London theatre legend Dan Crawford, who turned a popular pub into one of the UK’s leading venues for fringe theatre, has died of cancer, aged 62. “The hand-to-mouth existence of the King’s Head, which Crawford founded with his second wife, Joan, in 1970 was part of its charm. Its £60,000 Arts Council grant was cut in 1984 and the place was sustained by Crawford and his third wife, film-maker Stephanie Sinclaire, on minor grants and donations. Meals of variable quality were served before the show. Backstage conditions, said Sheridan Morley – who was involved in several of its productions – made the Black Hole of Calcutta resemble a five-star hotel. Crawford’s programme was a glorious mixture.”