Gillian Haywood-Widdowson Interview: Pantomime Costume
Title
Gillian Haywood-Widdowson Interview: Pantomime Costume
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 how costumes were sorted for the Pantos she appeared in the 1940s and 1950s. She also reveals how she would often end up in her underwear in the snow!
They’d already had all sizes and you just fitted in the size you had and you had to keep that from beginning to end. And you always went to the wardrobe lady, if any sewing wanted doing: you couldn’t do it yourself. Mind, you used to: bits that you could sew up. And even the shoes and everything supplied. Everything. And on the last night of each pantomime, when we were in Number 10, it’s right at the top, you see, the fire escape, we used to walk on there because the door came out on there and it went into the flies, you see. So we used to go in our clothes, take them off, put them into the flies skip, run back in bra and pants. It’s snowing. It always seemed to be snowing, when we did that. Of course, we used to have a laugh. If anybody could see us. Good job it’s dark.
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 how costumes were sorted for the Pantos she appeared in the 1940s and 1950s. She also reveals how she would often end up in her underwear in the snow!
They’d already had all sizes and you just fitted in the size you had and you had to keep that from beginning to end. And you always went to the wardrobe lady, if any sewing wanted doing: you couldn’t do it yourself. Mind, you used to: bits that you could sew up. And even the shoes and everything supplied. Everything. And on the last night of each pantomime, when we were in Number 10, it’s right at the top, you see, the fire escape, we used to walk on there because the door came out on there and it went into the flies, you see. So we used to go in our clothes, take them off, put them into the flies skip, run back in bra and pants. It’s snowing. It always seemed to be snowing, when we did that. Of course, we used to have a laugh. If anybody could see us. Good job it’s dark.
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
