Not currently on display at the V&A

Drury Lane Design Collection

Album
1897
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Design from an album of costume designs by Attilio Comelli (1858-1925) for a production of Babes in the Wood at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in 1897. It shows the costume worn by the 'Guards of the Prince'.

Comelli (1858-1925) was the house designer of the Royal Opera House from the late 1880s to the early 1920s. During this period he also worked for the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane and also designed costumes from a number of Gilbert & Sullivan productions.

The designs were produced for a production of Babes in the Wood at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in 1897. The production was written and invented by Arthur Sturgess and Arthur Collins, with music composed, selected and arranged by J.M.Glover. The costumes were specially designed and supervised by A.Comelli. They were made by Swan and Edgar, B.J. Simmons, Auguste et Cie, Chas., Mrs. S. May, Westoby, Debenham and Freebody, Morris Angel and Son, Fisher, Miss. Collier and Alias.

The pantomime Babes in the Wood was originally based on an old English ballad from 1595, called 'The Children in the Wood' or 'The Norfolk Gentleman's Last Will and Testament' and tells the story of two children, abandoned deep in the forest upon the orders of their Wicked Uncle. It was first staged in 1793 as an opera called, The Children in the Wood, at the Haymarket Theatre. A version of the story was revived again at the Drury Lane Theatre in 1827 in a pantomime entitled Harlequin and Cock Robin or The Babes in the Wood, the finale of which included tightrope walking! In 1867 the character of Robin Hood was introduced to the story and in most interpretations of the story he arrives to rescue ‘the babes’. In the 1897 production of Babes in the Wood at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane starred the adult comedians Dan Leno (1860-1904) and Herbert Campbell (1844-1904) as ‘The Boy Babe’ and ‘The Girl Babe’, though most previous, and subsequent, productions cast small children, or juvenile performers, in these roles. In the second half of the pantomime, which also featured Harriet Vernon (1852[?]-1923) as Robin Hood, the babes grew up, and were seen enjoying a fashionable and exciting life in the city.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleDrury Lane Design Collection (named collection)
Materials and techniques
watercolour on tracing paper
Brief description
Design from an album of costumes designs by Attilio Comelli (1858-1925), created for a production of Babes in the Wood at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in 1897.
Physical description
Design from an album of costume designs by Attilio Comelli (1858-1925) for a production of Babes in the Wood at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in 1897. The design has been created with watercolour paint on tracing paper and mounted on paper. It shows the costume for 'The Guards of the Prince'. The costume consists of white close fitting breeches, worn with a pale grey jacket with stiff, wide, shoulders, an upright collar and highlights in silver and gold. A crimson sash runs from the right shoulder to the left hip where it is tied in a large bow and there is also a silver and gold helmet with a large plume of upright white feathers.
Dimensions
  • Length: 35.5cm (approximate)
  • Width: 26.8cm (approximate)
The edges of the backing paper are uneven and damaged
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'Miss Budd/Hall K/-/Pagel/Harrison/Da Costa/-/Hammack[?]' (Handwritten annotation in pencil, top left hand corner. )
  • 'Scene III' (Handwritten annotation in blue pencil crayon in the top right hand corner.)
  • '6/Scene 3/to enter with prince' (Handwritten annotation in pencil, top right hand corner)
  • 'Guards of the Prince' (Handwritten annotation in blue pencil crayon, bottom left hand corner. )
  • 'Dragoons' (Handwritten annotation in pencil, bottom right hand corner.)
Credit line
Given by George Hoare, Archivist of the Theatre Royal Drury Lane
Object history
This album contains a series of costume designs by Attilio Comelli (1858-1925). Comelli was the house designer of the Royal Opera House from the late 1880s to the early 1920s. During this period he also worked for the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane and also designed costumes from a number of Gilbert & Sullivan productions. The programme for this particular production declares that the costumes were 'specially designed and supervised' by the designer.
Association
Literary referenceBabes in the Wood
Summary
Design from an album of costume designs by Attilio Comelli (1858-1925) for a production of Babes in the Wood at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in 1897. It shows the costume worn by the 'Guards of the Prince'.

Comelli (1858-1925) was the house designer of the Royal Opera House from the late 1880s to the early 1920s. During this period he also worked for the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane and also designed costumes from a number of Gilbert & Sullivan productions.

The designs were produced for a production of Babes in the Wood at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in 1897. The production was written and invented by Arthur Sturgess and Arthur Collins, with music composed, selected and arranged by J.M.Glover. The costumes were specially designed and supervised by A.Comelli. They were made by Swan and Edgar, B.J. Simmons, Auguste et Cie, Chas., Mrs. S. May, Westoby, Debenham and Freebody, Morris Angel and Son, Fisher, Miss. Collier and Alias.

The pantomime Babes in the Wood was originally based on an old English ballad from 1595, called 'The Children in the Wood' or 'The Norfolk Gentleman's Last Will and Testament' and tells the story of two children, abandoned deep in the forest upon the orders of their Wicked Uncle. It was first staged in 1793 as an opera called, The Children in the Wood, at the Haymarket Theatre. A version of the story was revived again at the Drury Lane Theatre in 1827 in a pantomime entitled Harlequin and Cock Robin or The Babes in the Wood, the finale of which included tightrope walking! In 1867 the character of Robin Hood was introduced to the story and in most interpretations of the story he arrives to rescue ‘the babes’. In the 1897 production of Babes in the Wood at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane starred the adult comedians Dan Leno (1860-1904) and Herbert Campbell (1844-1904) as ‘The Boy Babe’ and ‘The Girl Babe’, though most previous, and subsequent, productions cast small children, or juvenile performers, in these roles. In the second half of the pantomime, which also featured Harriet Vernon (1852[?]-1923) as Robin Hood, the babes grew up, and were seen enjoying a fashionable and exciting life in the city.
Collection
Accession number
S.751:10-2012

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Record createdAugust 23, 2012
Record URL
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