大象传媒

'This story was submitted to the People's War site by Rick Allden of the CSV 大象传媒 Coventry and Warwickshire Action Desk on behalf of Kathleen Hilditch and has been added to the site with her permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions'.

Make Do and Mend.

One night I do remember well! The production in rehearsal was Henry V with many soldiers in armour. At the costume parade the producer was so horrified at how they looked that he insisted the armour must me altered to fit at once. As so many young men had joined the forces the ones in the company were often rejects and of ill assorted sizes. This 鈥榗hain mail鈥� was made of knitted string sprayed with silver paint: it must have been in the theatre store for a very long time as it was smelly, full of holes and very uneven round the bottom. But the allocation of coupons for this production had all gone on costumes for the leading players.

As I was attached to the wardrobe department at that time it was my job to work on this mail with another girl. We began this unattractive task in the early evening, cut stitched and cobbled our way through the long cold hours of the night in a small shed at the back of the Burnley theatre. Sometime the stage manager looked in on us and provided delicious packets of fish and chips and flasks of coffee. The Burnley Fish and Chip shops took a lot of beating but generally in the northern towns they were of a very high standard. With the job done we fell asleep on the knotty piles. The director, coming to work early, saw the light still on and upon opening the shed door was amazed to find us still there. He paid for us to go and have a large fried breakfast, after which we soaked in the theatre bath; one at each end and washed the grime off as best we could in only two inches of water, no more was allowed.

Another time when the crowd was wearing old costumes was when the production was St Joan. Rows of monks, girl and boy students, had to sit as a background to the forty minute court scene, absolutely still. At the end one girl rushed into the wings tearing off her robe and hysterically shouting, 鈥淔leas, I have fleas.鈥� She had been terribly bitten.

I had a nasty experience with an old wig. Just as I was due to go on stage something tickled my ear and an earwig fell to the ground. I had to play the next scene wondering if there was a nest of them in there. The play was Noah. Rather apt with all those animals around.

This story was donated to the People鈥檚 War website by Kathleen Hilditch, of the Leam Writers. If you would like to find out more about Leam Writers call 0845 900 5 300.

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