Romeo and Juliet
Theatre Costume
1965 (designed)
1965 (designed)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Costume for a Harlot worn by Monica Mason, consisting of a dress, a pair of shoes and a wig:
S.1696-1982 (Dress)
Three quarter length dress in tones of gold, cream and black. The dress has a close fitting bodice with long sleeves and a full skirt. The collar is low and round and a panel of pale peach/pink net has been set into the neckline of the bodice, reaching to the base of the bustline at the centre front and around the shoulder line at the rear. This panel is embellished with metal discs and imitation jewels and creates the illusion that the dress has a very low cut bodice and that the dancer is wearing a necklace.
Beneath this net panel is a further panel of heavy cream silk satin, decorated with an interlinked pattern of teardrops and circles formed from black chenille[?] cord. This panel reaches across the blusline and extends into the top half of the sleeves (which are formed in three parts, with extra fullness at the elbow).
The body of the of the dress and the skirt is made from a gold ribbed silk with a raised design formed from squares of interconnected lengths of gold silk ribbon, decorated with a chain stitch pattern in silver thread, running across the surface.
The sleeve cuffs, waistband and hem are defined with wide panels of cream silk, embellished with circles and lines formed from black chenille[?] cord. The panel at the waistband incorporates a central, circular disc, with two wide lengths of cream silk hanging beneath it.
The skirt and bodice of the dress are lined with cream cotton. Wired shaped 'cups' (to support the bust) have been added to the interior of the bodice. The dress fastens at the centre back and is secured with alternating hooks and eyes and press studs, which run in a vertical line from the centre back of the neckline to the waist.
S.1696A and B-1982 (Shoes)
Pair of shoes
S.1696C-1982 (Wig)
Wig made from brown human hair on a cotton gauze and caul net foundation with a lace front. The lace front has been replaced, suggesting this is a pre-war wig that has been re-lined and re-used for this production. The hair at the back of the wig has been curled and secured with a band of braided hair. A chord of millinery elastic would have secured the wig in place underneath the chin
S.1696-1982 (Dress)
Three quarter length dress in tones of gold, cream and black. The dress has a close fitting bodice with long sleeves and a full skirt. The collar is low and round and a panel of pale peach/pink net has been set into the neckline of the bodice, reaching to the base of the bustline at the centre front and around the shoulder line at the rear. This panel is embellished with metal discs and imitation jewels and creates the illusion that the dress has a very low cut bodice and that the dancer is wearing a necklace.
Beneath this net panel is a further panel of heavy cream silk satin, decorated with an interlinked pattern of teardrops and circles formed from black chenille[?] cord. This panel reaches across the blusline and extends into the top half of the sleeves (which are formed in three parts, with extra fullness at the elbow).
The body of the of the dress and the skirt is made from a gold ribbed silk with a raised design formed from squares of interconnected lengths of gold silk ribbon, decorated with a chain stitch pattern in silver thread, running across the surface.
The sleeve cuffs, waistband and hem are defined with wide panels of cream silk, embellished with circles and lines formed from black chenille[?] cord. The panel at the waistband incorporates a central, circular disc, with two wide lengths of cream silk hanging beneath it.
The skirt and bodice of the dress are lined with cream cotton. Wired shaped 'cups' (to support the bust) have been added to the interior of the bodice. The dress fastens at the centre back and is secured with alternating hooks and eyes and press studs, which run in a vertical line from the centre back of the neckline to the waist.
S.1696A and B-1982 (Shoes)
Pair of shoes
S.1696C-1982 (Wig)
Wig made from brown human hair on a cotton gauze and caul net foundation with a lace front. The lace front has been replaced, suggesting this is a pre-war wig that has been re-lined and re-used for this production. The hair at the back of the wig has been curled and secured with a band of braided hair. A chord of millinery elastic would have secured the wig in place underneath the chin
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 4 parts. (Some alternative part names are also shown below)
|
| Title | Romeo and Juliet (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Silk; Cotton; Chenille; Metal; net; plastic |
| Brief description | Costume for a Harlot worn by Monica Mason in Kenneth MacMillan's ballet Romeo and Juliet, The Royal Ballet, Covent Garden, 1965 |
| Physical description | Costume for a Harlot worn by Monica Mason, consisting of a dress, a pair of shoes and a wig: S.1696-1982 (Dress) Three quarter length dress in tones of gold, cream and black. The dress has a close fitting bodice with long sleeves and a full skirt. The collar is low and round and a panel of pale peach/pink net has been set into the neckline of the bodice, reaching to the base of the bustline at the centre front and around the shoulder line at the rear. This panel is embellished with metal discs and imitation jewels and creates the illusion that the dress has a very low cut bodice and that the dancer is wearing a necklace. Beneath this net panel is a further panel of heavy cream silk satin, decorated with an interlinked pattern of teardrops and circles formed from black chenille[?] cord. This panel reaches across the blusline and extends into the top half of the sleeves (which are formed in three parts, with extra fullness at the elbow). The body of the of the dress and the skirt is made from a gold ribbed silk with a raised design formed from squares of interconnected lengths of gold silk ribbon, decorated with a chain stitch pattern in silver thread, running across the surface. The sleeve cuffs, waistband and hem are defined with wide panels of cream silk, embellished with circles and lines formed from black chenille[?] cord. The panel at the waistband incorporates a central, circular disc, with two wide lengths of cream silk hanging beneath it. The skirt and bodice of the dress are lined with cream cotton. Wired shaped 'cups' (to support the bust) have been added to the interior of the bodice. The dress fastens at the centre back and is secured with alternating hooks and eyes and press studs, which run in a vertical line from the centre back of the neckline to the waist. S.1696A and B-1982 (Shoes) Pair of shoes S.1696C-1982 (Wig) Wig made from brown human hair on a cotton gauze and caul net foundation with a lace front. The lace front has been replaced, suggesting this is a pre-war wig that has been re-lined and re-used for this production. The hair at the back of the wig has been curled and secured with a band of braided hair. A chord of millinery elastic would have secured the wig in place underneath the chin |
| Dimensions |
|
| Production type | Unique |
| Marks and inscriptions | 'ROYAL OPERA HOUSE/PRODUCTION: Romeo & Julier/ACT: 1, SCENE 1/Character: TOWNSLADY/Name: MASON/COVENT GARDEN' (Typed text and handwritten annotation, black ink on white ground. Production label, interior of garment.) |
| Credit line | Given by the Royal Academy of Dance |
| Object history | Costume for a Harlot worn by Monica Mason in Kenneth MacMillan's ballet 'Romeo and Juliet', The Royal Ballet, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, February 9th 1965. The music for the ballet was composed by Sergey Prokofiev, and the scenery and costumes were designed by Nicholas Georgiadis. MacMillan created the leading roles on Lynn Seymour and Christopher Gable, although the first performance was led by Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev. The ballet was an immensely popular addition to The Royal Ballet repertoire, and Georgiadis redesigned the production for The Royal Ballet on two separate occasions (1978 & 2000). The costumes in the Theatre Museum collection date from the 1965 production. The ballet has also entered the repertoires of several other ballet companies including the Royal Swedish Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, the Ballet of La Scala, Milan, and the New National Ballet of Tokyo. A version of the ballet was performed on October 9th 1975 at the Spa Pavilion, Felixstowe by Ballet For All. |
| Production | Reason For Production: Commission |
| Subject depicted | |
| Associations | |
| Literary reference | Romeo and Juliet |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.1696&C-1982 |
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| Record created | March 3, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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