Who am I

1
Who am I?

• Its my birthday today (9 May)
• If I were still alive, I would be 138 years old
• I was born in London
• I lived for 7 years in South Africa
• I taught music and drama for a living
• I ran the Old Vic and Sadlers Wells Theatres
• I was given an honorary degree from Oxford
  University.
• This school is named after me!

2
Lilian Baylis

• Born on the 9th May, 1874

3
Drama and Music teacher

• Lilian Baylis trained as a drama and music
  teacher.
• She travelled between London and South Africa.
• She often performed in music halls and on the
  stage.

4
Work in the community

• Lilian Baylis was shocked by the dreadful
  conditions people lived in around Waterloo.
• She worked hard to improve housing and health
  care in the area.

5
Quality entertainment
She wanted everyone to be able to afford to go to
the theatre, so she put on Shakespeare and ballet
at prices people could afford.
6
Ballet on a shoe string

• All through the 1920s
• and 30s Lilian Baylis
• put on opera,
• Shakespeare and
• eventually ballet.
• Everything was done
• on a shoe string the
• scenery was made of ginger beer crates
• and the casts were so badly paid that
• Miss Baylis often fried suppers for them in
• the wings!

7
1. Why do you think the school is named after
Lilian Baylis?2. How has her work affected us
today?3. If the school could be named after
anyone else, who would you choose and why?
For discussion