Not currently on display at the V&A

Costume Design

1973 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Design for Dame Durden in Jack and the Beanstalk, showing three full length female figures, to the left, an unfinished pencil and ink sketch of a woman in evening dress with an elaborate hair style, to the centre, a figure wearing a long sleeved, ankle length dress, the bodice in blue, the front decorated with a panel edged in pink flounces and tapering to the waist within which are three flowers with pink petals and green centres arranged vertically, the upper sleeves full and gathered to the elbow with pink flounces and a pink bow, the lower sleeves tightly fitted to the arms, the skirt made of individual panels with curved lower edges, each panel decorated with a vertical row of three pink flowers and edged in pink and with pink tassels hanging between each panel at the lower edge, over an underskirt horizontally striped in blue and pale green, with pink ankle boots and a white lace bonnet trimmed with pink ribbons, and to the right, a figure in a long sleeved blouse in dark blue, spotted all over in yellow, the full upper sleeves gathered to the elbows, the tight fitting lower sleeves striped horizontally in blue and yellow, the ankle length skirt in yellow diagonally striped with bands of purple, yellow and orange over a pink petticoat, with a dark blue apron with a bold flounce to the edges, and yellow ankle boots and a pink mob cap spotted with yellow. She carries a feather duster. The background is painted in grey-brown gouache. The design is signed and dated and annotated with the names of the scenes and costume notes and on the reverse is inscribed with the name of the actor and the pantomime.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Pen and ink, pencil and gouache on paper
Brief description
Design by Cynthia Tingey for Dame Durden in Jack and the Beanstalk, London Palladium, 1973
Physical description
Design for Dame Durden in Jack and the Beanstalk, showing three full length female figures, to the left, an unfinished pencil and ink sketch of a woman in evening dress with an elaborate hair style, to the centre, a figure wearing a long sleeved, ankle length dress, the bodice in blue, the front decorated with a panel edged in pink flounces and tapering to the waist within which are three flowers with pink petals and green centres arranged vertically, the upper sleeves full and gathered to the elbow with pink flounces and a pink bow, the lower sleeves tightly fitted to the arms, the skirt made of individual panels with curved lower edges, each panel decorated with a vertical row of three pink flowers and edged in pink and with pink tassels hanging between each panel at the lower edge, over an underskirt horizontally striped in blue and pale green, with pink ankle boots and a white lace bonnet trimmed with pink ribbons, and to the right, a figure in a long sleeved blouse in dark blue, spotted all over in yellow, the full upper sleeves gathered to the elbows, the tight fitting lower sleeves striped horizontally in blue and yellow, the ankle length skirt in yellow diagonally striped with bands of purple, yellow and orange over a pink petticoat, with a dark blue apron with a bold flounce to the edges, and yellow ankle boots and a pink mob cap spotted with yellow. She carries a feather duster. The background is painted in grey-brown gouache. The design is signed and dated and annotated with the names of the scenes and costume notes and on the reverse is inscribed with the name of the actor and the pantomime.
Dimensions
  • Height: 272mm
  • Width: 378mm
Production typeUnique
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'Cynthia Tingey '73' (Signature; Lower right hand corner; Handwriting; Ink)
  • 'Ballroom / I think we will have to / buy a lace curtain & / feather duster and sort / this out on Dora -'' (Textual information; Centre left hand side; Handwriting; Ink)
  • 'Specter scene' (Textual information; Upper centre, above central figure; Handwriting; Ink)
  • 'Char lady' (Textual information; Upper right hand corner, above right hand figure; Handwriting; Ink)
  • 'D E F.' (Maker's identification; Lower edge, below figures; Handwriting; Ink)
  • 'Dora Bryan - Jack in Bean Stalk' (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, Jack and the Beanstalk, at the London Palladium, 18 December 1973. The production was directed by Albert J. Knight. Dora Bryan played Dame Durden.

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 an example of a costume design for a pantomime dame and is unusual in being for a female dame.
Subjects depicted
Literary referenceJack and the Beanstalk
Collection
Accession number
S.130-1999

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Record createdJuly 4, 2000
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