{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1757388"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1757388/"}},"images":null,"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1757388","accessionNumber":"S.801-2024","objectType":"Set design","titles":[{"title":"The Hidden King","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"Set design by Leslie Hurry for &lt;i&gt;The Hidden King&lt;/i&gt; by Jonathan Griffin produced at the Assembly Hall, Edinburgh Festival 1957. <i>The Hidden King</i>allegedly cost £20,000 and had 134 Renaissance-style costumes worn by a cast of 52 actors. The action, concerning the right of a sixteenth century king to the throne of Portugal, and the action extends over Portugal, Spain, Italy and Sicily. It was first performed at the Assembly Hall on 20 August 1957 for the Edinburgh Festival. Nigel Fortune arranged the music and Michael Northen was technical adviser to the designer Leslie Hurry. The costume supervisor was Dinah Greet and the costumes were executed by Bermans.\r\n\r\nThe drama critic of <i>The Times</i> (21/08/1957) claimed that ‘the pictorial splendour of this Renaissance drama in verse surpasses that of any play ever presented at Edinburgh’s Assembly Hall’. That of the <i>Daily Telegraph</i> observed ‘If one has to admit that the piece in its present form is too hard on the ear it is uncommonly easy on the eye. Leslie Hurry has made a bold adaptation of the Assembly Hall’s bleak contours, giving them somehow a touch of Southern warmth which is repeated and intensified in his gorgeous costumes’.\r\n","physicalDescription":"Set design showing the thrust stage evolved for transforming the Assembly Hall into a theatre for the 1957 Edinburgh Festival. It emphasises the symmetrical architectural structure of doors, balconies and arches at the back with a series of platforms reached by steps in the foreground. In the centre of the structure are stairs showing how the basic set could be adapted from one scene to the next. Red curtains hang at the back. Signed and annotated on lower edge.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Hurry, Leslie","id":"A9404"},"association":{"text":"theatre designer","id":"AAT25681"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[],"techniques":[{"text":"painting (image-making)","id":"AAT54216"},{"text":"drawing (image-making)","id":"AAT54196"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Watercolour, ink and pencil on paper","categories":[{"text":"Theatre","id":"THES250537"},{"text":"Scotland","id":"THES262877"},{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":[],"imageResolution":"","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"008","id":"THES385865"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"set design","id":"THES284798"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Great Britain","id":"x32019"},"association":{"text":"designed","id":"x29338"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1957","earliest":"1957-01-01","latest":"1957-12-31"},"association":{"text":"designed","id":"x29338"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Mrs Caro Rathbone","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"30","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"22.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"30","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"22.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Set design by Leslie Hurry for <i>The Hidden King</i> by Jonathan Griffin produced at the Assembly Hall, Edinburgh Festival 1957","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.801-2024"],"accessionNumberNum":"801","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2024,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-07-01","recordCreationDate":"2023-06-26","availableToBook":false}}