Anthony Holland (1912-2001) made his first stage designs for the play, The Road to Rome, at Liverpool Repertory Theatre in 1933. He subsequently created sets and costumes for repertory theatres throughout Britain. After World War II he regularly worked in London's West End, and also became well-known as a designer of ice shows and pantomimes. Later in his career Holland designed operas for the Camden Festival and Sadler's Wells Theatre, before retiring from the stage in 1981.

In 1979 Anthony Holland created spectacular outfits for Cinderella's Ugly Sisters in the pantomime at the King's Theatre in Edinburgh. Pantomime gives the costume designer plenty of opportunity to create absurd outfits for the comic characters. No pantomime is complete without the larger-than-life Dame, traditionally played by a man, whose outrageous dresses are 'sight gag' costumes, designed to make an audience laugh as soon as 'she' walks on stage. In Cinderella designers can have fun with costumes for two Dames, the heroine's Ugly Sisters. This design was made for comic actor Stanley Baxter, the much-loved star of many Scottish pantomimes. Holland devised themed costumes for the Sisters and when Baxter's Natalie was dressed as an elegant carrot, 'her' Sister, Sophia, played by Angus Lennie, wore an outfit like an aubergine.