Design by Cynthia Tingey for Sarah the Cook in the Finale of Dick Whittington and His Cat, London Palladium, 1980

Design for Sarah the Cook in the Finale of Dick Whittington and His Cat, showing a full length female figure dressed in the style of Elizabeth I, wearing a square necked dark turquoise dress with a farthingale and winged trunk sleeves, the sleeves in grey blue patterned with white tendrils and ending in a hand ruff, the bodice with a long stomacher front, the upper edge decorated with a wide band of turquoise jewels, a similar band running down the front of the dress from the centre of the neck to the hem, at the neck a small white ruff with a larger lace fan-shaped ruff and a lace wired head-rail behind. She wears a turquoise wig of tight curls with a jewelled hair ornament topped with a small white ostrich feather, and carries a white ostrich feather fan in her right hand. The design is signed and dated and inscribed on the reverse with the name of the actor, the scene, the character and the pantomime.

Given by the artist

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. Sarah the Cook was played by Mollie Sugden, who was then enjoying great success as Mrs Slocombe in the television situation-comedy, Are You Being Served?

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 a design for a female dame. It also illustrates a feature of pantomime in the 20th century: the employment of television stars in leading roles.

S.95-1999