From the set to the page – after 45 years working with the most unlikely of performers, Pat Ward talks to Dawn Anderson about her recently published book, Thespian Tails. Lights. Camera. Animals…
If you watch television and films, you may never have given a thought to the animals that are in the scene, other than maybe thinking them cute (if furry) or scary (if they have scales).
But every animal in every production will have been carefully chosen for its look, its temperament and, more importantly, its ability to be trained. That is where ‘wranglers’ like Pat Ward have been essential to any production.
In her recently published book, Thespian Tails, she shares the places she has been to and the characters that she has met, with both two legs and four, a ‘kaleidoscopic recollection of amazing, happy times.’
It is a ‘warts and all’, jam-packed account of the highs and lows of working with a whole array of creatures including elephants, brown mice, stick insects and tadpoles. Pat has always championed animal welfare and safety and this has led to a few run-ins with difficult and unreasonable directors.
She met me at her farmhouse just outside Bolsover which she shares with her husband Les and a small menagerie of animals, including donkeys, horses and dogs. They both worked together in ‘the business’ – and it was how they met. But Pat’s life with animals had started long before then.
She ‘retired’ from film and TV work about four years ago, preferring to ease out gradually. After 45 years she could be justified in having a rest but, despite being in her eighth decade, she shows no signs of slowing down. There may be no early dawn travelling to way-off locations, or crouching behind bushes, but she still keeps busy with the animals and runs a small business.Pat’s book gives a unique insight into not only her life as a ‘wrangler’, supplying animals (and props) to film and tv, but also her path into this ‘crazy showbiz world’. Pat describes herself as a very ordinary person who for some 40 years did a ‘not-so ordinary’ sort of job.
“Thespian Tails is more than a memoir, it feels like an adventure into a different world.”
Most people will have heard the saying ‘don’t work with children or animals’, usually because of their unpredictability, so to forge a career out of working with them is a great achievement and takes someone special, maybe not a celebrity, but definitely not ‘a very ordinary person’.
Pat is a direct, no-nonsense and grounded woman who has a strong commitment to the welfare of animals. She is passionate and yet has a great sense of humour and a definite twinkle in her eye.
“These are clever animals, acting animals, canine and equestrian – they aren’t circus animals that do tricks,” she says. “Most people have no idea what goes on behind the scenes to prepare them or assess them for their confidence and acting abilities.”
Over the years, she owned lots of animals herself, but also sourced creatures from other people depending on the production; there are plenty of amusing tales about finding them in the most unusual of settings.
Having read the book and loved it I wanted to find out what inspired Pat to write it? On film sets and in studios, a lot of time is spent waiting around while a host of people set up the shots. Sometimes this can mean several hours of sitting around for a five-minute scene. It was during these times that Pat put pen to paper.
“I would be on location or studio, waiting around like you do, and had the time to observe and watch,” she recalls. “It started with scribbles on the back of scripts and location maps and schedule and just carried on from there.”
Pat jotted down her thoughts and experiences for years, intending to tidy up her notes and give them to her granddaughter one day as a sort of family history. She was encouraged by certain directors and researchers to write a book. She declined offers of help and didn’t want any artistic license and needed to retain the authenticity of the stories.
So, the idea lay unfulfilled until her granddaughter, Victoria, picked up a copy of Reflections magazine while sitting in the waiting area of an accountancy firm. The edition contained an advert for Bannister Publications, which ultimately gave Pat the much-needed nudge to get in touch.
It was not without a lot of work that the book came to fruition. Pat laughs as she recalls the huge mound of screwed up papers that grew daily as she rejected versions she was unhappy with. Pat wanted it to be the absolute best that it could be and she rose to the challenge. As the book shows, she is resilient, never afraid of a challenge and always finds a way.
Thespian Tails was published in November 2025. It will appeal to anyone who likes a good collection of stories (and pictures); you don’t need to know anything about TV or film to enjoy it. In fact, you will learn a lot about the world of ‘showbiz’.
Perhaps its greatest charm is that it captures the spirit of Pat, and her great perspective on life. She believes in doing things while you can and not waiting.
“You can’t turn the clock back and don’t wait for birthdays and Christmas because every day you’ve got is your birthday!” she says.
Pat has packed in a lot over the course of 45 years and a list in the book of productions she has worked on is a testament to how highly she was regarded. Steve Pemberton from The League of Gentleman also produced a lovely foreword for the book.
The first copies were hot off the press at the end of last year and, much to her surprise, quickly sold.
“They have all gone! Over there was piled high with boxes of books,” she points to the corner of the room where just one empty box is left. “That was from end of November, first week in December. They went like bloody mince pies! I couldn’t believe it!” she laughs. Luckily another print run is in motion so more copies will soon be available.
As I leave, I ask her if there will be another volume. She looks surprised because she views Thespian Tails as complete, but I can’t help but wonder if there are more stories she could tell us? I secretly hope so. Maybe Thespian Tails, the sequel!
• Copies of Thespian Tails are available from: www.bannisterpublications.com/bookstore