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Celebrating television's This Is Your Life

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THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Mary Ward, teacher and theatre director, was surprised by Michael Aspel following a performance at the Chickenshed Theatre in north London - from where the programme was then recorded - having been led to believe the cameras were there to film a documentary.

Mary was born in Oxford, where her mother lived as an evacuee during the Second World War, but was raised in London's East End. Inspired by her mother, who was a teacher, Mary enrolled at the Digby Stuart Teacher Training College in Roehampton at the age of 18 and began teaching in 1968 at St. Augustine's Primary School in London.

Having given up teaching to raise a family, Mary met musician and composer Jo Collins in 1974, and together, they established the first truly inclusive theatre company. Initially using a donated disused chicken shed - hence the company's name - with growing support, including that of Diana, Princess of Wales as Royal Patron, the company created a purpose-built space in Southgate, north London, which opened in December 1994.

"I don't know what to say. What do I say? Is this really true?"

programme details...

• Edition No: 991
• Subject No: 966
• Broadcast date: Mon 29 Dec 1997
• Broadcast time: 7.00-7.30pm
• Recorded: Tue 23 Dec 1997
• Venue: Chickenshed Theatre
• Series: 38
• Edition: 18
• Code name: Hen

on the guest list...

• Manus - husband
• Paddy - son
• Joe - son
• Jo Collins
• Bob Hoskins
• Helen Jenkins
• Pam Drinkall
• Carol Hancock
• Heather Bell
• Maire Davis
• Don Placid
• Stephen Frears
• Graham Hollick
• Christine Niering
• Jonathan Morton
• John Bull
• Wendy Shillinglaw
• Sandy Gonzalez
• Malcolm Heyworth
• Brian McAndrew
• Paula Rees
• Ed Rees
• Jan Rees
• Lissa Hermans
• The Chickenshed Choir
Filmed tributes:
• Patricia Hodge
• Elaine Paige
• Ruthie Henshall
• Lady Rayne
• Trevor Nunn

related appearance...

• The Night of 1000 Lives - Jan 2000

production team...

• Researchers: Jo Grant, Clare Thompson
• Writer: Ian Brown
• Directors: Steve Docherty, Peter Wisdom
• Associate Producer: Liz Rawlings
• Executive Producer: John Longley
• Series Producer: Jack Crawshaw
• Producer: Sue Green

• names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life

Backstage Life

raising the curtain

The Night of 1000 Lives

a celebration of a thousand editions

Patricia Hodge

Interviews

Mary Ward and Jo Collins recall their experience of This Is Your Life in an exclusive interview recorded in October 2015

Screenshots of Mary Ward This Is Your Life