Circus Wings

Detail of the Mercury Theatre programme for 29 May 1938 showing the Two Gramophone Sketches. RDC/MA/04/01/0047

Cover of the Mercury Theatre programme for 29 May 1938. RDC/MA/04/01/0047

Alternative title: à la Polka; Mlle Fifi

Choreographer: Andrée Howard

Costume designer: Andrée Howard

World premiere: 30 Mar 1938, Ballet Club, Mercury Theatre, London

Work note: This solo was often performed with Frank Staff's 'The Two Igors' under the umbrella title of 'Two Gramophone Sketches' or 'Gramophone Sketches'. At its premiere, believed to be 30 March 1938, its title was 'à la Polka', but by 3 April 1938, it was listed as 'Mlle Fifi'. By February 1939, it was known as 'Circus Wings'. In a 1989 letter to the Rambert Archive, Elisabeth Schooling wrote: 'Circus Wings was a zany solo devised for me by Andrée based on the Penny Plain Twopence Coloured Circus Pollock prints. I wore a red velvet & gold fringed bloomer dress, with very pink tights, and bootees cleverly made [by her] in satin over point shoes... At one moment I went off stage & opening the door, unexpectedly back, past the piano with an intrepid leap on to the apron of the stage. At the beginning of the dance as the curtains parted I was seen posed in adjusting my bootee. Thus discovered the dance progressed uncertainly, always off balance & occasionally interrupted by invisible ''things'' in the way or off stage. It was great fun to dance as I always enjoyed making the audience laugh'.

Number of dancers: 1 woman

Music details: Recorded music (a record was played on a gramophone)

Source: Programme and reference file in the Rambert Archive

Archive catalogue: WORK/0099

Performances

Date	Programme	Venue
3 Apr 1938 Evening	The Strike of Wives (Lysistrata) \| Croquis de ''Mercure'' (Sketches for ''Mercury'') \| La Muse s'Amuse \| Pas de Deux from Casse-Noisette \| Étrange \| à La Russe^* \| à La Polka	Mercury Theatre, London
6 Apr 1938 Evening	La Péri \| Pas de Deux from Casse-Noisette \| Étrange \| Mlle Fifi \| The Two Igors \| Alcina Suite \| La Muse s'Amuse	Mercury Theatre, London
17 May 1941 After-lunch	Overture \| Shepherd's Wooing \| Panaderos \| Circus Wings \| The Two Igors \| Alegrias^* \| Interlude \| Lady into Fox	The Arts Theatre Club, London
29 Jun 1941 After-lunch	Circus Wings \| The Two Igors \| Panaderos \| Pavane pour une Infante Défunte^* \| Lady into Fox	The Arts Theatre Club, London