It is with very great sadness that we confirm the death of our colleague, actor Stephen Greif, who has passed away at the age of 78.

Best known to Big Finish fans as Travis in Blake's 7, Stephen also worked with us on a number of Doctor Who audio adventures and spin-offs, including Counter-Measures and Sarah Jane Smith.

Stephen was born in Sawbridgeworth, Herts at a nursing home formerly a residence of Anne Boleyn, a gift from Henry VIII. After graduating from RADA with honours (in 1967) he began a long and distinguished stage career, including stints at the National Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Globe and the Old Vic. He has played opposite such luminaries as Sir Laurence Olivier, Denholm Elliot, Dame Joan Plowright, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Elaine Stritch, Sir Ian McKellen, Joseph Fiennes and Albert Finney.

Much TV, film and radio work followed, including popular roles in Citizen Smith, Casanova and, of course, Blake’s 7 but he also remained an in-demand voice artist for documentaries, commercials, video games and audiobooks. In 2003, he narrated Sally Gardner’s children’s book, The Boy with the Magic Numbers, for which he won the BBC Audio Excellence award in America and the Audiofile Earphones Award.

Stephen’s relationship with Big Finish began in 2001 with a guest appearance in the Peter Davison Doctor Who story, Primeval, followed swiftly by a recurring role in Judge Dredd (sadly no longer available).

In 2012, he reprised the role of treacherous Space Commander Travis in The Liberator Chronicles story, Promises. His most recent contribution to The Worlds of Blake’s 7, in the box set Allies and Enemies, was released just last week.

Big Finish producer, Peter Anghelides, paid tribute to Stephen: “I loved working with Stephen on the Blake's 7 stories. He made such an impact as Travis in the TV series that it was a privilege to have him voice the character for us again in plays and audiobooks. And what a voice! Our other actors so enjoyed working with him. Stephen seemed so effortlessly brilliant in studio, because he always arrived so well prepared. He also had an affectionately accurate take on the voice of his old friend Paul Darrow, which he treated us to in audiobooks. I shall miss him, and offer my condolences to his family and many friends in the profession.”