Not currently on display at the V&A

Set Design

1943 (Painted, drawn)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Set design for Act III. The design depicts the interior of a late 19th century hallway in an official building. The hallway is decorated with classical statues in alcoves. The design has been squared up in pencil and numbered by the artist.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Pencil, gouache, and paint on paper.
Brief description
Set design by Maise Meiklejohn for Act III of "The Magistrate", Arts Theatre, August 3rd 1943.
Physical description
Set design for Act III. The design depicts the interior of a late 19th century hallway in an official building. The hallway is decorated with classical statues in alcoves. The design has been squared up in pencil and numbered by the artist.
Dimensions
  • At highest point height: 371mm
  • At widest point width: 558mm
Production typeUnique
Marks and inscriptions
  • ' Maise Meiklejohn 1944 ' (Signature; date; Lower right hand side; handwriting; pencil; Meiklejohn, Maise Dele)
  • ' Act III Magistrate - Pinero ' (Textual information; Upper centre edge; handwriting; pencil; Meiklejohn, Maise Dele)
  • ' out grey swagged border ' (Textual information; Upper centre edge; handwriting; pencil; Meiklejohn, Maise Dele)
Object history
This set 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 Pinero's play "The Magistrate" performed at the Arts Theatre, August 3rd 1943. The production was produced by Alec Clunes, and the cast included Denys Blakelock as Mr Posket, and Avice Landone as Agatha Posket.

Historical significance: This design was executed for a production 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".
Leela Meinertas, 1990.
Production
Reason For Production: Commission
Subjects depicted
Association
Literary referenceThe Magistrate
Collection
Accession number
S.201-2002

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Record createdNovember 11, 2002
Record URL
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