Paula Wilcox On … The Cotton Dress Girl
June 13, 2008
Since first making her mark on screen in The Lovers over thirty years ago, Paula Wilcox has graced both our screens and the stage in countless roles. Talking to Whatsonstage.com Off-West End, she tells us about her latest performance in the one woman play Whatever happened to the Cotton Dress Girl which plays at the New End Theatre in Hampstead from 11 June until 20 July.
What is Whatever Happened to the Cotton Dress Girl about?
It’s about Bette Davis so it’s a play about somebody who everyone knows or rather thinks they know. The ‘cotton dress girl’ was a description a journalist made of Bette Davis’ early roles when she played pretty girls who were a bit of a tease. They were usually a secretary or a girlfriend. She played very unthreatening roles to begin with. Not all that much later she shed that image, much to some people’s dismay, and became much stronger by taking on much more thrusting roles. She was quite often the woman who led the story rather than the one who was the girlfriend of the man who lead the story. She really pioneered the way, even going on strike and breaking her contract with Warner brothers, which in those days was really unheard of because actors really relied on the studios for all roles. She was known as the ‘cotton dress girl’ in her early days when she was a passive creature but that very quickly changed. Bette Davis could never really be that for long- she was very much a strong woman who wanted to make her mark.
How was playing a real person as opposed to a fictional character?
Everyone has such strong ideas about her. It’s quite daunting to play her because you are showing people a side of Bette Davis that they are often not all that familiar with. It’s not just going to be a woman who is completely in control, although nor is she going to be flouncing around in floods of tears; she’s full of humour and she’s strong. She’s one of those women who has really been through the mill in some ways though you would never guess because she would never whinge about it.
Did you know much about Bette Davis before you took on the role?
No not much. I certainly had enjoyed her films and thought she was a tremendous actress so I was quite surprised when one or two people told me they’d been quite scared of her in the movies because of how strong she was. I was never frightened; I just thought she was wonderful. She thought she was extremely plain and not at all a glamour girl yet I thought her extremely glamorous and even rather beautiful. She saw herself as a great pioneer of women not necessarily having to be gorgeous and blonde in order to be successful.
What is the New End Theatre like as a performance venue?
It’s lovely actually because this play is set in a dressing room and it’s a very small theatre that holds about ninety people so it’s just me in my dressing room and them. It’s set during the era when she was making Whatever happened to Baby Jane hence the title and she is sat in her dressing room nice and relaxed getting ready to go home after a days shooting. The New End just lends itself perfectly to such an intimate setting.
You have performed on stage and on screen several times, do you have a preference between any of the mediums you perform in?
No I don’t, what I love is to find an interesting, good script and work on it, whatever medium it is in. It is quite nice to move around between the different ones so I don’t want to get stuck in any one in particular; I just want to keep moving around.
Paula Wilcox was talking to Melissa Rynn
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I went to see Paula Wilcox in her tribute to Bette Davis this afternoon (21.6.08). I am 46 now and from the age of 13 I idolised Bette Davis and actually saw her at the London Palladium when I was 14 in a rare one woman show appearance. I have read several biographies and seen many many of her films over the years. When I heard of this show at the New End theatre I was determined to see it.
I was extremely impressed with Paula Wilcox’s perfomance and enjoyed it thoroughly. Her performance was faultless and as it went on she became more and more like Davis in every way. Everything was there although maybe she could have brought in the famous walk a bit more as she moved across the stage. She was marvellous. A true professional who has certainly done her research. I am so glad that I went. I only wish that I could have somehow relayed my appreciation in person. Thank you.
Jennie Hewitt