Costume design for a member of the chorus in Act II of a production of Our Peg at Princes Theatre, Manchester in 1919. The design is signed and dated Comelli, 1919.

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.

Our Peg a musical play in three acts, founded upon Masks and Faces (by Tom Taylor and Charles Reade) with music by Harold Fraser-Simson and a libretto by Harry Graham and Edward Knoblock at Prince's Theatre Manchester, 1919. This play was only performed in the provinces and achieved comparatively little success before it was reproduced under the title of Our Nell (the original heroine, Peg Woffington, being replaced by Nell Gwynne). This new production was written by Louis N. Parker, Reginald Arkell with additional music composed by Harold Fraser-Simson and Ivor Novello. It opened at the Gaiety Theatre in April of 1924.

This design come from a collection of items given to the Museum by the Emile Littler Estate. Emile Littler (1903-1985) was a manager and producer, whose early career embraced both general theatrical management and stage management before he started in management on his own in 1934. He was married to the actress and Principal boy Cora Goffin whose success was such that her legs were insured for £20,000. She continued to tour the provinces and Ireland in her husband's productions until her retirement from the stage in 1940. By the 1950s Littler was presenting plays, musicals and pantomimes and during his lifetime he wrote and directed over fifteen productions at various London theatres and over 200 throughout Britain. In 1974 he received a Knighthood and was made a freeman of the city of London. He died 11 years later in January 1985.