Antony and Cleopatra: Miss Younge as Cleopatra, 1772

Drury Lane Theatre, London

Note that Cleopatra wears a fashionable eighteenth-century lady's costume, totally in contrast with later attempts such as Tree's to develop historically plausible costumes. "Roscius Anglicanus" describes how plays around this time came to be so very richly clothed: we find the famous Mrs. Barry acting Queen Elizabeth in the coronation robes of James II's queen, who had before presented the actress with her wedding suit. Mrs. Barry is said to have given her audience a strong idea of Queen Elizabeth. Mrs. Bellamy played Cleopatra in a silver tissue "birthday" dress that had belonged to the Princess of Wales.” Many of these elaborate court costumes finished up in Madame Tussaud’s exhibition, already sited in Baker Street.

UCBSP Collection