Not currently on display at the V&A

The Escape from the Seraglio

Theatre Design
1967 (designed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Design by Malcolm Pride for Mattiwilda Dobbs (b.1925) as Constanza in The Escape from the Seraglio, Phoenix Opera Company, Bath Festival, 1967.

Malcolm Pride (1930-2003) trained at the Old Vic School. His first major design commission was Volpone for the 1952 season at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon. He went on to design sets and costumes for theatre, ballet and opera productions, and his work was seen in London's West End, at Sadler's Wells and the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, and at the Edinburgh Festival. In 1973 he became Head of the Theatre Design Department at Wimbledon College of Art, a post which he held for 27 years.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleThe Escape from the Seraglio (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Watercolour, gouache and pencil on paper, with fabric samples pinned to the design.
Brief description
Design by Malcolm Pride for Mattiwilda Dobbs (b.1925) as Constanza in The Escape from the Seraglio, Phoenix Opera Company, Bath Festival, 1967
Physical description
Design by Malcolm Pride for Constanza as Mattiwilda Dobbs in The Escape from the Seraglio,1967. It shows a full length female figure dressed in a deep green and black dress with a close fitting bodice and a full, wide skirt. The bodice is cut low across the shoulders and ends in wide,turned back cuffs at the wrists. The figure carries a closed, black fan in her right hand, and a veil, trimmed with feathers, has been pinned to her hair.

A small samples of metallic green fabric has been attached to the top right hand corner of the design using a paperclip.

Handwritten annotation recording details relating to the costume and decoration, has been added to the design using pencil.
Dimensions
  • Height: 35.3cm
  • Width: 25.1cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'The Flight from the Seraglio/BATH 1967' (Handwritten annotation in pencil, bottom left hand corner.)
  • 'FOR DETAILS SEE/OTHER DRAWINGS' (Handwritten annotation in pencil, top left side of design)
  • 'Malcolm Pride' (Handwritten annotation in pencil, signature of artist. Bottom left hand corner.)
  • 'CONSTANZA/MATTAWILDA/DOBBS' (Handwritten annotation in pencil, left hand side of design.)
Credit line
Given by the estate of Malcolm Pride
Summary
Design by Malcolm Pride for Mattiwilda Dobbs (b.1925) as Constanza in The Escape from the Seraglio, Phoenix Opera Company, Bath Festival, 1967.

Malcolm Pride (1930-2003) trained at the Old Vic School. His first major design commission was Volpone for the 1952 season at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon. He went on to design sets and costumes for theatre, ballet and opera productions, and his work was seen in London's West End, at Sadler's Wells and the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, and at the Edinburgh Festival. In 1973 he became Head of the Theatre Design Department at Wimbledon College of Art, a post which he held for 27 years.
Collection
Accession number
S.308-2015

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Record createdMarch 19, 2015
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