Gillian Haywood-Widdowson Interview: Theatre Digs in Liverpool
Title
Gillian Haywood-Widdowson Interview: Theatre Digs in Liverpool
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 life as a touring performer in the 1940s and 50s, in particular the poor state of theatre lodgings:
We used to have to write to the theatre management and they used to give us the address to write to, the landlady of this place. We never knew where we were going. It was all right. We had some bad ones in Liverpool. When we arrived there one night about 12 o’clock, after a full day’s travelling, pouring rain – wet through we were. Four of us into these digs. And they gave us soup and it was cold, the soup, and they said we’re ever so sorry, but something’s broken down. But of course, we couldn’t eat it. We went to bed because we were worn out. We had one double bed that side and one this side. So we shared two in a bed. Me and this other girl got in bed and it was wet through. It had been raining through the ceiling. So we all had to get into the bed with four. Anyway, we complained in the morning about it and when we saw the breakfast. Oh, it was awful. Awful. Porridge or something, but it was swimming. So we complained and we said we’re going to leave. But we lost the money. We went to the theatre and explained to him and he found us another place and it was very nice.
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 life as a touring performer in the 1940s and 50s, in particular the poor state of theatre lodgings:
We used to have to write to the theatre management and they used to give us the address to write to, the landlady of this place. We never knew where we were going. It was all right. We had some bad ones in Liverpool. When we arrived there one night about 12 o’clock, after a full day’s travelling, pouring rain – wet through we were. Four of us into these digs. And they gave us soup and it was cold, the soup, and they said we’re ever so sorry, but something’s broken down. But of course, we couldn’t eat it. We went to bed because we were worn out. We had one double bed that side and one this side. So we shared two in a bed. Me and this other girl got in bed and it was wet through. It had been raining through the ceiling. So we all had to get into the bed with four. Anyway, we complained in the morning about it and when we saw the breakfast. Oh, it was awful. Awful. Porridge or something, but it was swimming. So we complained and we said we’re going to leave. But we lost the money. We went to the theatre and explained to him and he found us another place and it was very nice.
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
