Costume Design
1952 (designed)
1952 (designed)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Oliver Messel (1904-1978) was Britain's leading theatre designer throughout the 1930s, '40s and '50s, mastering every aspect of entertainment - ballet, drama, film, musical, opera and revue - as well as working in interior decoration and textile design. His lavish, painterly and romantic concepts were perfectly in tune with the times and earned him an international reputation. By 1960, however, that style was becoming unfashionable, and Messel gradually abandoned theatre and built a new career designing luxury homes in the Caribbean.
Under the Sycamore Tree, a satire on human 'progress', was performed at the Aldwych Theatre, London, in 1952 and directed by Peter Glenville, with Alec Guinness and Diana Churchill in the leading roles. Glenville recalled that the play was meant to be set in a modern hotel, but Messel only agreed to work on the production if, instead of a hotel, the action could take place in an underground ant colony, and if the characters could be dressed as humanised ants.
The General, played by Peter Bull. represents conservativism in the ant colony, and is opposed to the revolutionary ideas of Alec Guinness's Scientist.
Under the Sycamore Tree, a satire on human 'progress', was performed at the Aldwych Theatre, London, in 1952 and directed by Peter Glenville, with Alec Guinness and Diana Churchill in the leading roles. Glenville recalled that the play was meant to be set in a modern hotel, but Messel only agreed to work on the production if, instead of a hotel, the action could take place in an underground ant colony, and if the characters could be dressed as humanised ants.
The General, played by Peter Bull. represents conservativism in the ant colony, and is opposed to the revolutionary ideas of Alec Guinness's Scientist.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | |
| Materials and techniques | Charcoal, ink and watercolour on paper |
| Brief description | Costume design by Oliver Messel for the General in Sam Spewack's play Under the Sycamore Tree, Aldwych Theatre, London, 1952. |
| Physical description | Costume design by Oliver Messel for the General in Under the Sycamore Tree, 1952. Full length male figure with a large bulbous head, standing with his hands on his hips. He is wearing 1940s style khaki battle dress and baseball boots. Unsigned. |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Acquired with the support of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Art Fund and the Friends of the V&A |
| Object history | Lord Snowdon, Oliver Messel's nephew, inherited Messel's theatre designs and other designs and artefacts. The designs were briefly stored in a disused chapel in Kensington Palace before being housed at the V&A from 1981 on indefinite loan. The V&A Theatre Museum purchased the Oliver Messel collection from Lord Snowdon in 2005. |
| Summary | Oliver Messel (1904-1978) was Britain's leading theatre designer throughout the 1930s, '40s and '50s, mastering every aspect of entertainment - ballet, drama, film, musical, opera and revue - as well as working in interior decoration and textile design. His lavish, painterly and romantic concepts were perfectly in tune with the times and earned him an international reputation. By 1960, however, that style was becoming unfashionable, and Messel gradually abandoned theatre and built a new career designing luxury homes in the Caribbean. Under the Sycamore Tree, a satire on human 'progress', was performed at the Aldwych Theatre, London, in 1952 and directed by Peter Glenville, with Alec Guinness and Diana Churchill in the leading roles. Glenville recalled that the play was meant to be set in a modern hotel, but Messel only agreed to work on the production if, instead of a hotel, the action could take place in an underground ant colony, and if the characters could be dressed as humanised ants. The General, played by Peter Bull. represents conservativism in the ant colony, and is opposed to the revolutionary ideas of Alec Guinness's Scientist. |
| Bibliographic reference | Pinkham, Roger (ed.) Oliver Messel: an exhibition held at the Theatre Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, 22 June - 30 September 1983.
London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1983. 200p., ill. |
| Other number | ROT 4019 - TM Rotation Number |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.821-2011 |
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| Record created | August 22, 2011 |
| Record URL |
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