Not currently on display at the V&A

Costume Design

1972 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Design for Nurse Bunty Biddle in Babes in the Wood, showing a full length female figure wearing an ankle length, high waisted, wide sleeved dress in mauve with blue undersleeves, the scalloped cuffs edged in white with pink bobble fringe, the skirt of five tiers, the four upper tiers with scalloped edges trimmed with pink flowers with blue centres, the fourth tier also edged with white bows and blue bobbles, the lower tier of pink pleated material. Nurse Bunty wears an enormous medieval style horned headdress in white, decorated with swags of pink ribbon and bows, a swag of pink petalled, blue centred flowers between the horns and hanging pink ribbons and a white veil decorated with similar pink flowers The background is painted in grey gouache. The design is signed and dated and on the reverse is inscribed with the name of the actor, the character and the pantomime.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Pen and ink and gouache on paper
Brief description
Design by Cynthia Tingey for Nurse Bunty Biddle in Babes in the Wood, London Palladium, 1972
Physical description
Design for Nurse Bunty Biddle in Babes in the Wood, showing a full length female figure wearing an ankle length, high waisted, wide sleeved dress in mauve with blue undersleeves, the scalloped cuffs edged in white with pink bobble fringe, the skirt of five tiers, the four upper tiers with scalloped edges trimmed with pink flowers with blue centres, the fourth tier also edged with white bows and blue bobbles, the lower tier of pink pleated material. Nurse Bunty wears an enormous medieval style horned headdress in white, decorated with swags of pink ribbon and bows, a swag of pink petalled, blue centred flowers between the horns and hanging pink ribbons and a white veil decorated with similar pink flowers The background is painted in grey gouache. The design is signed and dated and on the reverse is inscribed with the name of the actor, the character and the pantomime.
Dimensions
  • Height: 373mm
  • Width: 273mm
Production typeUnique
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'Cynthia Tingey -'72' (Signature; Lower right hand corner; Handwriting; Ink)
  • 'Julian Orchard. Nurse. B in W.' (Textual information; Reverse; Handwriting; Ballpoint pen)
Credit line
Given by the artist
Object history
This is one of a collection of designs for pantomime and cabaret, given to the Theatre Museum by the designer, Cynthia Tingey, who created the costumes for 15 of the annual London Palladium pantomimes. This design was made for the pantomime, Babes in the Wood, at the London Palladium, 19 December 1972. The production was directed by Albert J. Knight. Julian Orchard played Nurse Bunty Biddle.

Historical significance: An example of pantomime costume design of the second half of the 20th century and of the work of a designer who specialised in pantomime and variety design. It is also an example of a design for a pantomime dame.
Subjects depicted
Literary referenceBabes in the Wood
Collection
Accession number
S.48-1999

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Record createdApril 4, 2000
Record URL
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