Allen, Reg (b1916: theatre set designer)

One of the finest scenic designers to have worked in Scottish theatre, Reg Allen was born in Willesden, London in 1916. His first job was as a scenic artist for a production of Cinderella in the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, in 1935. There followed several seasons in Dublin, designing both for pantomime and variety, with stars such as Jimmy O'Dea and Maureen Potter. After Second World War service in the Royal Corps of Engineers, he was sought out by the Howard and Wyndham management, with whom he worked for 31 years. He devised the transformation scenes, oriental treasure caves, ogres, palaces, giant beanstalks and coaches-out-of-pumpkins for pantomimes in Edinburgh and Glasgow. His designs for the Five Past Eight Show review, which performed at the Alhambra Theatre in Glasgow, included representations of cities from Vienna to New York, Paris to London.

From the guide to the Papers of Reg Allen (b1916), theatre set designer, 1925-1977, (Glasgow University Library, Special Collections Department)