Drury Lane Design Collection
Costume Design
1915 (designed)
1915 (designed)
| Artist/Maker |
Costume design by Comelli for one of the woodcutters in a production of Puss in Boots at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, 1915.
A production of Puss in Boots first performed at Covent Garden in 1817-1818, but was not a success. In 1832 another version entitled, Puss In Boots: or Harlequin and The Miller's Son was also performed at Covent Garden in which Eliza Povey (who played the role of the Miller's Son) was one of the earliest Principal Boys. These early productions were chiefly Harlequinades rather than the pantomime versions which are more familiar to modern audiences.
Drury Lane first produced Puss In Boots: or Harlequin and the Fairy Of The Golden Palms in 1859, and in 1868 the theatre produced Grimalkin The Great: or Harlequin Puss In Boots and The Miller's Son. They had more success with their sumptuous 1887 production, which as its title (Puss in Boots) suggests followed the 'rags to riches' storyline of the traditional fairytale.
These designs come from a production at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in December of 1915 entitled Puss in Boots, (A fairy tale). The script was written by Geo.R.Sims, Frank Dix and Arthur Collins featured music composed and arranged by J.M.Glover. It starred Miss Renée Meayer as Puss in Boots. All the costumes we 'specially designed and supervised' by Comelli. The production was mounted during World War One when business was understandably poor for the theatre, with the result that the cast were actually asked to accept a half salary for the run. Fortunately the subsequent success of the show meant that it ran from December until Easter and the cast were eventually presented with cheques making up their salary to the full amount.
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.
A production of Puss in Boots first performed at Covent Garden in 1817-1818, but was not a success. In 1832 another version entitled, Puss In Boots: or Harlequin and The Miller's Son was also performed at Covent Garden in which Eliza Povey (who played the role of the Miller's Son) was one of the earliest Principal Boys. These early productions were chiefly Harlequinades rather than the pantomime versions which are more familiar to modern audiences.
Drury Lane first produced Puss In Boots: or Harlequin and the Fairy Of The Golden Palms in 1859, and in 1868 the theatre produced Grimalkin The Great: or Harlequin Puss In Boots and The Miller's Son. They had more success with their sumptuous 1887 production, which as its title (Puss in Boots) suggests followed the 'rags to riches' storyline of the traditional fairytale.
These designs come from a production at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in December of 1915 entitled Puss in Boots, (A fairy tale). The script was written by Geo.R.Sims, Frank Dix and Arthur Collins featured music composed and arranged by J.M.Glover. It starred Miss Renée Meayer as Puss in Boots. All the costumes we 'specially designed and supervised' by Comelli. The production was mounted during World War One when business was understandably poor for the theatre, with the result that the cast were actually asked to accept a half salary for the run. Fortunately the subsequent success of the show meant that it ran from December until Easter and the cast were eventually presented with cheques making up their salary to the full amount.
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 for one of the woodcutters in a production of Puss in Boots at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, 1915. Drury Lane Design Collection. |
| Physical description | Costume design by Comelli for one of the woodcutters in a production of Puss in Boots, Theatre Royal Drury Lane, 1915. A watercolour costume sketch showing a man dressed in beige breeches, burnt orange stockings and a loose beige shirt. Over these he wears a simple brown apron, gathered with a belt at the waist and a loosely tied burnt orange neckerchief. On his head he wears a long, loose burnt orange cap, with a black lining. He is shown carrying an axe over his left shoulder and chewing a piece of straw. The design is signed and dated Comelli, 1915. |
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| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Place depicted | |
| Literary reference | Puss in Boots |
| Summary | Costume design by Comelli for one of the woodcutters in a production of Puss in Boots at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, 1915. A production of Puss in Boots first performed at Covent Garden in 1817-1818, but was not a success. In 1832 another version entitled, Puss In Boots: or Harlequin and The Miller's Son was also performed at Covent Garden in which Eliza Povey (who played the role of the Miller's Son) was one of the earliest Principal Boys. These early productions were chiefly Harlequinades rather than the pantomime versions which are more familiar to modern audiences. Drury Lane first produced Puss In Boots: or Harlequin and the Fairy Of The Golden Palms in 1859, and in 1868 the theatre produced Grimalkin The Great: or Harlequin Puss In Boots and The Miller's Son. They had more success with their sumptuous 1887 production, which as its title (Puss in Boots) suggests followed the 'rags to riches' storyline of the traditional fairytale. These designs come from a production at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in December of 1915 entitled Puss in Boots, (A fairy tale). The script was written by Geo.R.Sims, Frank Dix and Arthur Collins featured music composed and arranged by J.M.Glover. It starred Miss Renée Meayer as Puss in Boots. All the costumes we 'specially designed and supervised' by Comelli. The production was mounted during World War One when business was understandably poor for the theatre, with the result that the cast were actually asked to accept a half salary for the run. Fortunately the subsequent success of the show meant that it ran from December until Easter and the cast were eventually presented with cheques making up their salary to the full amount. 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 | Puss in Boots File |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.2104-2010 |
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| Record created | September 20, 2010 |
| Record URL |
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