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Not currently on display at the V&A

Drury Lane Design Collection

Costume Design
1905 (designed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Costume design by Comelli for Anna, wife of the Governor General, in a production of The Prodigal Son, at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, September 1905. This role was played by Miss Mary Rorke in the 1905 production.

Comelli (1858-1925) was the house designer of the Royal Opera House from the late 1880s to the early 1920s. During this period he also worked for the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane and also designed costumes from a number of Gilbert and Sullivan productions.

The Prodigal Son was written by Hall Caine and featured incidental music composed and arranged by J.M. Glover. The action in the original text was set mainly in Iceland but a 1906 revival changed the setting to Sicily which created the opportunity for a dramatic eruption of Mount Etna in the final act.

This design comes from a collection of costume designs, some of which are costumier's copies, which were originally part of the Archives of the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleDrury Lane Design Collection (named collection)
Materials and techniques
Watercolour on board
Brief description
Costume design by Comelli for Anna in a production of The Prodigal Son, at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, September 1905. Drury Lane Design Collection.
Physical description
Costume design by Comelli for Anna in The Prodigal Son. It shows a full length, profile, image of a blond haired woman dressed in a pale blue dress with a darker blue apron over the skirt. She wears a dark blue tasselled cap on her head. The design is signed and dated 1905.
Dimensions
  • Height: 36.2cm
  • Width: 26.2cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'Comelli / 1905' (Signature in ink, left hand side)
  • 'Act II' (Handwritten annotation in ink, botton left hand corner)
  • 'Anna' (Handwritten annotation in ink, bottom right hand corner)
  • Transliteration
Credit line
Given by George Hoare, Archivist of the Theatre Royal Drury Lane
Subject depicted
Literary referenceThe Prodigal Son
Summary
Costume design by Comelli for Anna, wife of the Governor General, in a production of The Prodigal Son, at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, September 1905. This role was played by Miss Mary Rorke in the 1905 production.

Comelli (1858-1925) was the house designer of the Royal Opera House from the late 1880s to the early 1920s. During this period he also worked for the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane and also designed costumes from a number of Gilbert and Sullivan productions.

The Prodigal Son was written by Hall Caine and featured incidental music composed and arranged by J.M. Glover. The action in the original text was set mainly in Iceland but a 1906 revival changed the setting to Sicily which created the opportunity for a dramatic eruption of Mount Etna in the final act.

This design comes from a collection of costume designs, some of which are costumier's copies, which were originally part of the Archives of the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.
Other number
The Prodigal Son File
Collection
Accession number
S.1483-2010

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Record createdAugust 10, 2010
Record URL
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