Not currently on display at the V&A

King Henry VI

Design
1957 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Design by Leslie Hurry for two chests and a coffin for William Shakespeare's King Henry VI by the Old Vic Company 1957.

King Henry VI by William Shakespeare, directed by Douglas Seale with set, property and costume designs was first performed at the Old Vic in October 1957 with Parts 1 and 2 opening on 16 October, and Part 3 on 17 October.

Douglas Seale's production followed on from his staging of the three plays in Birmingham four years earlier, but cut so that Parts 1 and 2 could be presented on one evening. Philip Hope Wallace in the Manchester Gurdian (18 October 1957) considered that Hurry's scenery was 'effective enough: a murky cavern, with side kennels and a fusty gloom about it...but pieces of scenery dangled and flapped, and here [as with the overall production[ was a general feeling that the grand design and strategy are still not quite finished'. Punch 23 October 1957 noted that 'Leslie Hurry has dressed it well, and his sloping stage edged by dark caverns fits it without fuss.'

The scenery was made in the Old Vic workshop under the direction of W. H. Parker and painted by Leslie Woolnough. Photographs by Angus McBean in the core collection of the Theatre & Performance Collections show the set as realised.




Object details

Category
Object type
TitleKing Henry VI (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Ink and watercolour on paper.
Brief description
Design by Leslie Hurry for two chests and a coffin for William Shakespeare's King Henry VI by the Old Vic Company 1957.
Physical description
Ink and watercolour on paper design by Leslie Hurry for two chests and a coffin for William Shakespeare's King Henry VI by the Old Vic Company 1957. The design depicts a red chest with gold trim, a light brown chest with dark brown trim, and a black and blue coffin with a sword laid on top.
Dimensions
  • Height: 30cm
  • Width: 23cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • Leslie Hurry (Signature on front side in ink)
  • 1' 6" 12" 9" (Measurements for red chest in red pencil on front side)
  • 1' 6" 12" 12" (Measurements for brown chest in red pencil on front side)
  • 1' 4" 2' 0" 6' 0" 1' 0" 1-3' (Measurements for coffin in pencil on front side)
  • Henry VI Coffin (On front side in ink)
  • Top (On reverse side in blue ink)
  • H/Henry VI/1 (On reverse side in pencil)
Credit line
Given by Mrs Caro Rathbone
Summary
Design by Leslie Hurry for two chests and a coffin for William Shakespeare's King Henry VI by the Old Vic Company 1957.

King Henry VI by William Shakespeare, directed by Douglas Seale with set, property and costume designs was first performed at the Old Vic in October 1957 with Parts 1 and 2 opening on 16 October, and Part 3 on 17 October.

Douglas Seale's production followed on from his staging of the three plays in Birmingham four years earlier, but cut so that Parts 1 and 2 could be presented on one evening. Philip Hope Wallace in the Manchester Gurdian (18 October 1957) considered that Hurry's scenery was 'effective enough: a murky cavern, with side kennels and a fusty gloom about it...but pieces of scenery dangled and flapped, and here [as with the overall production[ was a general feeling that the grand design and strategy are still not quite finished'. Punch 23 October 1957 noted that 'Leslie Hurry has dressed it well, and his sloping stage edged by dark caverns fits it without fuss.'

The scenery was made in the Old Vic workshop under the direction of W. H. Parker and painted by Leslie Woolnough. Photographs by Angus McBean in the core collection of the Theatre & Performance Collections show the set as realised.


Collection
Accession number
S.1836-2014

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Record createdAugust 7, 2014
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