Gillian Lynne

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Gillian Lynne, CBE (b. February 20, 1926, Bromley, Kent, England) is a British ballerina, dancer, actor, theatre director , television director and choreographer noted for her popular theatre choreography associated with the iconic musicals Cats and the longest running show in Broadway history The Phantom of the Opera.

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Lynne was a precocious dance talent from an early age, teaming with her childhood friend Beryl Grey while still at school and dancing to blot out the tragedy of the violent death (in a car crash) of her mother on July 8th 1939 in Coventry when Gillian was just 13 years old.[1]

Lynne's gift for dancing was discovered by a doctor. Lynne had been underperforming at school, so her mother took her to the doctor and explained about her fidgeting and lack of focus. After hearing everything her mother said, the doctor told Lynne that he needed to talk to her mother privately for a moment. He turned on the radio and walked out. He then encouraged her mother to look at Lynne, who was dancing to the radio. The doctor noted that she was a dancer, and encouraged Lynne's mother to take her to dance school.[2]

While dancing for Molly Lake’s Company at the People's Palace she was spotted by Dame Ninette de Valois and asked to join Sadler's Wells Ballet during World War II. With the opening of the Royal Opera House after the War she received her first major solo in Sleeping Beauty on the night of her 20th birthday.

She went on to become an admired dramatic ballerina in the re-named Royal Ballet, renowned for her Black Queen in de Valois’s Checkmate, Queen of the Wilis in Giselle and in roles created for her by Frederick Ashton and Robert Helpmann. Leaving the Royal Ballet in 1951 she was an instant success at the London Palladium as the star dancer and subsequently in the West End in such roles as Claudine in Can Can at the Coliseum Theatre and on film as Mariane in The Master of Ballantrae, in which she was cast opposite Errol Flynn and directed by William Keighley.

In her long career as a choreographer and director, she has worked on many productions including those from the Royal Opera House, Royal Shakespeare Company and English National Opera as well as many West End and Broadway shows. She is perhaps best known for her work on the Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musicals Cats, The Phantom of the Opera and Aspects of Love. She is also a prolific television choreographer and director notably for The Muppet Show series and winning the 1987 BAFTA Huw Wheldon Award for her direction and choreography of A Simple Man starring Moira Shearer.

More recently, in 2005 she choreographed the Sherman Brothers' film musical, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang for the stage. It played in London, and later on Broadway, both times successfully. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang brought Lynne back to the London Palladium after 50 years. She has won numerous awards for her work, and she was made CBE in 1997.

Gillian married the actor/singer Peter Land in 1980. Along with their other interests her production company Lean Two Productions continues to produce television, film and stage productions.

  • The Master of Ballantrae - 1953 - Actress/Choreographer
  • The Last Man To Hang - 1956 - Actress
  • Make Mine A Million - 1959 - Actress
  • Wonderful Life - 1963/64 - Musical Stager/Choreographer
  • Every Day's A Holiday - 1964 - Musical Stager/Choreographer
  • Three Hats For Lisa - 1964 - Musical Stager/Choreographer
  • Half A Sixpence - 1966/67 - Musical Stager/Choreographer
  • Mister Ten Per Cent - 1967 - Choreographer
  • 200 Motels - 1971 - Musical Stager
  • Mr Love - 1972 - Stager/Choreographer
  • Man Of La Mancha - 1972 - Musical & Fight Stager
  • Under Milk Wood - 1972 - Musical Stager/Choreographer
  • The Old Curiosity Shop - 1974 - Musical Stager
  • Yentl - 1982 - Musical Stager
  • European Vacation - 1985 - Musical Stager/Choreographer
  • Cats - 1997 - Musical Stager/Choreographer

  1. ^ Recounted by Dame Beryl Grey in The Independent March 10, 2002
  2. ^ Recounted by Sir Ken Robinson in his TED talk, Do schools kill creativity? (starting at 15:08 minutes)

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gillian_Lynne"
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