Dress
1984
| Artist/Maker |
The dress of the first costume designed by Philip Prowse for Panope in Jean Racine's play 'Phedra' performed at the Old Vic, London, 21st November 1984 by the Lupton Theatre Company.
Philip Prowse as director and designer put his stamp on this stylish, ‘thrilling’ staging. The stage was dominated by swaged curtains of tarnished gold, gilt throne, funeral urns and horses heads and the costumes, as John Barber said in his review in the Daily Telegraph, ‘approximate sumptuously to the period’ (that is the seventeenth century France of Racine). Milton Shulman however considered that the women’s voluminous robes ‘make them look as if they were trapped in ornate gas balloons’. The supporting role of Panope was performed by dancer-turned actress Freya Dominic who always moved beautifully in elaborate costumes
The English stage version of Racine's text was by Robert David MacDonald, and the production was directed and designed by Philip Prowse. The lighting was designed by Gerry Jenkinson, the producer was Colin Brough, and the production starred Glenda Jackson as Phedra. The production later transferred to the Aldwych Theatre, London.
Philip Prowse as director and designer put his stamp on this stylish, ‘thrilling’ staging. The stage was dominated by swaged curtains of tarnished gold, gilt throne, funeral urns and horses heads and the costumes, as John Barber said in his review in the Daily Telegraph, ‘approximate sumptuously to the period’ (that is the seventeenth century France of Racine). Milton Shulman however considered that the women’s voluminous robes ‘make them look as if they were trapped in ornate gas balloons’. The supporting role of Panope was performed by dancer-turned actress Freya Dominic who always moved beautifully in elaborate costumes
The English stage version of Racine's text was by Robert David MacDonald, and the production was directed and designed by Philip Prowse. The lighting was designed by Gerry Jenkinson, the producer was Colin Brough, and the production starred Glenda Jackson as Phedra. The production later transferred to the Aldwych Theatre, London.
Object details
| Object type | |
| Brief description | Dress of first costume worn by Freya Dominic as Panope designed by Philip Prowse for 'Phedra', Old Vic, London, 1984 |
| Physical description | First costume for Panope worn by Freya Dominic. Dress |
| Dimensions |
|
| Production type | Unique |
| Marks and inscriptions | ' Phedra / Panope / Miss F. Dominic ' (Label: Wallace & McMurray printed trade label)
|
| Gallery label | Gift of Colin Brough for The Lupton Theatre Company
Colin Brough is the founder of the Lupton Theatre Company. Over the past few years their productions in London have included 'Fat Harold' by Alan Bleasdale, 'Breezeblock Park' by Willy Russell, 'The Dark Horse' by Rosemary Ann Sisson, 'Summit Conference' by Robert David MacDonald, 'When the Wind Blows' by Raymond Briggs, 'Big in Brazil' by Bamber Gascoigne and 'Lennon' by Bob Eaton.
In 1984 Colin Brough commissioned a new translation of Racine's 'Phedra' from Robert david MacDonald, which he produced at the Old Vic in 1984 and subsequently at the Aldwych, only the second English production of the play to be seen in London. Glenda Jackson played Phedra, and Philip Prowse was director and designer, marrying French classical theatre dress of Racine's day with his own inimitable style.
1 Costume for Phedra worn by Glenda Jackson.
S.930-1985
2 Costume for Panope worn by Freya Dominic.
S.932-1985
3 Cloak for the dead Hippolyte.
S.933-1985
Gift also includes the costume for Theseus worn by Gerard Murphy.
S.930-1985 - S.933-1985
Sarah Woodcock & Philip Dyer(1987) |
| Object history | First costume for Panope worn by Freya Dominic in Jean Racine's play 'Phedra' performed at the Old Vic, London, 21st November 1984 by the Lupton Theatre Company. The English stage version of Racine's text was by Robert David MacDonald, and the production was directed and designed by Philip Prowse. The lighting was designed by Gerry Jenkinson, the producer was Colin Brough, and the production starred Glenda Jackson as Phedra. The production later transferred to the Aldwych Theatre, London. |
| Production | Reason For Production: Commission |
| Associations | |
| Literary references |
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| Summary | The dress of the first costume designed by Philip Prowse for Panope in Jean Racine's play 'Phedra' performed at the Old Vic, London, 21st November 1984 by the Lupton Theatre Company. Philip Prowse as director and designer put his stamp on this stylish, ‘thrilling’ staging. The stage was dominated by swaged curtains of tarnished gold, gilt throne, funeral urns and horses heads and the costumes, as John Barber said in his review in the Daily Telegraph, ‘approximate sumptuously to the period’ (that is the seventeenth century France of Racine). Milton Shulman however considered that the women’s voluminous robes ‘make them look as if they were trapped in ornate gas balloons’. The supporting role of Panope was performed by dancer-turned actress Freya Dominic who always moved beautifully in elaborate costumes The English stage version of Racine's text was by Robert David MacDonald, and the production was directed and designed by Philip Prowse. The lighting was designed by Gerry Jenkinson, the producer was Colin Brough, and the production starred Glenda Jackson as Phedra. The production later transferred to the Aldwych Theatre, London. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.932-1985 |
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| Record created | August 13, 2004 |
| Record URL |
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