Not currently on display at the V&A

Glynis Johns as Queen Elizabeth I in Come As You Are four short plays by John Mortimer

Caricature
7 November 1969 (dated)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This caricature shows Glynis Johns (b.1923) as Queen Elizabeth I in Come As You Are, one of four short plays by John Mortimer, at the Oxford New Theatre in November 1969. It was drawn by Gilbert Sommerlad (1904-1976), a rehearsal pianist and orchestral violinist at the Brighton Theatre Royal from 1932 until 1936, and at the Oxford New Theatre from 1936 for over forty years. Sommerlad sketched the stars on stage when he wasn’t needed in the orchestra pit, compiling the sketches in a series of albums.

Glynis Johns, actress, singer and dancer, was the daughter of the Welsh actor Mervyn Johns. She made her first London stage appearance in 1935 aged 12, and her first film in 1937. Her career has included plays, pantomime, musicals, films and television, and she is well known for her role as Mrs Banks, the suffragette mother in the 1964 film Mary Poppins.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleGlynis Johns as Queen Elizabeth I in <i>Come As You Are</i> four short plays by John Mortimer (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Pencil, pen and ink, watercolour and wash on paper
Brief description
Pencil, pen and ink, watercolour and wash caricature by Gilbert Sommerlad (1904-1976) of Glynis Johns as Queen Elizabeth I in Come As You Are, one of four short plays by John Mortimer at the Oxford New Theatre Oxford. Dated 7 November 1969.
Physical description
Pencil, pen and ink, watercolour and wash caricature of Glynis Johns as Queen Elizabeth I in Come As You Are, one of four short plays by John Mortimer at the Oxford New Theatre. Dated 7 November 1969. From a hard-backed sketch book containing caricatures of theatrical performers and entertainers drawn by Gilbert Sommerlad.
Dimensions
  • Height: 25.2cm (approximately)
  • Width: 18.7cm (approximately)
Credit line
Given by Michael Sommerlad
Object history
This caricature comes from an album of caricatures of theatrical performers and entertainers drawn (with one exception) by Gilbert J.Sommerlad (1904-1976) between December 1965 and September 1971 at the Oxford New Theatre. Gilbert Sommerlad moved from Brighton to the recently built New Theatre, Oxford, to join his brother Roy (violin and clarinet) as resident pianist in 1936. He continued with his caricatures until his retirement.
Subject depicted
Summary
This caricature shows Glynis Johns (b.1923) as Queen Elizabeth I in Come As You Are, one of four short plays by John Mortimer, at the Oxford New Theatre in November 1969. It was drawn by Gilbert Sommerlad (1904-1976), a rehearsal pianist and orchestral violinist at the Brighton Theatre Royal from 1932 until 1936, and at the Oxford New Theatre from 1936 for over forty years. Sommerlad sketched the stars on stage when he wasn’t needed in the orchestra pit, compiling the sketches in a series of albums.

Glynis Johns, actress, singer and dancer, was the daughter of the Welsh actor Mervyn Johns. She made her first London stage appearance in 1935 aged 12, and her first film in 1937. Her career has included plays, pantomime, musicals, films and television, and she is well known for her role as Mrs Banks, the suffragette mother in the 1964 film Mary Poppins.
Collection
Accession number
S.134:36-2002

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Record createdNovember 24, 2003
Record URL
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