Costume design
- Date:
- Artist/Maker:
Stone, Alix, born 1913 (costume designer)
- Materials and Techniques:
Pencil, pen & ink, ink, watercolour and black crayon, on paper
- Credit Line:
- Museum number:
- Gallery location:
- Image in copyright
Most costume designs show a single costume, which means that it can be difficult to visualise what it would look like on stage as one among many. Alix Stone would often draw groups of characters together, so that everyone could see the place of each design in the overall scheme. This was particularly important when designing opera, where the chorus usually works as a unit as well as individuals.
Designing everyday working clothes is perhaps more difficult than recreating period clothes. There is a danger of overall drabness or similarity of style. This is especially true in an opera like Peter Grimes, set in a Suffolk fishing village, where most men would wear traditional gurnsey sweaters and rubber boots and women drab working dress. Drawing groups again ensures that there is a variety to the look of the ensemble.
The attached fabric swatches give an idea how the costumes were given life, ranging from drab greys to a touch or red, small sprig and paisley all-over patterns set off with shades of white.
Physical description
Costume design for Female Chorus. The design depicts 8 full length female figures wearing mid 19th century style working costume in shades of grey, blue, green, brown, and yellow. The costumes consists of skirts, blouses, shawls and bonnets. The two far left figures carry fish baskets on their heads. 10 Fabric swatches have been pinned across the bottom of the design.
Date
1968 (painted, Drawn)
Artist/maker
Stone, Alix, born 1913 (costume designer)
Materials and Techniques
Pencil, pen & ink, ink, watercolour and black crayon, on paper
Marks and inscriptions
' Alix Stone '
' 14 / Pamela Molchen / Sunday / 14 / M. Welsh Hamilton / 15 / 16 / Kirsteen / Grant / 17 / Lorna / Miller / Anthea / Robb / Dyleth / Jones / 18 / 19 / J Quire '
' CHORUS '
PETER GRIMES
Dimensions
Height: 380 mm, Width: 753 mm
Object history note
This costume design by Alix Stone is part of an extensive collection of designs purchased by the Theatre Museum directly from the artist in 1994. The design was executed for a production of Benjamin Britten's opera "Peter Grimes", performed by Scottish Opera at the Edinburgh King's Theatre, August 19th 1968. The libretto by Montagu Slater is based on George Crabbe's poem "The Borough". The production was conducted by Alexander Gibson; directed by Colin Graham; and lit by Charles Bristow. The cast included Richard Cassilly as Peter and Phyllis Curtin as Ellen Orford.
The production was later revived by Scottish Opera in the springs of 1973 and 1980, and by English National Opera North in the spring of 1979.
Descriptive line
Costume design by Alix Stone for the Female Chorus in "Peter Grimes", Scottish Opera, Edinburgh King's Theatre, August 19th 1968.
Associated names
Britten, Benjamin Edward (Lord); George Crabbe
Production Note
Reason For Production: Commission
Materials
Paper; Pencil; Watercolour; Ink; Crayon
Techniques
Painted; Drawn
Subjects depicted
Costume; Opera
Categories
Entertainment & Leisure; Designs
Production Type
Unique
Collection code
T&P
