John Gabriel Borkman
Costume Design
1963 (made)
1963 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Costume design by Leslie Hurry for the character John Gabriel Borkman played by Donald Wolfit in Ibsen's John Gabriel Borkman, Duchess Theatre, 1963.
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.
In 1963 Leslie Hurry designed the sets and costumes for John Gabriel Borkman by Henrik Ibsen directed by David Rose at the Duchess Theatre, London. The production, which was lit by Michael Northen, opened on 4 December 1963. This was not a notably successful production, indeed Bernard Levin in the Daily Mail (05/12/1963) complained that ‘everybody appears to be wading through glue both physically and mentally’.
Costumes were made and supplied by L & H Nathan Ltd.
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.
In 1963 Leslie Hurry designed the sets and costumes for John Gabriel Borkman by Henrik Ibsen directed by David Rose at the Duchess Theatre, London. The production, which was lit by Michael Northen, opened on 4 December 1963. This was not a notably successful production, indeed Bernard Levin in the Daily Mail (05/12/1963) complained that ‘everybody appears to be wading through glue both physically and mentally’.
Costumes were made and supplied by L & H Nathan Ltd.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Title | John Gabriel Borkman (assigned by artist) |
| Materials and techniques | Ink, watercolour, charcoal and pencil on paper |
| Brief description | Costume design by Leslie Hurry for the character John Gabriel Borkman in Ibsen's John Gabriel Borkman, Duchess Theatre, 1963 |
| Physical description | Ink, watercolour and charcoal on paper costume design with pencil inscription for 1963 production of John Gabriel Borkman at Duchess Theatre. The design shows two drawings of a man in a long black jacket and mustard-coloured scarf. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Credit line | Given by Mrs Caro Rathbone |
| Summary | Costume design by Leslie Hurry for the character John Gabriel Borkman played by Donald Wolfit in Ibsen's John Gabriel Borkman, Duchess Theatre, 1963. 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. In 1963 Leslie Hurry designed the sets and costumes for John Gabriel Borkman by Henrik Ibsen directed by David Rose at the Duchess Theatre, London. The production, which was lit by Michael Northen, opened on 4 December 1963. This was not a notably successful production, indeed Bernard Levin in the Daily Mail (05/12/1963) complained that ‘everybody appears to be wading through glue both physically and mentally’. Costumes were made and supplied by L & H Nathan Ltd. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.1611-2014 |
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| Record created | July 18, 2014 |
| Record URL |
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