{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O109210"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O109210/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BD1406/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BD1406/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006BD1406","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006BD1407","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O109210","accessionNumber":"S.318-1978","objectType":"Sculpture","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"","physicalDescription":"Terracotta bust of Roger Livesey (1906-1976)","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Rivington, Arabella","id":"A14139"},"association":{"text":"sculptor","id":"AAT25181"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"terracotta","id":"AAT10669"}],"techniques":[{"text":"sculpture","id":"AAT53618"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"","categories":[{"text":"Portraits","id":"THES48906"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2006BD1406","2006BD1407"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"001","id":"THES396959"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"busts","id":"AAT47457"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"mid 20th century","earliest":"1925-01-01","latest":"1975-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Charles Rivington","dimensions":[],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"Roger Livesey (1906-1976) came from a  family of actors,  made his first appearance in the theatre at the age of five and trained at the Italia Conti School.  He made his first West End appearance as the office boy in Loyalties in 1917 although it was not until his tour with the Florence Glossop-Harris company in 1926 that he became committed to acting and realised what performance in the theatre could mean to people.\r\n\r\nIn June1932 Roger appeared with his father Sam at the New Theatre in Richard of Bordeaux which established John Gielgud as a star, and in September was engaged by Harcourt Williams for his innovative first season as director at Lilian Baylis's Old Vic. At the Old Vic from September 1932 until May 1934 Roger had personal successes in Shakespeare, and in The Admirable Bashville. He was remembered for sometimes sleeping through calls to rehearsal - but most of all, young though he was, \"as my encourager\", said Harcourt Williams.  The Old Vic season brought about Roger's first meeting with Ursula Jeans, a recently widowed young actress of Anglo-Indian upbringing, who had begun to make her name in the West End the year before.\r\n\r\nBoth Ursula and Roger had success in films. Ursula was particularly successful in Noel Coward's Cavalcade, in which she sang 'Twentieth Century Blues'. Roger was signed up by Korda, appearing within the same year as romantic lead in The Drum and - at the age of 28 - as the ancient beggar Saul, the painter's model, in Korda's magnificent film Rembrandt, in which his father and brothers also appeared. During wartime he toured with ENSA and was also cast by Peter Ustinov in the title role of The Bunbury Nose, Wyndham's 1944. \r\n\r\nIn 1947 Roger and Ursula toured and starred in the West End for a year in Ever Since Paradise, the play specially written for them and directed by J B Priestley.  In 1950 he played Toby Belch in Twelfth Night at the re-opening of the Old Vic Theatre followed by several other roles  that season at the Old Vic including Sir Toby Belch in Twelfth Night and Falstaff in The Merry Wives of Windsor.  He appeared in numerous films including The League of Gentlemen, Tom Jones and The Entertainer.   His last play with Ursula Jeans in the West End was An Ideal Husband at the Strand Theatre in 1965.  She died in 1973 and whilst only surviving Ursula for little more than a year, Roger was grateful to be partly occupied with his last television series, The Pallisers, in which he played the Duke of St Bungay.","briefDescription":"Terracotta bust of Roger Livesey (1906-1976) by Arabella Rivington.","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Livesey, Roger","id":"N3461"}],"associatedPerson":[{"text":"Livesey, Roger","id":"N3461"}],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.318-1978"],"accessionNumberNum":"318","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":1978,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-05-01","recordCreationDate":"2005-02-10","availableToBook":true}}