Sheila Allen died on 11th October, 2011. Sheila was one of our first interviewees and we greatly treasure the memories she shared with us of her life and career, in particular those relating to her work on Jane Arden’s groundbreaking play Vagina Rex and the Gas Oven, first produced in 1969 at the Drury Lane Arts Lab alongside Victor Spinetti, directed by Jack Bond. In 2009 Unfinished Histories arranged a reading of the play, directed by Jessica Higgs, which was attended by Sheila, Victor and Jack. The second half of the event was a live interview with them chaired by Susan Croft. A recording of this was made by the British Library Sound Archive and is available for viewing. Please click here to link to Sheila’s Unfinished Histories web page, and look at Past Events for further information on Jane Arden and Vagina Rex and the Gas Oven. For obituary by Michael Billington in The Guardian click here.
Photo: Susan Croft
Sheila Allen and Victor Spinetti at the 40th anniversary reading of Vagina Rex and the Gas Oven.
