Bruce Talbot Widdop died on October 13 aged 76.

Although he'll be remembered for his staging of Shakespeare's plays in outdoor venues across the region with his company OZACT, Mr Widdop was also a respected and loved lecturer and teacher of drama and an inspiration to many artists.

Corangamite Shire Council mayor Ruth Gstrein was among those who paid tribute to Mr Widdop.

"Mr Widdop had a great passion for the arts and enriched the cultural landscape of Corangamite Shire with his many Shakespeare productions over many years starting with OzAct's first production of The Tempest, performed at Loch Ard Gorge in 1996," she said.

"OzAct has gained a reputation as one of Australia's leading environmental Shakespeare companies and Mr Widdop's legacy will continue to live on in these performances.

"Our thoughts are with Bruce's family and friends during this time."

Born in Buckley Street Essendon in 1946, one of three brothers, Mr Widdop first graduated from RMIT as a librarian, working at Duntroon Military College library and the National Library in Canberra, before undertaking further studies at the Australian National University, NIDA, and the Canberra CAE.

He married Elizabeth Oberdorff in 1969, their daughter Lisa was born in 1971.

The family moved to Ballarat in 1974, where Bruce began teaching drama and performance at the Ballarat Institute of Advanced Education (later Ballarat CAE, Ballarat University College and the University of Ballarat) until 2006.

Mr Widdop was invited to lecture in the United States and Wales. He was also the voice of Peter Lalor at Sovereign Hill.

But his most potent legacy is the creation of OZACT, the touring repertory theatre company performing Shakespeare in some of the most striking locations in Victoria and South Australia.

From its first performance of The Tempest in Loch Ard Gorge through almost 30 years in constant production from Mount Dandenong to Mount Gambier and everywhere in between, Mr Widdop dedicated his life to making the plays of William Shakespeare available, educational and above all entertaining.

In Ballarat, Kirk's Reservoir became Mr Widdop's Globe Theatre, staging comedies and tragedies alike: Much Ado About Nothing, Twelfth Night, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Tempest, King Lear, Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet were just some of the plays performed in the outdoors.

Bruce's daughter Lisa Widdop said the experience of growing up in a household always full of artists and actors was a blessing.

"He was a devoted father to me and to his grandson Alex. He was kind and caring and loved spending time with us. He loved talking politics and world events, amazing places to visit overseas, Indian food, scouring antique markets for great finds and the best cafe for brunch," she said.

"Dad was a great listener and always had great words of advice and gentle wisdom. He always seemed to see another layer of potential in us all, and sought the best way to bring that out."

Justin 'Hap Hayward was taught theatre and performance by Mr Widdop in the 1980s and regards him as a great storyteller and influence.

"An absolute mentor, director and teacher in the truest sense of the word(s)," Mr Hayward said.

"I met some of my most important, lifelong friends through a play under his direction as a teenager in the late '80s. Then came Theatre Sports: he corralled us all into it and a whole new world of performance and risk taking took place.

"His influence spread across so many of us. His Shakespeare in natures bounty is the stuff of legend. Ballarat should honour this man with an amphitheatre that can hold a neverending audience of people and animals and stars and trees and birdsong in his name."

Other tributes praised Mr Widdop's abilty to encourage performers to think outside the box, give brave offers be non-conformist.

"He spoke like a gentleman - because he was a gentleman," one eulogist said.

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