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The Moon and Sixpence
Costume Design
1957 (made)
1957 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Costume design by Leslie Hurry for the character, "The Negro", in The Moon and Sixpence, Sadler's Wells, 1957.
Leslie Hurry (1909-1978) trained at the Royal Academy and during the 1930s became known as a surrealist painter. A one-man show in London in 1942 was seen by the theatre director, Michael Benthall, who recommended Hurry to the dancer and choreographer, Robert Helpmann, then planning a ballet based on Shakespeare's Hamlet. The success of his designs set Hurry on a second career as one of the most distinguished theatre designers of his generation. He designed operas, ballets and plays, notably Swan Lake for the Sadler's Wells Ballet in 1943, a production which stayed in the repertoire for thirty years; Venice Preserv'd for Peter Brook (1953); the Ring Cycle at Covent Garden (1954), and Troilus and Cressida at Stratford for Peter Hall (1960), famous for being staged in a sand pit.
Leslie Hurry (1909-1978) trained at the Royal Academy and during the 1930s became known as a surrealist painter. A one-man show in London in 1942 was seen by the theatre director, Michael Benthall, who recommended Hurry to the dancer and choreographer, Robert Helpmann, then planning a ballet based on Shakespeare's Hamlet. The success of his designs set Hurry on a second career as one of the most distinguished theatre designers of his generation. He designed operas, ballets and plays, notably Swan Lake for the Sadler's Wells Ballet in 1943, a production which stayed in the repertoire for thirty years; Venice Preserv'd for Peter Brook (1953); the Ring Cycle at Covent Garden (1954), and Troilus and Cressida at Stratford for Peter Hall (1960), famous for being staged in a sand pit.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | The Moon and Sixpence (assigned by artist) |
| Materials and techniques | Black ink, pencil and charcoal on paper |
| Brief description | Costume design by Leslie Hurry for the character, "The Negro", in The Moon and Sixpence, Sadler's Wells, 1957 |
| Physical description | Costume design by Leslie Hurry for the character, "The Negro", in The Moon and Sixpence, Sadler's Wells, 1957. Signed by Leslie Hurry. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Marks and inscriptions | THE NEGRO
Leslie Hurry signature
(on front) |
| Credit line | Given by Mrs Caro Rathbone |
| Object history | NB The term ‘negro’ was used historically to describe people of black African heritage but, since the 1960s, has fallen from usage and, increasingly, is considered offensive. The term is repeated here in its original historical context. |
| Summary | Costume design by Leslie Hurry for the character, "The Negro", in The Moon and Sixpence, Sadler's Wells, 1957. Leslie Hurry (1909-1978) trained at the Royal Academy and during the 1930s became known as a surrealist painter. A one-man show in London in 1942 was seen by the theatre director, Michael Benthall, who recommended Hurry to the dancer and choreographer, Robert Helpmann, then planning a ballet based on Shakespeare's Hamlet. The success of his designs set Hurry on a second career as one of the most distinguished theatre designers of his generation. He designed operas, ballets and plays, notably Swan Lake for the Sadler's Wells Ballet in 1943, a production which stayed in the repertoire for thirty years; Venice Preserv'd for Peter Brook (1953); the Ring Cycle at Covent Garden (1954), and Troilus and Cressida at Stratford for Peter Hall (1960), famous for being staged in a sand pit. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.1493-2014 |
About this object record
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| Record created | July 3, 2014 |
| Record URL |
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