{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1296584"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1296584/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2014HF3333/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2014HF3333/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2014HF3333","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1296584","accessionNumber":"S.1408-2014","objectType":"Costume design","titles":[{"title":"The Queen of Spades","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"Costume design by Leslie Hurry for attendants on the Countess in Act II, Scene II of Tchaikovsky's opera <i>The Queen of Spades</i>, Sadler's Wells Theatre, 1966.\n\nThis production of the three-act opera, <i>The Queen of Spades </i>by Peter Tchaikovsky, with its libretto based on Alexander Pushkin’s story by Modest Tchaikovsky, was performed in an English translation by Rosa Newmarch. The first production of this opera at Sadler’s Wells Theatre opened on 14 September 1966. The production was directed by Anthony Besch with choreography by Harry Haythorne and Leslie Hurry’s designs were lit by Charles Bristow. \n\nLeslie 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 <i>Hamlet</i>.  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 <i>Swan Lake</i> for the Sadler's Wells Ballet in 1943, a production which stayed in the repertoire for thirty years; <i>Venice Preserv'd</i> for Peter Brook (1953); the Ring Cycle at Covent Garden (1954), and <i>Troilus and Cressida</i> at Stratford for Peter Hall (1960), famous for being staged in a sand pit.\r\n\r\nLeslie Hurry’s designs for <i>The Queen of Spades </i>were criticised for their lack of colour, and for failing to convey the lavish dress and wealth of aristocratic society in 18th-century St Petersburg. <i>The Sunday Times</i>, however, considered the sets ‘harmoniously coloured’ and ‘suitably uncluttered and oppressive’ and a reviewer writing for <i>The Times</i> found the costumes of Russian officers in the gambling scene particularly 'appealing'.\r\n","physicalDescription":"Costume design by Leslie Hurry for attendants on the Countess in Act II, Scene II of the 1966 production of <i>The Queen of Spades</i> at Sadler's Wells Theatre.\n\nThe design shows two female figures in full, floor-length gowns. The heads of both are covered. The figure on the left wears a moss green dress, defined with patterned bands at the waist and cuffs. Her headdress has a stiff, upright band above the forehead from which lengths of fabric are draped around her head. A further band of fabric is gathered around her neck. The figure on the right is shown in profile. Her dress is black and worn with a white half apron at the waist. Her headdress fits closely to the head and has a high crown. A pleated band of fabric has been added at the interior of the headdress, and runs across the wearer's forehead.\n\n","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Hurry, Leslie","id":"A9404"},"association":{"text":"designer","id":"AAT25681"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Sadler's Wells","id":"AUTH323842"},"association":{"text":"producer","id":"AAT197742"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"ink","id":"AAT15012"},{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"},{"text":"graphite","id":"AAT11098"},{"text":"watercolour","id":"x33202"}],"techniques":[{"text":"drawing (image-making)","id":"AAT54196"},{"text":"painting (image-making)","id":"AAT54216"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Ink, watercolour and pencil","categories":[{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Designs","id":"THES48968"},{"text":"Opera","id":"THES263971"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2014HF3333"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"009","id":"THES356600"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"design","id":"AAT54190"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Great Britain","id":"x32019"},"association":{"text":"drawn","id":"x30545"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1966","earliest":"1966-01-01","latest":"1966-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Mrs Caro Rathbone","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"38.6","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"19.1","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'Queen of Spades'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Handwritten annotation in ink, at centre top"},{"content":"'Attendants on Countess/Act II, Sc.II/vary colours? - or mostly black and brown'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Handwritten annotation in pen at the base of the sketch"},{"content":"'EDWARDS, LESLIE, NASH, SAUNDERS*, DAWE/DAVIES, WEST, <strike>WHEELDEN*</strike>, LEGGAT*, PURCELL/UNWIN, A.N.OTHER' ","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Handwritten annotation in pencil, bottom left hand corner"},{"content":"'S.WELLS'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Handwritten annotation in red biro, bottom left hand corner."},{"content":"'12'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Handwritten annotation in pencil bottom, left hand side."}],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Costume design by Leslie Hurry for attendants on the Countess in Act II, Scene II of Tchaikovsky's opera <i>The Queen of Spades</i>, Sadler's Wells Theatre, 1966","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":["Queen of Spades"],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.1408-2014"],"accessionNumberNum":"1408","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2014,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-16","recordCreationDate":"2014-07-17","availableToBook":true}}