



Soon Pauline is old enough to perform on stage and auditions for the role of Alice in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Jakes, Sylvia reluctantly agrees to let the girls be trained so they can earn a living. Sylvia and Nana refuse, but after talking with Theo, Dr. Theo encourages Sylvia to have the girls train at the Children's Academy of Dancing and Stage Training, a performing arts school. Every Christmas and on birthdays they vow to do that.

Pauline, Petrova, and Posy are inspired by the professors to "put their names in the history books" by giving service to their country. To earn money, she takes in four boarders: Theo Dane, an impractical dance teacher John Simpson, who works with cars and Dr. As Gum's money runs out, Sylvia has to take Pauline and Petrova out of school. That is the last the family hears of him.ĭuring The Great Depression, Pauline and Petrova attend school at Cromwell House, but Sylvia cannot afford to send Posy. He also leaves Sylvia enough money for five years. Gum explains that Posy's father died and her mother is unable to care for her daughter. In 1923, Gum adopts a third baby, Posy, who arrives with her mother's ballet shoes and necklaces for the three girls. Two years later, Gum adopts Petrova, a Russian baby girl. He names her Pauline Fossil and legally adopts her. Gum brings home an orphaned baby girl, whose parents died on the RMS Titanic. Years later, Sylvia is now grown and still living with Gum and Nana. Gum is often away collecting fossils, but he sends Sylvia letters and presents, and she comes to love him. Gum, a paleontologist, is reluctant to take his niece in, but relents when he learns he is her only living relative. Jakes, and Richard Griffiths as Gum.Ī practical young orphan, Sylvia Brown, and her stern nurse Nana come to live at her uncle Gum's house in London, England after her parents die tragically. The television film stars Yasmin Paige as Petrova Fossil, Lucy Boynton as Posy Fossil, Emilia Fox as Sylvia Brown, Victoria Wood as Nana and former Harry Potter actors Emma Watson as Pauline Fossil, Gemma Jones as Dr. It is directed by Sandra Goldbacher.Ī previous adaptation of Ballet Shoes was produced in serialįormat by the BBC in 1975 and directed by Timothy Combe. It was produced by Granada Productions (formerly Granada Television) and premiered on BBC One on 26 December 2007. Ballet Shoes is a 2007 British television film, adapted by Heidi Thomas from Noel Streatfeild's 1936 novel Ballet Shoes.
