Macbeth
Costume Design
1970 (made)
1970 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Costume design for King Duncan in a probably unrealised production of Macbeth by William Shakespeare, created by Leslie Hurry, ca.1970.
Leslie Hurry (1909-1978) trained at the Royal Academy and during the 1930s became known as a surrealist painter. A one-man show in London in 1942 was seen by the theatre director, Michael Benthall, who recommended Hurry to the dancer and choreographer, Robert Helpmann, then planning a ballet based on Shakespeare's Hamlet. The success of his designs set Hurry on a second career as one of the most distinguished theatre designers of his generation. He designed operas, ballets and plays, notably Swan Lake for the Sadler's Wells Ballet in 1943, a production which stayed in the repertoire for thirty years; Venice Preserv'd for Peter Brook (1953); the Ring Cycle at Covent Garden (1954), and Troilus and Cressida at Stratford for Peter Hall (1960), famous for being staged in a sand pit.
In the 1970s Leslie Hurry was working on designs for a production of Macbeth for William Gaskill at the Royal Court Theatre, London that was never realised.
Leslie Hurry (1909-1978) trained at the Royal Academy and during the 1930s became known as a surrealist painter. A one-man show in London in 1942 was seen by the theatre director, Michael Benthall, who recommended Hurry to the dancer and choreographer, Robert Helpmann, then planning a ballet based on Shakespeare's Hamlet. The success of his designs set Hurry on a second career as one of the most distinguished theatre designers of his generation. He designed operas, ballets and plays, notably Swan Lake for the Sadler's Wells Ballet in 1943, a production which stayed in the repertoire for thirty years; Venice Preserv'd for Peter Brook (1953); the Ring Cycle at Covent Garden (1954), and Troilus and Cressida at Stratford for Peter Hall (1960), famous for being staged in a sand pit.
In the 1970s Leslie Hurry was working on designs for a production of Macbeth for William Gaskill at the Royal Court Theatre, London that was never realised.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Macbeth (assigned by artist) |
| Materials and techniques | Black ink, crayon, watercolour, and pencil drawing |
| Brief description | Costume design for King Duncan in a probably unrealised production of Macbeth by William Shakespeare, created by Leslie Hurry, ca.1970 |
| Physical description | Costume design for King Duncan in a probably unrealised production ofMacbeth by William Shakespeare, created by Leslie Hurry, ca.1970. The design shows a full length male figure. He is dressed in a full length, deep grey robe, with a brown and rust coloured sash draped over his right shoulder. He is carrying an upraised sword in his left hand and wears a crown. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Marks and inscriptions | 'King Duncan' (Handwritten annotation in pencil crayon, bottom left hand corner.) |
| Credit line | Given by Mrs Caro Rathbone |
| Literary reference | Macbeth |
| Summary | Costume design for King Duncan in a probably unrealised production of Macbeth by William Shakespeare, created by Leslie Hurry, ca.1970. Leslie Hurry (1909-1978) trained at the Royal Academy and during the 1930s became known as a surrealist painter. A one-man show in London in 1942 was seen by the theatre director, Michael Benthall, who recommended Hurry to the dancer and choreographer, Robert Helpmann, then planning a ballet based on Shakespeare's Hamlet. The success of his designs set Hurry on a second career as one of the most distinguished theatre designers of his generation. He designed operas, ballets and plays, notably Swan Lake for the Sadler's Wells Ballet in 1943, a production which stayed in the repertoire for thirty years; Venice Preserv'd for Peter Brook (1953); the Ring Cycle at Covent Garden (1954), and Troilus and Cressida at Stratford for Peter Hall (1960), famous for being staged in a sand pit. In the 1970s Leslie Hurry was working on designs for a production of Macbeth for William Gaskill at the Royal Court Theatre, London that was never realised. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.1948-2014 |
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| Record created | September 4, 2014 |
| Record URL |
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