Glenda works behind the scenes as our resident wardrobe mistress, a role which she enjoys but which takes up quite a lot of her spare time, especially as the performance date of each play draws near. She is married to Graham, one of our leading lights, and they have two children, Natalie and Chloe. Each production presents her with a new challenge, and the need for her services has increased since her first costume, a full Elizabethan doublet and hose, created for the play 'The Space Between The Years' in the autumn of 1994. Although for the next two years no costumes were required, in 1997 she was in demand again in providing an outfit for Rosalinda, the ghostly wife of the illusionist in 'A Cut In the Rates', which also required a blood soaked bandage. 1998 was Glenda’s busiest year. The challenge of making plaster casts for Graham’s arms and legs for the play 'Plaster' early in 1998, was achieved after several sittings by her long-suffering husband and for the autumn tour of 'Last Panto In Wallasey' she had no less than three challenges to meet; a Dick Whittigton costume for Ethel, a cat costume for Sue, and a pantomime dame costume for Graham. They all fitted the bill and helped to provide much hilarity.
For the play 'Doggies' in 1999, Glenda excelled herself by constructing two lifelike dog puppets; 'Robbie' the mongrel, with a cheeky face and long tongue, and 'San San' the uppercrust lap-dog. Both the canine creations (and their owners) helped to bring the house down.
Glenda first showed an interest in sewing from the tender age of eight, after completing her Brownie ‘Toy Maker’ badge. She made dresses for her dolls, as a child, and at Weatherhead School she did a course in ‘Dress and Design’, making a school skirt for herself. Since then her many fancy dress creations have included Andy Pandy, Minnie Mouse, Anne Boleyn, and a Victorian school girl’s dress.
Glenda always dreads the moment when Graham comes home after the casting of a new production and utters those immortal words 'I wonder if you could just knock us up a _________ costume for the new play!' But, seriously, Glenda always complies and we are sure she will always be there when next we need her.
