Drury Lane Design Collection
Costume Design
1907 (designed)
1907 (designed)
| Artist/Maker |
Costume design by Comelli labelled 'Poppy Boys' in Babes in the Wood, Theatre Royal Drury Lane, 1907.
Babes in the Wood is based on an old English ballad from 1595, called 'The Children in the Wood' or 'The Norfolk Gentleman's Last Will and Testament'. It was first staged in 1793 as an opera called, The Children in the Wood, at the Haymarket Theatre. The story emerged again at Drury Lane Theatre in 1827 entitled Harlequin and Cock Robin or The Babes in the Wood, with a finale that included tightrope walking. In 1897 Babes in the Wood was produced at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane with Music Hall stars Dan Leno and Herbert Campbell as the babes, a shock to those used to the tradition that the babes are played by children or young actors. In the 1907 production (produced by Arthur Collins and J.Hickory Wood) the 'babes' were played by Miss Marie George and Mr.Walter Passmore and the music was composed by J.M.Glover.
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&Sullivan productions.
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.
Babes in the Wood is based on an old English ballad from 1595, called 'The Children in the Wood' or 'The Norfolk Gentleman's Last Will and Testament'. It was first staged in 1793 as an opera called, The Children in the Wood, at the Haymarket Theatre. The story emerged again at Drury Lane Theatre in 1827 entitled Harlequin and Cock Robin or The Babes in the Wood, with a finale that included tightrope walking. In 1897 Babes in the Wood was produced at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane with Music Hall stars Dan Leno and Herbert Campbell as the babes, a shock to those used to the tradition that the babes are played by children or young actors. In the 1907 production (produced by Arthur Collins and J.Hickory Wood) the 'babes' were played by Miss Marie George and Mr.Walter Passmore and the music was composed by J.M.Glover.
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&Sullivan productions.
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
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Drury Lane Design Collection (named collection) |
| Materials and techniques | |
| Brief description | Costume design by Comelli labelled 'Poppy Boys' in Babes in the Wood, Theatre Royal Drury Lane, 1907. Drury Lane Design Collection. |
| Physical description | Costume design by Comelli labelled 'Poppy Boys' in Babes in the Wood, Theatre Royal Drury Lane, 1907. A watercolour costume sketch showing a young boy/girl in a loose pale green tunic, gathered at the waist with a belt and with a pleated skirt that finishes at the top of the thighs. Below this they are dressed in scarlet tights and pale green knee high boots. They are also wearing a green hat with a wide scarlet brim and carrying a wooden pole over their left shoulder. The sketch is signed and dated Comelli, 1907. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Place depicted | |
| Literary reference | Babes in the Wood |
| Summary | Costume design by Comelli labelled 'Poppy Boys' in Babes in the Wood, Theatre Royal Drury Lane, 1907. Babes in the Wood is based on an old English ballad from 1595, called 'The Children in the Wood' or 'The Norfolk Gentleman's Last Will and Testament'. It was first staged in 1793 as an opera called, The Children in the Wood, at the Haymarket Theatre. The story emerged again at Drury Lane Theatre in 1827 entitled Harlequin and Cock Robin or The Babes in the Wood, with a finale that included tightrope walking. In 1897 Babes in the Wood was produced at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane with Music Hall stars Dan Leno and Herbert Campbell as the babes, a shock to those used to the tradition that the babes are played by children or young actors. In the 1907 production (produced by Arthur Collins and J.Hickory Wood) the 'babes' were played by Miss Marie George and Mr.Walter Passmore and the music was composed by J.M.Glover. 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&Sullivan productions. 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 | Babes in the Wood File |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.1738-2010 |
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| Record created | August 26, 2010 |
| Record URL |
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