Archive Journeys: Bloomsbury Art: Working together: Stage designs

Stage designs: Grant and Bell

Duncan Grant first created stage scenery and costumes for Copeau's production of Twelfth Night in Columbier in 1914. In 1918 he again worked with Copeau on Pelléas et Mèlisande with Vanessa Bell helping with fabrics and costumes.

Grant continued to design sets in the 1920s. In 1932 he was asked to design the set for a production of Le Lac des Cygnes for the Camargo Society and, knowing that they needed other set designers, he recommended Vanessa Bell. The ballet, High Yellow, set to Jazz music, was set on a tropical island. In a letter to Roger Fry, Vanessa described how much she enjoyed this new challenge of creating a tropical scene complete with palms, boats and a cocktail bar.

Barbara Bagenal and Duncan Grant in costume

Opening night seemed to be a success. Vanessa described Duncan's set to Fry as 'perfectly lovely' and her own set more modestly as 'quite successful'. In fact, both sets were considered successful enough for them to be invited to do several more in subsequent years.