WAITING FOR CHURCHILL
the lookbook for a play by Candace Leung
Down Street Station exterior in 1907, featuring iconic ox-blood red tiles typical of Leslie Green designed stations throughout the network. Photographer unknown, London Transport Museum.
Pocket underground map from 1931. Down Street station was still on the map on the Piccadilly Line, firmly in the middle between Hyde Park Corner and Dover Street (now Green Park) stations. Down Street was very central but was never a busy station. Artist unknown, London Transport Museum.
Poster informing passengers of impending closure of Down Street station in 1932. London Transport Museum.
Down Street Station exterior in 1939, featuring Robert McAlpine Ltd. signage, a contractor, indicating works in progress at the already disused station. Photographer unknown, London Transport Museum.
Diagram of wartime telephone network emanating from Down Street Railway Executive Committee headquarters, with connections to the Admiralty, mainline railway termini, Scotland Yard and Bletchley Park. Down Street's central, underground location made it especially appealing for communications during wartime. London Transport Museum.
The Railway Executive Committee meets in an underground room in the disused Down Street station during the Second World War. Frank Pick, vice chairman of the London Transport Passenger Board Executive, is fourth from right. Down Street Underground station, off Piccadilly, provided the perfect central and safe location for the committee headquarters. Accommodation included a telephone exchange and eating and sleeping facilities. The station was also used by the Cabinet before the Cabinet War Rooms under Whitehall were ready. Down Street had not been used as a station since 1932. Photographer Topical Press, London Transport Museum.
Woman motorcycle messenger, Miss Daisy Andrews, formerly an LT canteen assistant. Motorcycle messengers would courier messages to Down Street station to the back of the station through the "mews" under the third arch on the right in the previous photograph. Photographer Fox Photos, London Transport Museum.
Clerical and industrial employees of London Transport, both male and female, working in a tunnel factory at Earls Court in their spare time. Note the temporary nature of the lighting. Photographer Topical Press, London Transport Museum.
A signals-woman linesman at work on the Underground during the Second World War, apparently testing a trackside telephone. Photographer Fox Photos, London Transport Museum.
Narrow passageway at Down Street disused station taken in 2015. Photographer Toby Madden, London Transport Museum.
Passageway and upward staircase at Down Street disused station taken in 2015. Photographer Toby Madden, London Transport Museum.
Passageway at Down Street disused station. London Transport Museum.
Remains of the telephone exchange at Down Street in 2023. Photographer Candace Leung.
Heavy, presumably blast protected door, separating the telephone exchange area of the underground Railway Executive Committee headquarters from the disused platform for the Piccadilly Line in 2023. Photographer Candace Leung.
Portion of passageway tunnel modified to create the typists' room at Down Street. Because passageways lead downward toward the platforms of the station, the grade made the space unsuitable for seated work involving things that roll downward (i.e., pencils). The raised portion where steps were eventually added leveled out the grade so typists could sit and type a bit more comfortably for longer periods of time. Photographer Candace Leung.
EXPATRIATED
prior work — writer, producer, performer
Candace Leung and Dominique Roberts. Photographer Liam Doyle.
Candace Leung and Dominique Roberts. Photographer Liam Doyle.
Dominique Roberts and Candace Leung. Photographer Liam Doyle.
Candace Leung and Dominique Roberts. Photographer Liam Doyle.
Dominique Roberts as Expat. Photographer Liam Doyle.
Dominique Roberts and Candace Leung. Photographer Liam Doyle.
Candace Leung as Immigrant. Photographer Liam Doyle.
KIM’S CONVENIENCE
prior work — performer
Jimmy Yi and Candace Leung. Photographer Victoria Davies.
Candace Leung. Photographer Victoria Davies.
Daniel Phung and Candace Leung. Photographer Victoria Davies.
Jimmy Yi and Candace Leung. Photographer Victoria Davies.
Candace Leung. Photographer Victoria Davies.
Daniel Phung and Candace Leung. Photographer Victoria Davies.