Robinson Crusoe
Set Design
1957 (designed)
1957 (designed)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Design for a Backcloth, showing 'A Rocky Beach near Panama', created for Robinson Crusoe, London Palladium, 1957.
In 1947, Val Parnell took over the management of the London Palladium, one of the largest theatres in Britain. Under Parnell, the Palladium presented large-scale spectacular pantomimes until 1987 and became known as the Home of Pantomime due to its lavish productions featuring the biggest celebrity names of the time.
Robinson Crusoe was the West End’s only pantomime in 1957 and ran until 5th April 1958 starring comics Arthur Askey as Big Hearted Martha and Tommy Cooper as Abu.
The show’s scenary, designed by Edward Delany, achieved great praise, with the Daily Telegraph describing it as “lavish and glittering” and the Observer commenting that “magnificent and ever-changing splendours hold the eye.”
The production cost £40,000 to stage and is reported by the [Manchester] Guardian as having drawn “noises of pleasure” from the audience as scenes such as the Port of Panama, Davy Jones’ Locker, The Belly of a Whale and the Island of Juan Fernandez were revealed.
In 1947, Val Parnell took over the management of the London Palladium, one of the largest theatres in Britain. Under Parnell, the Palladium presented large-scale spectacular pantomimes until 1987 and became known as the Home of Pantomime due to its lavish productions featuring the biggest celebrity names of the time.
Robinson Crusoe was the West End’s only pantomime in 1957 and ran until 5th April 1958 starring comics Arthur Askey as Big Hearted Martha and Tommy Cooper as Abu.
The show’s scenary, designed by Edward Delany, achieved great praise, with the Daily Telegraph describing it as “lavish and glittering” and the Observer commenting that “magnificent and ever-changing splendours hold the eye.”
The production cost £40,000 to stage and is reported by the [Manchester] Guardian as having drawn “noises of pleasure” from the audience as scenes such as the Port of Panama, Davy Jones’ Locker, The Belly of a Whale and the Island of Juan Fernandez were revealed.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Robinson Crusoe (popular title) |
| Materials and techniques | Gouache and watercolour on paper. |
| Brief description | Design for a Backcloth, showing 'A Rocky Beach near Panama', created for Robinson Crusoe, London Palladium, 1957 |
| Physical description | Gouache and watercolour on card design for a Backcloth, showing 'A Rocky Beach near Panama', created for Robinson Crusoe, London Palladium, 1957. The Backcloth is executed in tones of blue and white features an island dominated with square stone buildings in the background. This island is surrounded by ships, sailing towards, and anchored next to it. The only other colour added to the scene is a small red and black buoy visible in the foreground at the right hand side. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Credit line | Given by Roger Fox |
| Summary | Design for a Backcloth, showing 'A Rocky Beach near Panama', created for Robinson Crusoe, London Palladium, 1957. In 1947, Val Parnell took over the management of the London Palladium, one of the largest theatres in Britain. Under Parnell, the Palladium presented large-scale spectacular pantomimes until 1987 and became known as the Home of Pantomime due to its lavish productions featuring the biggest celebrity names of the time. Robinson Crusoe was the West End’s only pantomime in 1957 and ran until 5th April 1958 starring comics Arthur Askey as Big Hearted Martha and Tommy Cooper as Abu. The show’s scenary, designed by Edward Delany, achieved great praise, with the Daily Telegraph describing it as “lavish and glittering” and the Observer commenting that “magnificent and ever-changing splendours hold the eye.” The production cost £40,000 to stage and is reported by the [Manchester] Guardian as having drawn “noises of pleasure” from the audience as scenes such as the Port of Panama, Davy Jones’ Locker, The Belly of a Whale and the Island of Juan Fernandez were revealed. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.316-2015 |
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| Record created | March 24, 2015 |
| Record URL |
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