Gillian Haywood-Widdowson Interview: Being Chased by a Gorilla
Title
Gillian Haywood-Widdowson Interview: Being Chased by a Gorilla
Date
7 November 2018
Description
Oral history interview with former dancer and Pantomime performer Gillian Haywood-Widdowson.
What's the story?
Gillian Haywood-Widdowson was born in Manthorpe in Lincolnshire in 1933 and moved to Nottingham aged 2, living in Sneinton Dale.
As a child she contracted rheumatic fever and following advice from doctors her mother enrolled her in dancing classes to try and prevent further problems with her joints.
As a teenager she started dancing professionally and performed in Pantomimes at the Theatre Royal, most notably Dick Whittington in 1948, Jack and the Beanstalk in 1949 and Red Riding Hood in 1950.
For these shows Gillian was one of the star performers for Kirby’s Flying Ballet, which performed spectacular aerial routines.
Gillian continued to dance well into her 40s, performing cabaret work, as well as her second career of designing and making bridal veils. She still lives in Sneinton.
In this interview Gillian talks about an unusual encounter with a performer from the Empire Theatre next door, whilst working at the Theatre Royal:
We went out one day, the four of us to the sweet shop, because you used to get those coupons for sweets. They used to give us a bit extra, being from the theatre, in those corner bags, and they used to fill them right to the top for us, with being from next door, like.
And when we came back, there were two men with a gorilla on a chain from the Empire, because the things used to come there, animals and that, because we’ve had some laughs about them. Anyway, he said “Are you all right, me duck? Just go …, like that. He won’t hurt you. He won’t hurt you”. And they talked a bit “foreignish”, these two chaps did. And they looked foreign. And I said “Oh, we’re frightened, we’re frightened”. And all of a sudden, we’d just gone by it, because it was big, and it got loose. He said “He’s got away, get away, get it, get it!” Shouting to one another, these men. Panicking.
Of course, we panicked. We ran – we didn’t know where to go. The Stage Door was there, but the fire escape, oh, up the fire escape. As we were going up the fire escape, this gorilla was going up the side, up there, and he was going to catch him, so I sat down on this thing and said “What shall I do?” and he said “Come across” and all of a sudden this feller says “Enough’s enough” and it wasn’t real! Oh dear, well! We were that shook up, we didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. It was so frightening. Oh dear, when I think about it. I’ll never forget that. Ever!
As a child she contracted rheumatic fever and following advice from doctors her mother enrolled her in dancing classes to try and prevent further problems with her joints.
As a teenager she started dancing professionally and performed in Pantomimes at the Theatre Royal, most notably Dick Whittington in 1948, Jack and the Beanstalk in 1949 and Red Riding Hood in 1950.
For these shows Gillian was one of the star performers for Kirby’s Flying Ballet, which performed spectacular aerial routines.
Gillian continued to dance well into her 40s, performing cabaret work, as well as her second career of designing and making bridal veils. She still lives in Sneinton.
In this interview Gillian talks about an unusual encounter with a performer from the Empire Theatre next door, whilst working at the Theatre Royal:
We went out one day, the four of us to the sweet shop, because you used to get those coupons for sweets. They used to give us a bit extra, being from the theatre, in those corner bags, and they used to fill them right to the top for us, with being from next door, like.
And when we came back, there were two men with a gorilla on a chain from the Empire, because the things used to come there, animals and that, because we’ve had some laughs about them. Anyway, he said “Are you all right, me duck? Just go …, like that. He won’t hurt you. He won’t hurt you”. And they talked a bit “foreignish”, these two chaps did. And they looked foreign. And I said “Oh, we’re frightened, we’re frightened”. And all of a sudden, we’d just gone by it, because it was big, and it got loose. He said “He’s got away, get away, get it, get it!” Shouting to one another, these men. Panicking.
Of course, we panicked. We ran – we didn’t know where to go. The Stage Door was there, but the fire escape, oh, up the fire escape. As we were going up the fire escape, this gorilla was going up the side, up there, and he was going to catch him, so I sat down on this thing and said “What shall I do?” and he said “Come across” and all of a sudden this feller says “Enough’s enough” and it wasn’t real! Oh dear, well! We were that shook up, we didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. It was so frightening. Oh dear, when I think about it. I’ll never forget that. Ever!
Type
Oral interview
Location of item
Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall Nottingham
Rights
Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall Nottingham
Contributor
Interviewers: Valerie Rogers & Sally Smith
Transcriber: David Chilton
Transcriber: David Chilton
