The Shepperton Wig Company came into
existence in April 2002 when LINDA
COOLEY, GILL LITTLE and JOANNE
FOSTER formed their partnership.
They had been working together for
many years at one of the foremost
companies making wigs in London.
Working on Stage and Film
productions such as PHANTOM, GREASE,
CATS, BOND MOVIES, MISSION
IMPOSSIBLE, GULLIVER’S TRAVELS,
ALICE IN WONDERLAND and GOSFORD
PARK to name just a few shows/films
where you are able to see wigs and
pieces crafted by the trio.
Gill Little trained at Wig Creations
in the GOOD OLD DAYS when you
started at the bottom and worked up
through the ranks. Whilst taking
time out to have a family, she
trained to teach in adult education
and spent some time teaching, before
returning to a full time career.
During this time she has worked for
all the major theatres and wig
making companies in and around
Britain such as the BBC Wig Store,
Glyndebourne, ENO, National Theatre
and the Royal Opera House.
Linda Cooley got HOOKED on wigmaking
whilst on a wardrobe course at
Wimbledon School of Art. She then
landed a job at the Royal Opera
House, in the Wig Dept. A very
capable needlewoman, she has been
involved with costume and
dressmaking since her childhood in
Denmark where her father was the
head costume cutter at the Danish
Royal Ballet and her mother a court
dressmaker. Whilst bringing up a
family, she has had a close
relationship with Wimbledon College
teaching wigmaking and still helps
out on productions. In fact it was
whilst teaching at Brushstrokes in
Shepperton that she met Joanne
Foster.
Joanne Foster came into wigmaking
after 12 years of hairdressing.
After spending 2 weeks on a short
course, (Linda was the tutor), she
decided that she wanted to learn
more. Joanne, who never CUTS
corners, then managed to combine
training in her spare time at London
wigs and has achieved the highest
standard possible. Her other
achievements are getting married,
having two children and making many
of the most beautiful wigs that have
appeared on stage and screen in the
last decade.
SINCE FORMING SHEPPERTON WIGS we
have called upon all our strengths,
which in each of us are different.
We are all perfectionists and have
areas in which we take the greater
responsibility, whether it’s Gill
insisting that the petty cash slips
are completed and the VAT is up to
date, Linda determined to be able to
knot the two day wig, or Joanne
insisting that you use 1000 pins to
block up a lace front wig. We make
a formidable team. We have a
proactive approach to helping others
to enter the profession.
