Costume Design
1958 (designed)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Great Britain’s leading theatre designer from the early 1930s to the mid 1950s, Oliver Messel (1904-1978) won international acclaim for his lavish, painterly and poetic designs informed by period styles. His work spans ballet, drama, film, musical, opera and revue. Messel’s traditional style of theatre design became unfashionable from the mid 1950s onwards, and he increasingly concentrated on painting, interior and textile design, including designing luxury homes in the Caribbean.
Sheridan’s The School for Scandal (1777) was first performed at the Det Ny Theatre, Copenhagen in 1958. Directed by Sam Besekow and featuring Bodil Kjer as Lady Teazle and Olaf Ussing as Sir Oliver Surface, the production received critical acclaim. Messel’s exuberant pastiche of eighteenth century period style was well suited to the artificiality and wit of Sheridan’s comedy of manners.
Lady Sneerwell is a malicious gossip and founder of The School for Scandal. She wants to marry Charles Surface and spreads false rumours about an affair between Charles and Lady Teazle to blight his chance of marrying Maria. Her costume features a typical Messel colour combination, dark green contrasted with orange and pink.
Sheridan’s The School for Scandal (1777) was first performed at the Det Ny Theatre, Copenhagen in 1958. Directed by Sam Besekow and featuring Bodil Kjer as Lady Teazle and Olaf Ussing as Sir Oliver Surface, the production received critical acclaim. Messel’s exuberant pastiche of eighteenth century period style was well suited to the artificiality and wit of Sheridan’s comedy of manners.
Lady Sneerwell is a malicious gossip and founder of The School for Scandal. She wants to marry Charles Surface and spreads false rumours about an affair between Charles and Lady Teazle to blight his chance of marrying Maria. Her costume features a typical Messel colour combination, dark green contrasted with orange and pink.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Charcoal, pencil, gouache and watercolour on paper |
| Brief description | Costume design by Oliver Messel for Lady Sneerwell in Richard Brinsley Sheridan's play The School for Scandal, Det Ny Theatre, Copenhagen, 1958. |
| Physical description | A costume design for Lady Sneerwell, last act, School for Scandal, 1958. A full length view of a woman in eighteenth century dress. The dress is dark green with orange and pink underskirt and stomacher. Deep pink frills and deep pink sleeve trim. Pink and grey headdress. |
| Dimensions |
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| Production type | Design |
| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Credit line | Acquired with the support of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Art Fund and the Friends of the V&A |
| Object history | The School for Scandal (1777), a play in five acts by Richard Brinsley Sheridan. Oliver Messel’s production was first performed at the Det Ny Theatre, Copenhagen, 19 September 1958. It was directed by Sam Besekow and featured Bodil Kjer as Lady Teazle and Olaf Ussing as Sir Oliver Surface. Lord Snowdon, Oliver Messel's nephew, inherited Messel's theatre designs and other designs and artefacts. The designs were briefly stored in a disused chapel in Kensington Palace before being housed at the V&A from 1981 on indefinite loan. The V&A Theatre Museum purchased the Oliver Messel collection from Lord Snowdon in 2005. |
| Production | Reason For Production: Commission |
| Summary | Great Britain’s leading theatre designer from the early 1930s to the mid 1950s, Oliver Messel (1904-1978) won international acclaim for his lavish, painterly and poetic designs informed by period styles. His work spans ballet, drama, film, musical, opera and revue. Messel’s traditional style of theatre design became unfashionable from the mid 1950s onwards, and he increasingly concentrated on painting, interior and textile design, including designing luxury homes in the Caribbean. Sheridan’s The School for Scandal (1777) was first performed at the Det Ny Theatre, Copenhagen in 1958. Directed by Sam Besekow and featuring Bodil Kjer as Lady Teazle and Olaf Ussing as Sir Oliver Surface, the production received critical acclaim. Messel’s exuberant pastiche of eighteenth century period style was well suited to the artificiality and wit of Sheridan’s comedy of manners. Lady Sneerwell is a malicious gossip and founder of The School for Scandal. She wants to marry Charles Surface and spreads false rumours about an affair between Charles and Lady Teazle to blight his chance of marrying Maria. Her costume features a typical Messel colour combination, dark green contrasted with orange and pink. |
| Bibliographic reference | Pinkham, Roger (ed.) Oliver Messel: an exhibition held at the Theatre Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, 22 June - 30 September 1983.
London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1983. 200p., ill
ISBN 0905209508) |
| Other number | ROT 3177 - TM Rotation Number |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.296-2006 |
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| Record created | August 22, 2006 |
| Record URL |
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