Dame Gillian Barbara Lynne (née Pyrke; 20 February 1926 – 1 July 2018) was an English ballerina, dancer, choreographer, actress, and

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a Stage (theatre), stage. The performe ...

-television director, noted for her theatre choreography associated with two of the longest-running shows in Broadway history, ''

Cats The cat (''Felis catus''), also referred to as the domestic cat or house cat, is a small domesticated carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species of the family Felidae. Advances in archaeology and genetics have shown that the ...

'' and '' The Phantom of the Opera''. At age 87, she was made a DBE (Dame Commander of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

) in the 2014 New Year Honours List. The New London Theatre, where the original West End production of ''Cats'' played, was officially renamed the Gillian Lynne Theatre in 2018. This made Lynne the first non-

royal Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family or Royalty (disambiguation), royalty Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Ill ...

woman to have a West End theatre named after her.

Early life and education

Gillian Barbara Pyrke was born in

Bromley Bromley is a large town in Greater London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley. It is southeast of Charing Cross, and had an estimated population of 88,000 as of 2023. Originally part of Kent, Bromley became a market town, charte ...

Kent Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...

, 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 of her mother on 8 July 1939 in

Coventry Coventry ( or rarely ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands county, in England, on the River Sherbourne. Coventry had been a large settlement for centurie ...

(as a result of a car crash along with Edward Turner's first wife), when Lynne was just 13 years old.Moorhead, Joanna
"'Mummy's still looking after me'"
''The Guardian'', 25 November 2011; accessed 17 March 2014. Lynne's gift for dancing was discovered by a doctor. She 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.

Dancing career

Sadler's Wells Ballet

While dancing for Molly Lake's Company (the Ballet Guild) at the People's Palace, Lynne was spotted by Ninette de Valois and asked to join Sadler's Wells Ballet during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. With the opening of the Royal Opera House after the War she received her first major solo in ''

Sleeping Beauty "Sleeping Beauty" (, or ''The Beauty Sleeping in the Wood''; , or ''Little Briar Rose''), also titled in English as ''The Sleeping Beauty in the Woods'', is a fairy tale about a princess curse, cursed by an evil fairy to suspended animation in fi ...

'' on the night of her 20th birthday. She went on to become an admired dramatic ballerina in the soon to be renamed Royal Ballet, renowned for her Black Queen in de Valois's '' Checkmate'', Queen of the Wilis in '' Giselle'' and roles created for her by

Frederick Ashton Sir Frederick William Mallandaine Ashton (17 September 190418 August 1988) was a British ballet dancer and choreographer. He also worked as a director and choreographer in opera, film and revue. Determined to be a dancer despite the oppositio ...

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. She appeared in the film '' The Master of Ballantrae'' as Mariane, in which she was cast opposite

Errol Flynn Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (20 June 1909 – 14 October 1959) was an Australian and American actor who achieved worldwide fame during the Golden Age of Hollywood. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles, frequent partnerships with Oliv ...

and directed by William Keighley. She also appeared as both a dancer and actress on early British Television.

Choreography and direction

In her long career as a choreographer and director, Lynne worked on many productions including those from the Royal Opera House, Royal Shakespeare Company and

English National Opera English National Opera (ENO) is a British opera company based in London, resident at the London Coliseum in St Martin's Lane. It is one of the two principal opera companies in London, along with The Royal Opera. ENO's productions are sung in E ...

as well as many West End and Broadway shows. In 1970 she choreographed and directed the Nottingham Playhouse production of the musical, '' Love on the Dole''. Originally a novel by Walter Greenwood, it was made into a musical starring Eric Flynn and Angela Richards. In 1975 she arrived in Australia to create

The Australian Ballet The Australian Ballet (TAB) is the largest classical ballet company in Australia. It was founded by J. C. Williamson Theatres Ltd and the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust in 1962, with the English-born dancer, teacher, repetiteur a ...

's first work expressly commissioned for television, '' The Fool on the Hill''. She may be best known for her work on Andrew Lloyd Webber's musicals ''

'' (1981),'' The Phantom of the Opera'' (1986) and '' Aspects of Love'' (1990). She was also a prolific television choreographer and director notably for '' The Muppet Show'' series and winning the 1987

BAFTA The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA, ) is an independent trade association and charity that supports, develops, and promotes the arts of film, television and video games in the United Kingdom. In addition to its annual awa ...

Huw Wheldon Award for her direction and choreography of ''A Simple Man'', which starred Moira Shearer. She choreographed the Royal Shakespeare Company production of ''

The Secret Garden ''The Secret Garden'' is a children's novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett first published in book form in 1911, after serialisation in ''The American Magazine'' (November 1910 – August 1911). Set in England, it is seen as a classic of English c ...

'', which ran at Stratford in 2000 and then transferred to the West End, running at the Aldwych Theatre from February 2001 to June 2001. In 2002, Lynne choreographed the Sherman Brothers' stage musical ''

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang ''Chitty Chitty Bang Bang'' is a 1968 children's film, children's Musical film, musical fantasy film directed by Ken Hughes and produced by Albert R. Broccoli. It stars Dick Van Dyke, Sally Ann Howes, Lionel Jeffries, Gert Fröbe, Anna Quayle, ...

'' (based on the 1968 film). It played in London, and later on Broadway in 2005, both times successfully. ''Chitty Chitty Bang Bang'' brought her back to the London Palladium after 50 years and she 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, and directed ''I Want to Teach the World to Sing!'' Gala at Her Majesty's Theatre and musically staged '' The Imaginary Invalid'' for the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, D.C. in 2008. In September 2009, she was in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

celebrating a ''Phantom of the Opera'' milestone at the Majestic Theatre. During this visit, she worked in a rehearsal with the company of the 2009–2010 international tour of ''Cats'', produced by Troika Entertainment. In October 2011, Lynne choreographed the 25th Anniversary production of '' The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall''. She was both choreographer and director for the musical '' Dear World'', which played an engagement at The Charing Cross Theatre, London, in February and March 2013, and starred Betty Buckley. Her production company continues to produce television, film and stage productions.

Major stage credits

* '' Ballet Guild'' (1942–1944) – Soloist * '' Sadler's Wells Ballet'' (1944–1951) – Leading Soloist * '' London Palladium'' (1951–1954) – Star Dancer * '' Can-Can'' (1954) – Claudine * ''New Cranks'' (1960) – Cast * '' Rose-Marie'' (1960) – Wanda * ''England Our England'' (1960–61) – Stager * '' Puss in Boots'' (1962) – Queen of Catland * ''Collages'' (1963) – Conceived/Director/Choreographer/Performer * ''Round Leicester Square'' (1963) – Director * '' The Roar of the Greasepaint—the Smell of the Crowd'' (1965) – Choreographer * '' Pickwick'' (1965) – Musical Stager/Choreographer * '' The Matchgirls'' (1966) – Director/Choreographer * '' The Flying Dutchman'' (1966) – Choreographer * '' Bluebeard'' (1966) – Director/Choreographer * '' How Now Dow Jones'' (1967) – Choreographer * '' The Midsummer Marriage'' (1968) – Choreographer * '' The Trojans'' (1969) – Choreographer * ''Phil The Fluter'' (1969) – Musical Stager/Choreographer * '' Love on the Dole'' (1970) – Director/Choreographer * ''Tonight at 8.30'' (1970–71) – Director * ''

Ambassador An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or so ...

'' (1971) – Musical Stager/Choreographer * ''Lillywhite Lies'' (1971) – Director * ''Liberty Ranch'' (1972) – Director/Choreographer * ''Once Upon A Time'' (1972) – Director/Choreographer * '' The Card'' (1973) – Musical Stager/Choreographer * ''Hans Christian Andersen'' (1974) – Musical Stager/Choreographer * '' The Fool on the Hill (ballet)'' (1975) – Choreographer * '' The Comedy of Errors'' (1976) – Musical Stager * '' A Midsummer Night's Dream'' (1977) – Co-director * '' As You Like It'' (1977) – Musical Stager * '' The Way of the World'' (1978) – Choreographer * '' My Fair Lady'' (1978) – Musical Stager/Choreographer * ''Thuis Best'' (1978) – Director/Choreographer * '' Parsifal'' (1979) – Choreographer * '' Once in a Lifetime'' (1979) – Musical Stager/Choreographer * '' Songbook'' (1979) – Musical Stager * '' Jeeves Takes Charge'' (1980) – Director * '' Tom Foolery'' (1980) – Director/Choreographer * ''To Those Born Later'' (1981) – Director * ''

'' (1981) – Associate Director/Choreographer * '' La Ronde'' (1982) – Additional Director * ''Alone Plus One'' (1982) – Director/Performer * '' The Rehearsal'' (1983) – Director * '' The Phantom of the Opera'' (1986) – Musical Stager/Choreographer * '' Cabaret'' (1986) – Director/Choreographer * '' Faust'' (1990) – Choreographer * '' Aspects of Love'' (1990) – Choreographer * ''Dance for Life Gala'' (1991) – Director/Producer * ''

Valentine's Day Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring a Christian martyrs, martyr named Saint Valentine, Valentine, and ...

'' (1991) – Director/Choreographer * '' Pickwick'' (1993) – Musical Stager/Choreographer * ''That's What Friends Are For!'' (1996) – Director * ''Avow'' (1996) – Director * ''What the World Needs Now'' (1998) – Director/Choreographer * '' Gigi'' (1999) – Director/Choreographer * '' Dick Wittington'' (1999) – Director/Choreographer (Sadler's Wells) * ''

'' (2000) – Musical Stager/Choreographer * ''

'' (2002 & 2005) – Musical Stager/Choreographer

Film credits

*'' 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'' (1965) – Musical Stager/Choreographer *'' Three Hats for Lisa'' (1964) – Musical Stager/Choreographer *'' Half a Sixpence'' (1967) – Musical Stager/Choreographer *'' Mister Ten Per Cent'' (1967) – Choreographer *'' 200 Motels'' (1971) – Musical Stager *'' Mr. Love'' (1972) – Stager/Choreographer *'' Man of La Mancha'' (1972) – Choreographer *''

Under Milk Wood ''Under Milk Wood'' is a 1954 radio drama by Welsh people, Welsh poet Dylan Thomas. The BBC commissioned the play, which was later adapted for the stage. The first public reading was in New York City in 1953. A Under Milk Wood (1972 film), f ...

'' (1972) – Musical Stager/Choreographer *'' The Old Curiosity Shop'' (1974) – Musical Stager *'' Yentl'' (1982) – Musical Stager *'' Alice in Wonderland'' (1985) – Choreographer *'' European Vacation'' (1985) – Musical Stager/Choreographer *''

'' (1997) – Musical Stager/Choreographer

Personal life

Lynne married her second husband, actor/singer Peter Land in 1980. The first volume of her

autobiography An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life, providing a personal narrative that reflects on the author's experiences, memories, and insights. This genre allows individuals to share thei ...

, ''A Dancer in Wartime'' was published on 3 November 2011 in the UK by Chatto & Windus. Lynne died on 1 July 2018 at a London hospital from pneumonia, aged 92.

Awards, honours and nominations

She has won, and been nominated for, numerous awards for her work. She has received the Silver Order of Merit, Golden Rose of Montreux Award, BAFTA, Molière Award and The Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Award by the Royal Academy of Dance (2001). She received a Special Award at the 2013 Olivier Awards. She was appointed

Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(CBE) in the 1997 Birthday Honours and Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 2014 New Year Honours for services to dance and musical theatre. Lynne was nominated for the

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

twice for Choreography, for ''Cats'' and ''The Phantom of the Opera'', and for the

Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Awards are among the most esteemed honors in New York theater, recognizing outstanding achievements across Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway productions within the same categories. The awards are considered a signific ...

for ''Cats.'' She received the Olivier Award in 1981, for Outstanding Achievement of the Year in Musicals, for ''Cats''. In 2018, The New London Theatre was renamed the Gillian Lynne Theatre, making it the first theatre in the

West End of London The West End of London (commonly referred to as the West End) is a district of Central London, Central London, England, in the London Borough of Camden, London Boroughs of Camden and the City of Westminster. It is west of the City of London an ...

to be named after a non-royal woman.

References

External links

''London Gazette'' notice of damehood
london-gazette.co.uk; accessed 22 March 2014. *
Gillian Lynne profile
imdb.com; accessed 17 March 2014. * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lynne, Gillian 1926 births 2018 deaths English ballerinas English television directors Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire English choreographers English women choreographers Dancers of The Royal Ballet Northern Ballet Theatre People from Bromley British women television directors Deaths from pneumonia in England Musical theatre choreographers Actors from the London Borough of Bromley Actresses from Kent