Costume Design
1980 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Cynthia Tingey trained at the Regent Street Polytechnic where she won a medal for theatre design. She began working in the theatre in 1952. Her career included a five-year period as house designer for the theatrical costumiers, Bermans, as well as work on West End productions, department store exhibitions, and designs for over fifty films, but it was as a costume designer for pantomime, variety and cabaret that she became best known. She designed 15 of the London Palladium's annual Christmas pantomimes, providing costumes for well-known artistes such as Arthur Askey, Cilla Black, Cliff Richard and Tommy Steele. Throughout the 1950s, '60s and '70s she was responsible for the costumes for cabarets at many of the major London nightclubs and hotels, and she also designed summer variety shows, ranging from the London Palladium's extravaganzas to seaside specials at Blackpool and Great Yarmouth.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Pen and ink and gouache on paper |
| Brief description | Design by Cynthia Tingey for the 'Depths of the Sea' scene in Dick Whittington and His Cat, London Palladium, 1980 |
| Physical description | Design for the Depths of the Sea scene in Dick Whittington and His Cat showing to the left, three tall pink and orange coral-like structures and, to the right, two green 'sea anemones', with, in the left foreground, a blue snail with a multi-coloured shell. A dancer's face is visible beneath the snail's horns. The design is signed and dated and each costume is identified with a letter of the alphabet, running from A to F. |
| Dimensions |
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| Production type | Unique |
| Marks and inscriptions | 'Cynthia Tingey - '80' (Signature; Lower right hand corner; Handwriting; Ink) |
| 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, Dick Whittington and His Cat, at the London Palladium, 22 December 1980. The production was directed by Lionel Blair. 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. |
| Literary reference | <i>Dick Whittington</i> |
| Summary | Cynthia Tingey trained at the Regent Street Polytechnic where she won a medal for theatre design. She began working in the theatre in 1952. Her career included a five-year period as house designer for the theatrical costumiers, Bermans, as well as work on West End productions, department store exhibitions, and designs for over fifty films, but it was as a costume designer for pantomime, variety and cabaret that she became best known. She designed 15 of the London Palladium's annual Christmas pantomimes, providing costumes for well-known artistes such as Arthur Askey, Cilla Black, Cliff Richard and Tommy Steele. Throughout the 1950s, '60s and '70s she was responsible for the costumes for cabarets at many of the major London nightclubs and hotels, and she also designed summer variety shows, ranging from the London Palladium's extravaganzas to seaside specials at Blackpool and Great Yarmouth. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.89-1999 |
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| Record created | April 18, 2000 |
| Record URL |
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