Theatre Costume
1978 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Margaret Rawlings (1906-1996), one of the finest tragic actresses on the English stage, first made her mark as Salome at the Gate Theatre in 1931, and amongst her subsequent successes were the roles of Kitty O'Shea in Parnell, Eliza Doolittle, Mrs Dearth in Dear Brutus and, most notably, Vittoria Corombona in The White Devil. She was an actress in the great classical tradition of tragedy, the heiress of Sybil Thorndike. Marriage and motherhood led her to abandon the stage, to which she returned after a twelve year absence to play the Empress Eugenie in a one-woman show. Her performance won rave reviews in London and was seen at over fifty festivals and venues in England and abroad. This was her last role.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | |
| Brief description | Cloak worn by Margaret Rawlings as the Empress Eugenie in Empress Eugenie, Cosprop, London, 1978 |
| Physical description | Black cloak trimmed with braid and a short fringe, with a decorative beaded clasp at the neck |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Given by Jane Sacchi |
| Object history | The Empress Eugenie costume was donated to the Theatre Museum by Margaret Rawlings's daughter. Associated production: Empress Eugenie. Director: Marianne Macnaghten. Wearer and actor: Margaret Rawlings. Character: Empress Eugenie. Mayfair Theatre, Cambridge, July 1978. London, 5.2.1979. |
| Summary | Margaret Rawlings (1906-1996), one of the finest tragic actresses on the English stage, first made her mark as Salome at the Gate Theatre in 1931, and amongst her subsequent successes were the roles of Kitty O'Shea in Parnell, Eliza Doolittle, Mrs Dearth in Dear Brutus and, most notably, Vittoria Corombona in The White Devil. She was an actress in the great classical tradition of tragedy, the heiress of Sybil Thorndike. Marriage and motherhood led her to abandon the stage, to which she returned after a twelve year absence to play the Empress Eugenie in a one-woman show. Her performance won rave reviews in London and was seen at over fifty festivals and venues in England and abroad. This was her last role. |
| Associated objects |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.855-1997 |
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| Record created | October 7, 2010 |
| Record URL |
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