after my health.

Rob was bubbling from the Opening Night success and from working with Kellie, the show's musical director  for the first time since Sound of Music  where their love  started nearly 10 years ago.

The last thing he said to me. The last words he would ever say to me were  'Jeez it's great to see you looking so well. Last time I saw you you looked like you were dying'.

Flash forward a few more weeks. In a role I never dreamed of taking, I stood in  the wings of the Comedy Theatre last night before the start of the Rocky Horror Show and announced to the audience:

'Ladies and gentlemen. The Rocky Horror Company would like to dedicate tonight's performance to the memory of our friend and colleague Rob Guest'. It seemed unreal even as I read it. Seemed like a part of the world of fantasy and illusion that Rob strode through with such talent and good grace to entertain so many people over so many years.

And it made me think again about the vagaries of fate and never knowing what's around the corner. Never missing an opportunity. Fulfilling the dream. As the mad scientist sings in Rocky Horror - 'don't dream it. Be it'.

Rob Guest lived his dream. Tragically it was a dream that ended far too soon.