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Gillian Lynne

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Gillian Barbara Lynne (née Pyrke), CBE, born (1926-02-20) 20 February 1926 (age 98), 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 current longest running show in Broadway history, The Phantom of the Opera.

Early life and education

Lynne was born in Bromley, Kent, England, and 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 8 July 1939 in Coventry, when Lynne 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]

Dancing career

Sadler's Wells Ballet

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 soon to be 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.

West End, film and television

Leaving Sadler's Wells 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 and appeared as both dancer and actress on early British Television.

Choreography and Direction

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.

Recent productions

In 2002 she choreographed the Sherman Brothers' stage musical Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (based on the 1968 film). It played in London, and later on Broadway in 2005, both times successfully. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang brought Lynne back to the London Palladium after 50 years and she also rehearsed Cast Changes for the show's National UK Tour. Lynne choreographed the 90 Minute Las Vegas Production of The Phantom of the Opera which opened in the Summer of 2006, directed I Want to Teach the World to Sing! Gala at Her Majesty's Theatre and musically staged The Imaginary Invalid starring René Auberjonois for the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington DC in the Summer of 2008.

In September 2009, Gillian was in New York City celebrating a Phantom of the Opera milestone at the Majestic Theater. During this visit, she worked in a rehearsal with the company of the 2009-2010 international tour of Cats, produced by Troika Entertainment.

Her production company Lean Two Productions continues to produce television, film and stage productions.

Major Stage Credits

Film Credits

Personal life and awards

Lynne married the actor/singer Peter Land in 1980.

She has won numerous theatrical awards for her work,[clarification needed] and she was made CBE in 1997. She is currently writing the first volume of her autobiography to be published by Chatto&Windus November, 2011.


Footnotes

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

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