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Not currently on display at the V&A

Maria Bjornson design

Costume Design
1986 (drawn)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Design for The Phantom in the Masquerade scene in Act II, scene i of The Phantom of the Opera, showing a full-length male figure dressed in shades of red, standing on a sweeping staircase. He wears a 16th century style doublet and breeches, the doublet with wide vertical slashing to the front and full, slashed sleeves, the slashings edged in gold revealing a black and gold undershirt beneath, the breeches banded with diagonal stripes of gold on each leg and with large gold rosettes and a double string of white beads at the knee, and red gloves, stockings and low heeled shoes, each shoe decorated with a gold rosette, and a voluminous red cloak with gold tassels. On his head is a large plumed hat, the wide brim curving upwards to the front and edged in gold lace, and a full mask in the form of a skull, with a fringed gold scarf covering the sides and neck. The balstraded staircase is sketched in pencil. Fabric swatches in shades of gold and shades of red are attached by metal pins to the right hand edge. The design is signed and is inscribed in pencil with the production title, the theatre, the scene and the name of the character and the actor.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleMaria Bjornson design (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Pencil, pen and ink, gouache, gold paint and silver paint on paper, with attached fabric swatches
Brief description
Design by Maria Bjornson for The Phantom in the Masquerade scene in Act II, scene i, of The Phantom of the Opera, Her Majesty's Theatre, 1986
Physical description
Design for The Phantom in the Masquerade scene in Act II, scene i of The Phantom of the Opera, showing a full-length male figure dressed in shades of red, standing on a sweeping staircase. He wears a 16th century style doublet and breeches, the doublet with wide vertical slashing to the front and full, slashed sleeves, the slashings edged in gold revealing a black and gold undershirt beneath, the breeches banded with diagonal stripes of gold on each leg and with large gold rosettes and a double string of white beads at the knee, and red gloves, stockings and low heeled shoes, each shoe decorated with a gold rosette, and a voluminous red cloak with gold tassels. On his head is a large plumed hat, the wide brim curving upwards to the front and edged in gold lace, and a full mask in the form of a skull, with a fringed gold scarf covering the sides and neck. The balstraded staircase is sketched in pencil. Fabric swatches in shades of gold and shades of red are attached by metal pins to the right hand edge. The design is signed and is inscribed in pencil with the production title, the theatre, the scene and the name of the character and the actor.
Dimensions
  • Poster height: 51cm
  • Poster width: 31.8cm
Production typeUnique
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'The Phantom Masquerade / Michael Crawford / Act II sc i.' (Textual information; Upper right hand corner; Handwriting; Pencil)
  • ' 'Phantom of the Opera' Her Majesties Theatre' (Textual information; Lower left hand corner; Handwriting; Pencil)
  • 'Maria Bjornson' (Signature; Lower right hand corner; Handwriting; Pencil)
Object history
This design was made for the first production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical, The Phantom of the Opera, Her Majesty's Theatre, 9 October 1986. The Phantom was played by Michael Crawford.
Literary reference<i>The Phantom of the Opera</i>
Bibliographic reference
Maria Björnson. London: 1997 no.85
Collection
Accession number
S.273-1999

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Record createdSeptember 1, 2000
Record URL
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