This is Melina Dingwall.

We’re here to tell you all about her life and connection to Leeds in this [THREAD], but first, can we just

like

appreciate

*clears throat* it’s Demerara

(the place, not the sugar, although, delicious)

and it’s 10 June 1924. 3 year old Melina Dingwall boards a boat, heading for Plymouth:

We lose track of her a little bit as a teen – uhhh just leave her alone, mom! – but she pops up in the British Newspaper archive from 1938-1945.

Now don’t those dates sound familiar everyone

Anyway she’s in there because

she
becomes
an
actress!

She’s described as a newcomer to the theatre in 1938, after attending @RADA_London which her father encouraged her to apply for.

Because he knew she had talent. Which, truly, is lovely.

She dips into the scene in Folkestone, but most of her (very complimentary!) newspaper reviews are from...

....

!!!!

L E E D S

She appears in lots of plays at the Theatre Royal.

Here it is looking majestic in 1936-7:

We have a little model of it in our collection too, which was made in 1960 after the big version was demolished:

The parts she played here included aristocratic ladies, maids, Italian countesses, the young love interest and a postmistress.

The political nature of the plays she was in is really interesting for the time.

She stars in ‘Judgement Day’ by Elmer Rice, described as a ‘daring indictment of dictators’. Which was, you know, topical…

Then, in 1945, she appears in an article listed as Corporal Melina Dingwall, where she’s described as a physical training instructress.

It looks as if Melina left the theatre and volunteered in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force from 1941-ish.

She's then listed in electoral registers up until 1948 in Lewisham, where her Papa Dingwall worked as a doctor.

After that, we can’t find her.

She may have married and changed her name, or emigrated, or both, as we also can’t find any record of her death.

There’s a chance too that she may possibly still be alive, aged 99 or 100!

We're continuing to research into Melina's life to try and bridge these gaps.

If this reaches anyone who may know more, please get in touch!