Costume Design
1946 (Painted, drawn)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
Costume design for Fay Compton as Candida in Act III. The design depicts a full length female figure wearing a late 19th century style costume. The costume consists of a dark blue/purple dress with high collar and "leg of mutton" sleeves. To the right of the figure is a pencil drawing showing the back view of the bodice.
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Materials and techniques | Pencil, ink, and gouache on paper. |
Brief description | Costume design by Maise Meiklejohn for Fay Compton as Candida in Act III of "Candida", Continental tour 1946-7, and Piccadilly Theatre, March 27th 1947 |
Physical description | Costume design for Fay Compton as Candida in Act III. The design depicts a full length female figure wearing a late 19th century style costume. The costume consists of a dark blue/purple dress with high collar and "leg of mutton" sleeves. To the right of the figure is a pencil drawing showing the back view of the bodice. |
Dimensions |
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Production type | Unique |
Marks and inscriptions |
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Object history | This costume design by Maise Meiklejohn is part of an extensive collection of designs by the artist purchased by the Theatre Museum in 1990. The design was executed for a production of George Bernard Shaw's play "Candida" performed on a Continental tour in 1946-7, and at the Piccadilly Theatre, March 27th 1947. The production was directed by Peter Powell, and the cast included Jack Hawkins an the Rev. James Mavor-Morell, and Fay Compton as Candida. Historical significance: This design was executed for a production commissioned by the actor/producer Alec Clunes, whose greatest achievement was his direction of eight seasons of plays at the Arts Theatre during a period when money and actors were scarce and scenery hard to get. He introduced an ambitious and intellectually demanding repertory of unearthed English classics and promoted the staging of foreign plays, as an alternative to the usual West End fare of "leg shows" and average drawing room pieces, which earned him the status, according to one critic of "pocket national theatre". He also put on a series of Shaw revivals, including "Candida" which was toured by the Arts Theatre under the auspices of the British Council in 1946 and then went into the Piccadilly Theatre in 1947 with Jack Hawkins and Fay Compton in the leading roles. Leela Meinertas, 1990. |
Production | Reason For Production: Commission |
Subjects depicted | |
Associations | |
Literary reference | Candida |
Collection | |
Accession number | S.141-2002 |
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Record created | April 8, 2002 |
Record URL |
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