My mother, Carol Lawrence, who has died aged 81, was a stage and costume designer at an exciting time in British theatre who pivoted to a successful second career at the BBC, finding her niche in Saturday morning television.
In 1966, Carol was one of only eight students of the inaugural year of the renowned Motley theatre design course then being convened at Sadler’s Wells theatre by Percy (Margaret) Harris. It was there that she met my father, the stage designer Hayden Griffin, a fellow student, and they married in 1968. Carol went on to design shows at the Royal Court, Sadler’s Wells, for the English and Welsh National Operas and many other prestigious productions including shows at the Aarhus theatre, Denmark. She also went on to be one of the mainstays at Motley, writing The Motley Book of Props in 1975 and teaching on the course for many years.
