Susie Bancroft – What Was Pebble Mill?

Gillian Lynne

Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission. Gillian Lynne directing Barbara Kellerman, with Bob Jacobs floor managing behind.

Gillian with cameraman David Short

The choreographer and director, Gillian Lynne has died aged 92.

“Quite a lot of us will remember working with her at Pebble Mill. I was her Production Assistant on MORTE D’ARTHUR, an extraordinary piece produced by Robin Midgley and performed by John Barton, RSC, with Jeremy Brett and Barbara Kellerman in the leads. A strong mix of narration with the tableaux painted by a mixed bag of actors and dancers including Sir Anton Dolin.”

Jenny Brewer

Here is a link to Gillian Lynne’s obituary on the BBC website: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-44677722

Here is the entry for Morte D’Arthur from the Radio Times (transmitted 5th May 1984), from the BBC Genome project:

Morte D’Arthur

by SIR THOMAS MALORY edited by JOHN BARTON
Malory’s prose masterpiece was written in 1470 while he was imprisoned in Newgate Jail. He wove together the many legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, and created the great romantic story of Arthur, the sword Excalibur, the treachery of his son Mordred, and the love of Lancelot for Arthur’s Queen Guenevere, which has inspired painters, poets and writers throughout the centuries. and Music composed by STEPHEN OLIVER Costume ANN ARNOLD
Make-up SUSIE BANCROFT Lighting PETER BOOTH Designer GAVIN DAVIES
Produced by ROBIN MIDGLEY
Devised and directed by GILLIAN LYNNE

https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/14c0be58416840708647d6087c2fb6af

Linda Webster – make-up

Photo by Eurwyn Jones, no reproduction without permission.

Photo of Linda Webster from make-up, with actor, Anthony Sher. The photo was probably taken before a Pebble Mill at One show, where Anthony Sher was probably publicising a forthcoming drama. Anthony Sher did appear in several Pebble Mill dramas, including The History Man, and The Sheik of Pickersgill.

The following comments were added on the Pebble Mill Facebook Page:

Susie Astle: ‘From Susie(ex Bancroft ) I worked on the Sheik [of Pickersgill] and the photo was not from then. He wore a false moustache for that, it fell off during a tea break and I found it on the bottom of my shoe! I never told him so hope he’s not reading this, as if!!’

Lesley Weaver: ‘Yep Bankers true to form … Mind you I remember Shelley Weber doing that too …. She walked around all lunch time with the moustache stuck in the snow on the bottom of her moon boot… We searched everywhere, it was only when she sat down and crossed her leg that someone spotted it half hanging off!!! …once it was cleaned and re tongued no one was the wiser… Oh funny old times weren’t they!!!

I can’t be definitely sure it’s The Sheik ..but I am sure that this photo was taken in the Pebble Mill at One make up area next to where Barbara the BBC hairdresser worked. So it may have been for an appearance on the lunch time programme. Can’t think why the lead actor on The History Man would have been made up in that small area which was really a make shift area we used specifically for Pebble Mill at One. I worked on The History with Gill Hughes who was the hair & make-up designer… To my knowledge I don’t think Linda worked on that with us… In any case Tony was very particular about his hair & moustache on that show and being the lead I’m sure only Gill herself look after him, even I didn’t go near him and I was Gill’s senior assistant on that series. Tony looks much younger here than on History Man where he grew his own moustache for the character. Linda herself also looks quite young here too, we started at the same time and I think The Sheik was produced while I was in London on the make-up school during the autumn of ’78.. Linda didn’t attend that school she stayed at base and she went on a later one so she would possible been working on Pebble Mill at One during that time.’

Oliver Twist

Photo by Neil Wigley, no reproduction without permission

This publicity still is from the 12 part 1985 BBC adaptation of Charles Dickens’s Oliver Twist, which was a London production, hosted at Pebble Mill. The series was directed by Gareth Davies, and produced by Terence Dicks. Alexander Baron was the script writer, with Brian Wright the script editor. Bob Chaplin was the lighting director, Michael Edwards was the production designer, Al Barnett the costume designer and Alastair Askham the sound supervisor, with Mike Bloore the VT editor.

Ben Rodska played Oliver Twist, with Eric Porter as Fagin, and Michael Attwell as Bill Sikes.

Thanks to the BBC Drama Village for making the photo available.

The following comments were left on the Pebble Mill Facebook Page:

Terry Powell: ‘Great show I looked after a young actor playing Olive who now is a pilot for Easy Jet with 2 grown up kids – time does fly’

Carole Haysom: ‘Make up assistant Carole Haysom……Made up Eric Porter, in fact I still have his Fagin teeth’

Carol Churchill: ‘Makeup designer was Susie Bancroft’

Occupation Democrat – Tech Reqs

These Technical Requirements (Tech Reqs) documents are for a studio drama, called Occupation Democrat, recorded in July 1984. This was the working title of the drama, and it was changed before transmission to Murder of a Moderate Man.

The drama was set in an airport hostel, and a prison, and recording was also going to take place in the men’s toilets! It was being recorded on 1″ videotape, with VHS viewing copies being run off at the same time. Although the recording was taking place in Studio A at Pebble Mill, the Tech Run was taking place at Elstree, so presumably the rehearsals took place in London.

Robert Tronson was the director, John Bowen the producer, Jenny Brewer was the production associate, with William Hartley the production manager. Charles Bond was the designer, with Al Barnett the costume designer and Susie Bancroft the make-up designer. Dave Bushell was technical manager, with Annette Martin as vision mixer and Ivor Williams and Leigh Sinclair were the VT editors.

Pebble Mill Charity Parachute Jump

This photo was taken just before the Pebble Mill charity parachute jump, circa 1981.

Included are: Chris Goode (far left), Lesley Hope Stone (in yellow on left),John Priestley behind Lesley, then Trina Bond, Sue Robinson (in blue, first row standing), Wendy Mawson (next to Sue), Robin Sunderland (to the left and behind Sue), Brian Watkiss behind Robin, Phil Thickett (sunglasses at the back) Bob Cosford (glasses at the back), Nick Patten (in orange, wearing sunglasses, to right and behind Sue), Barrie Foster (blue suit, dark anorak), Dave Lowe (red suit, with beard), Andy Turley just behind Dave Lowe, next to Ian Fisher, Steve Mitchell (in khaki), Paul (?) Patterson to right of Steve, Merrick Simmonds (in blue, kneeling in front of Sue), Kevin Hudson (next but one to Merrick, blonde hair), Prakash photographer from Graphics (head in hands), Brian Bishop (blue jumpsuit, crouched on right).

Thanks to Sue Robinson, Kevin Lakin, Jane Mclean, Kevin Hudson for adding in the names.

Thanks to Dave Lowe for sharing the photo.

The following comments were left on the Pebble Mill Facebook Page:

Sue Robinson: ‘I’ve got a newspaper cutting about this somewhere. We raised money for the RNLI, I think?’

Kevin Hudson: ‘The young lad behind Steve Mitchell is Brian Bishops son. I remember the day well, I was slightly off course landing, and was dragged through a pile of sheep sh…t. Oh happy days.’

Carol Churchill: ‘Steve and Brian scenic artists. I saw them all jump, lot of green faces that day.’

Susan Astle: ‘I watched them all too, with Carol, it was an amazing sight. Susie (Bancroft as was).’