Captain Macheath
Figurine
ca. 1920 (made)
ca. 1920 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This figurine represents the character Captain Macheath in Nigel Playfair's celebrated revival of John Gay's The Beggar's Opera, which opened at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, in June 1920, designed by Claud Lovat Fraser. It probably represents Frederick Ranalow, who played Macheath in the original cast. With music re-written and supplemented by Frederic Austin, Gay's 18th century ballad opera, featuring traditional tunes, took London by storm and put Hammersmith firmly on the theatrical map.
The huge popularity of this production, which ran for over three years, spawned a surprising quantity of figurines in porcelain and wax. They are an indication of the impact that the production made on designers and artists. The highly simplified, almost illustrative, quality of the designs was characteristic of British theatrical design in the wake of the impact of the Diaghilev Ballets Russes and in reaction against the detailed 19th century tradition of realism and historicism.
The huge popularity of this production, which ran for over three years, spawned a surprising quantity of figurines in porcelain and wax. They are an indication of the impact that the production made on designers and artists. The highly simplified, almost illustrative, quality of the designs was characteristic of British theatrical design in the wake of the impact of the Diaghilev Ballets Russes and in reaction against the detailed 19th century tradition of realism and historicism.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Captain Macheath (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Moulded and painted porcelain |
| Brief description | Figurine of Captain Macheath, probably as played by Frederick Ranalow in John Gay's The Beggar's Opera, Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, 1920 |
| Physical description | Porcelain figurine of Macheath in John Gay's The Beggar's Opera, Lyric Hammersmith, 1920. Full length male figure supported on a white column, moving from right to left across the integral rectangular base, the body twisted and the head looking over his left shoulder, his right arm held outwards and his right leg extended and the left hand on his hip. He wears a simplified 18th century costume of a tan jacket with one white lapel over a gold coloured waistcoat, white stockings, black shoes with red heels and white breeches. He wears a full bottomed wig and a black tricorne hat trimmed in gold. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | 'Captain Macheath' (Incised on front of base) |
| Credit line | Cyril W. Beaumont Bequest |
| Object history | The figure probably represents Frederick Ranalow, who played Captain Macheath in the original cast of John Gay's The Beggar's Opera in the celebrated 1920 revival by Nigel Playfair at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, designed by Claud Lovat Fraser. The figure came to the Museum as part of the Cyril Beaumont Bequest. The pose follows a drawing by Fraser used on a leaflet advertising the 1920 production. Beaumont was a friend of Lovat Fraser, who presented him with a small drawing of Macheath (S.412-2000). |
| Literary reference | The Beggar's Opera |
| Summary | This figurine represents the character Captain Macheath in Nigel Playfair's celebrated revival of John Gay's The Beggar's Opera, which opened at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, in June 1920, designed by Claud Lovat Fraser. It probably represents Frederick Ranalow, who played Macheath in the original cast. With music re-written and supplemented by Frederic Austin, Gay's 18th century ballad opera, featuring traditional tunes, took London by storm and put Hammersmith firmly on the theatrical map. The huge popularity of this production, which ran for over three years, spawned a surprising quantity of figurines in porcelain and wax. They are an indication of the impact that the production made on designers and artists. The highly simplified, almost illustrative, quality of the designs was characteristic of British theatrical design in the wake of the impact of the Diaghilev Ballets Russes and in reaction against the detailed 19th century tradition of realism and historicism. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.867-1981 |
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| Record created | November 26, 2001 |
| Record URL |
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