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Cinderella

Set Design
1953 (designed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Set model piece for 'Finale' in pantomime <i>Cinderella,</i> London Palladium, 1953.

In 1947, Val Parnell took over the management of the London Palladium, one of the largest theatres in Britain. Under Parnell, the Palladium presented large-scale spectacular pantomimes until 1987 and became known as the Home of Pantomime due to its lavish productions featuring the biggest celebrity names of the time.

Cinderella, written by Michael Bishop, Erik Sykes, Spike Milligan and Phil Park, ran from 24th December 1953 to 6th March 1954 and starred actress Julie Andrews as Cinderella, singer and comedian Max Bygraves as Buttons and comic actor Richard ‘Mr Pastry’ Hearne as Baron Pastry. The show’s scenery, designed by Charles Reading, achieved great praise, with the Tatler and Bystander describing the three and a half hour show as having “taste, beauty and elegance, but little humour.”

The show was the West End’s only pantomime of the year and featured a comic scene where Hearne as Baron Pastry got trapped in an electric washing machine.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 3 parts.

  • Designs
  • Designs
  • Designs
TitleCinderella (popular title)
Materials and techniques
Gouache and watercolour on card
Brief description
Set model piece for 'Finale' in pantomime Cinderella, London Palladium, 1953
Physical description
Gouache and watercolour on card set model pieces for Finale in pantomime Cinderella, London Palladium, 1953.
Marks and inscriptions
Transliteration
Credit line
Given by Roger Fox
Summary
Set model piece for 'Finale' in pantomime <i>Cinderella,</i> London Palladium, 1953.

In 1947, Val Parnell took over the management of the London Palladium, one of the largest theatres in Britain. Under Parnell, the Palladium presented large-scale spectacular pantomimes until 1987 and became known as the Home of Pantomime due to its lavish productions featuring the biggest celebrity names of the time.

Cinderella, written by Michael Bishop, Erik Sykes, Spike Milligan and Phil Park, ran from 24th December 1953 to 6th March 1954 and starred actress Julie Andrews as Cinderella, singer and comedian Max Bygraves as Buttons and comic actor Richard ‘Mr Pastry’ Hearne as Baron Pastry. The show’s scenery, designed by Charles Reading, achieved great praise, with the Tatler and Bystander describing the three and a half hour show as having “taste, beauty and elegance, but little humour.”

The show was the West End’s only pantomime of the year and featured a comic scene where Hearne as Baron Pastry got trapped in an electric washing machine.
Collection
Accession number
S.2219:1 to 3-2014

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Record createdOctober 30, 2014
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