Mother Goose thumbnail 1
Mother Goose thumbnail 2
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at Young V&A
Imagine Gallery, The Stage, Case 5

Mother Goose

Theatre Costume
2014 (made)
Artist/Maker
Collett, Lotte (designers)
Place of origin
London (made)

Costume designed by Lotte Collett for Mother Goose (Jamaican Flag) in the pantomime Mother Goose, Hackney Empire, London, 2014.

Writer and director Susie McKenna’s Hackney Empire pantomimes reference popular culture and celebrate the theatre’s local community. This Jamaican flag inspired costume designed by Lotte Collett reflects Hackney’s status as one of London’s most diverse boroughs and was worn underneath Mother Goose's Nursery Rhyme dress to enable a comedic quick change onstage.


Object details

Categories
Entertainment & Leisure
Theatre
Pantomime
Theatre Costume
Object type
Theatre costume
Parts
This object consists of 4 parts.

  • Costumes
  • Costume
  • Costumes
  • Costumes
TitleMother Goose (generic title)
Brief description
Costume designed by Lotte Collett for Mother Goose (Jamaican Flag) in the pantomime Mother Goose, Hackney Empire, London, 2014
Gallery label
  • Quick change Pantomime costumes are colourful, jokey and clever – and help tell the story. Actor Clive Rowe’s character, Mother Goose, needed to rush home so whipped off another dress to reveal one based on the Jamaican Olympic sprinter, Usain Bolt. [Young V&A, Imagine Gallery long object label] (2023)
  • Oh no, he isn’t! Oh yes, he is! A pantomime dame is a funny, over-the-top female role that appears in most pantos. Dames are usually played by men and always have extravagant outfits – like this one. [Young V&A, Imagine Gallery short object label] (2023)
  • He’s behind you! Panto is not like other shows. The audience gets involved with singing, cheering the ‘goodies’ and booing the ‘baddies’. Pantos usually happen in Britain in December and poke fun at events from that year. [Young V&A, Imagine Gallery short object label] (2023)
  • Writer and director Susie McKenna’s pantomimes at the Hackney Empire often reference popular culture. As well as featuring the pop band Little Mix and cartoon character Dora the Explorer, Mother Goose also saw performer Clive Rowe appear as the Dame in a costume inspired by Jamaican athlete Usain Bolt. Earlier that year, Bolt had visited the UK to take part in the Commonwealth Games.(28/11/2016)
Credit line
Given by Lotte Collett and Susie McKenna on behalf of Hackney Empire
Object history
The Jamaican Flag costume is designed to be worn under the Nursery Rhyme costume (S.594-2016). The turban with attached ringlets and hoop earrings is worn beneath the mob cap (S.594:2-2016) and is Velcro-ed to it in performance.
Summary
Costume designed by Lotte Collett for Mother Goose (Jamaican Flag) in the pantomime Mother Goose, Hackney Empire, London, 2014.

Writer and director Susie McKenna’s Hackney Empire pantomimes reference popular culture and celebrate the theatre’s local community. This Jamaican flag inspired costume designed by Lotte Collett reflects Hackney’s status as one of London’s most diverse boroughs and was worn underneath Mother Goose's Nursery Rhyme dress to enable a comedic quick change onstage.
Associated object
S.594-2016 (Ensemble)
Collection
Theatre and Performance Collection
Accession number
S.595:1 to 4-2016

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Record createdAugust 30, 2016
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1364468/mother-goose-theatre-costume-collett-lotte/
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