Paddy Dickie

Published Monday 13 November 2006 at 15:50 by Gordon Jay

Paddy Dickie, the well known costume maker, died at Pilgrim’s Hospice, Margate on November 3, aged 58.

Born on April 26, 1948, Dickie trained at Wimbledon School of Art and became one of their star pupils, her interest in cutting and making set her on the road to becoming one of the most sort after costume makers in the business.

On graduating she joined the Richard Stone Organisation, assisting her mother in making and designing costumes for the management’s eight summer shows. For five years she took on the job of wardrobe supervisor with one of the shows, all the time gaining valuable experience, not only in the making but in the maintenance of costumes.

When Dickie decided to become a freelance costume maker some of the early work that came her way was for pantomime costumes. She got to know this form of entertainment well, working for many top designers and her speciality was ‘frocks’ for the dame. Over the years she made costumes for some of our greatest pantomime dames, Billy Dainty, Terry Scott and Stanley Baxter. When the opportunity came two years ago to make a costume for Ian McKellen as Widow Twankey in Aladdin at the Old Vic, she jumped at the chance. It was a joyous relationship, McKellen was delighted with her work and Dickie was thrilled to be working with him in his pantomime debut.

Dickie has programme credits in many West End shows, including Chicago, Guys and Dolls and We Will Rock You. Her work for the National Theatre and English National Ballet, as well as BBC, LWT and many other television companies took her to the top of her profession.

She was invited back to Wimbledon School of Art as a visiting lecturer, always popular with her students who not only applauded her work but her enthusiasm for the job in hand.

I knew Dickie for more than 40 years. She was a larger than life character with a great sense of fun. I will miss her, as will so many of her friends in the business.