{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O139973"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O139973/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2010EJ6639/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2010EJ6639/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2010EJ6639","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O139973","accessionNumber":"S.480-1980","objectType":"Set design","titles":[{"title":"SETTING FOR 'A PHOENIX TOO FREQUENT' DESIGNED BY JOHN CROCKETT","type":"assigned by artist"}],"summaryDescription":"John Crockett's set design is for a production of Christopher Fry's 1946 verse drama <i>A Phoenix Too Frequent</i> by  The Compass Players, a small post-war British touring company dedicated to producing a repertoire of classics.  Their work incuded Marlowe's <i>Dr. Faustus</i>, plays by Shaw, Synge, Chekhov, Moliere, Fry, Milton's masque Comus, and exciting versions of Chaucer's <i> The Pardoner's Tale</i>, and Jonah and the Whale - both adapted by John Crockett, the company's artistic director as well as a dancer and an accomplished artist. This design shows the tomb setting where the young widow Dynamene has incarcerated herself after the death of her husband.\r\n\r\nThe Compass Players were based in John Crockett's home, an old house and estate in Gloucestershire, and played wherever they could - in village halls, miners' Institutes and schools across the country, with everything carried in a recycled laundry van called Bertha. It had seats for nine and space behind them for the sets, props, costumes, lighting and sound equipment for the three or four productions for each tour. The entire company acted, stage-managed, lit the show, maintained the costumes and props and put up and struck the set.  A school matinee and an evening show daily was normal.  Hospitality was offered in many places, and gratefully accepted since everyone in the company existed on 15/- per week plus their keep. Company members might find themselves guests in a miner's cottage one night and in a mansion the next, and Compass players never ever forgot the training they gained or the impact their visits had on the many small communities that welcomed them","physicalDescription":"Set design for a production by the Compass Players of Christopher Fry's play <i>A Phoenix Too Frequent</i>. Pen and ink and watercolour drawing in its own linear 'frame' showing the underground tomb with three steps centre back leading down to the central area, to the left of which is seen Dynamene, dresswed in a blue robe with a red cloak, lying on the tomb of Vigilius. The entrance is flanked by two large urns on each side of pillars. A screen by the tomb is draped with a length of purple cloth, and an oil burner sits on top of one of three blocks to the right of the steps. Two laurel wreaths decorate the screens either side of the urns. Titled by the artist. On the same side of the paper, which has been folded down, is a printed luggage label for the Compass Players and some slight preparatory pencil sketches of the setting, one with the steps stage left.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Crockett","id":"A20187"},"association":{"text":"artist","id":"AAT25103"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"pen","id":"x30618"},{"text":"watercolour","id":"x33202"},{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"}],"techniques":[{"text":"drawn","id":"x30545"},{"text":"painted","id":"x30138"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"pen and ink and watercolour","categories":[{"text":"Drawings","id":"THES48966"},{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2010EJ6639"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"002","id":"THES356683"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"drawings","id":"AAT33973"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Great Britain","id":"x32019"},"association":{"text":"drawn","id":"x30545"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1949","earliest":"1949-01-01","latest":"1949-12-31"},"association":{"text":"painted","id":"x30138"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by John Crockett","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"33.4","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"as folded","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"45.4","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"61.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"opened out","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'JC 49'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Signed in black ink, lower right-hand corner"}],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Set design for a production by The Compass Players of Christopher Fry's <i>A Phoenix Too Frequent</i>. Pen, ink and watercolour by John Crockett, 1949. John Crokett Collection.","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[{"text":"Greece","id":"x28895"}],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[{"text":"Compass Players","id":"N5501"}],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"tomb","id":"AAT5926"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.480-1980"],"accessionNumberNum":"480","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":1980,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-01-09","recordCreationDate":"2007-10-12","availableToBook":true}}