Miss Joyce Ruscoe

From an article in The Link, July 1934, p.6, we learn that there was to be a Summer School of the Central School of Speech Training at the Royal Albert Hall.  It was to be attended by delegates of the Drama League.  The inaugral lecture-demonstration in Mime was to be given by Miss Joyce Ruscoe, assisted by Miss Susan Pearson and Miss Dorothy Glover.

Miss Mawer should have been teaching at the summer school, but had to miss it due to being scheduled for an operation as soon as term finished.  She was more than happy to pass the management on to Joyce, saying that she was convinced that her classes would prove highly successful under Miss Ruscoe’s management.  (The Link, July 1934, p. 245)

Joyce Ruscoe was a stalwart of the Ginner-Mawer School.  I assume she trained there, and then went on to assist in whatever way that she could.  She seems to have taken on the role of ‘right hand woman’ to Irene Mawer.

At the Institute of Mime, Miss Ruscoe was at various times, the Vice President and the Honourable Secretary.  She was also a Fellow of the Institute.

From the early days of the Institute of Mime, Miss Ruscoe gave lecture demonstrations on Mime through the auspices of the Institute, and she was appointed to the staff of the Incorporated London college of Music as a teacher of mime in 1933.

By 1937, Irene Mawer is declaring that for eight years, Ruscoe had been of tremendous assistance to her.  At the School’s 21st birthday speech Irene said “…Joyce Ruscoe, who for eight years has been my prop and stay in sickness and in health. A fine teacher, a fine performer, and a stalwart ‘staff’. She helps me so much because people always say that we are such an excellent contrast to each other – which we always like to feel is a subtle compliment to us both.”(The Link, October 1937, pp. 20-23)

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