Fitzgerald Ball

This page refers to the costume ball held at Rotherham House on Thursday 16th May in honour of Lady Olivia Fitzgerald's coming out into society. The theme of the ball is characters from Shakespeare.

For the purposes of the ball, the screen between the music room and gilded drawing room will be thrown open to create a long ballroom. Supper will be served in the dining room and the green drawing room will be used for cards. The billiards room will be open for any gentlemen wishing to play and the library will be available for guests to leave their wraps. If it is a warm evening, the doors in the library out onto the garden will be left open. A set of pictures representing Shakespearean scenes are on display in the picture gallery and on the stairs. The orchestra are dressed in Elizabeth costumes.

Costumes

THE HOSTS
Viola Fitzgerald: Beatrice from Much Ado About Nothing. Viola wears a splendid Georgian outfit in red and gold and carries a half mask[[1]].
Olivia Fitzgerald: Miranda from The Tempest. A full description of Olivia's appearance can be found here[[2]].
Robert Fitzgerald: Prince Hal from Henry IV Part 1 in a dark blue velvet doublet embroidered with flowers in gold thread and matching breeches [3]. (Please note: He will not be dancing).
Lord Rotherham: Lord Capulet from Romeo and Juliet.
Lady Rotherham: Lady Capulet from Romeo and Juliet.

THE GUESTS
Under construction. Please add your characters' costumes and group by families in alphabetical order for ease of reference.

The d'Aubins/Montgomerys
Lunete d'Aubin: Hermia from A Midsummer Night's Dream in a simple white gown in the Grecian style with matching asymmetrical ringlets and silver ornamentation.
Jean Laurent d'Aubin: Rosencrantz and/or Guildernstern from Hamlet
Rawdon Montgomery: Guildenstern and/or Rosencrantz from Hamlet

The Bartrams
Honoria Bartram: Duchess of York from Richard III. A Burgundian gown of deep blue with a deep v-neck and fitted sleeves over a red undergown like so. The dove grey trims of the gown are matched by the wide belt cinched above the natural waist. Her head is covered by a simple black truncated hennin with a turned-over brim and lappets sans veil. A little brooch with a ruby adorns the side of one of the lappets, quite nearly matching the colour of the undergown.
John Bartram: Richard III from Richard III.

The Devenishes
Charlie Devenish: Malvolio from Twelfth Night in Elizabethan costume with mustard yellow stockings.
William Devenish: Orsino from Twelfth Night

The Graftons/Palmers
Katharine Steele: Katherine of Aragon from Henry VIII. Kate's costume is modeled after the Hornebolte portrait: a deep red velvet dress with full sleeves (albeit short sleeves to accommodate the weather) with a square neckline that is trimmed in gold ribbon. She wears a papier-mâché cross with paste rubies and glass pearls. On her head is a gable hood with black lappets to hide the majority of her hair.
Jemima Palmer: Cordelia from King Lear. Jem's dress is red over white, a bit like this, embroidered at the bottom with golden dragons and fleurs-de-lis. Rather than a necklace, she wears a ribbon tied around her neck, in a nod to Cordelia’s fate. Over her hair she wears a long sheer veil, held in place by a thin gold circlet.

The Grenfells
Matilda Grenfell: Ariel from The Tempest
Sophronia Grenfell: Emilia from Othello

The Laytons
Henry Layton: A bear from The Winter's Tale. He will be in a full, hot bear costume up to the neck with furry ears in addition. Extremely impractical for dancing.
Catherine McAvoy: Lady Macbeth from Macbeth in a black Medieval costume with a short cloak in Kirkfries tartan and a silver diadem.

The Lazenbys
Sophia Lazenby: Peaseblossom from A Midsummer Night's Dream
Frederick Lazenby: The Lion/Snug from A Midsummer Night's Dream

The Pritchards
Blake Pritchard: Count Paris from Romeo and Juliet
Gabriel Pritchard: Ferdinand from The Tempest
Charity Pritchard: Rosalind from As You Like It
Elise Hampton: Celia from As You Like It

The Vickerys
Emma Vickery: Portia from The Merchant of Venice A cream velvet gown in the Jacobean/early Stuart style similar to this, accessorised with a jet demi-parure[4]. On arrival, she is wearing a scholar's gown and mortarboard instead of a cloak.
Robert Vickery: Antonio from The Merchant of Venice

Annabelle Beacham: Ophelia from Hamlet in medieval attire, hair loose with a wreath of flowers on her head.

Blanche Carey: Anne Boleyn from Henry VIII

Arthur Cartwright: Feste from Twelfth Night

George Hackett: Anthony from Anthony and Cleopatra in standard dress with red cloak, Roman helmet and breastplate.

Edmund Mayoh: Oberon from A Midsummer Night's Dream

Gwendolyn Moncrieff: Angelo from Measure for Measure

Thomas Sterne: Othello from Othello

Ira Wilson: Prospero from The Tempest

The Dances

The dances will be called by the following ladies, selected for being Fitzgerald family members or for their high rank:

One: Lady Olivia Fitzgerald
Two: Lady Elizabeth Dunford
Three: Lady Rosalind Fairmont
Four: Lady Juliet Landon
Five: Lady Julianne Grafton
Six (supper dance): Lady Viola Fitzgerald
Seven: Miss Charity Pritchard
Eight: Miss Henrietta Freye
Nine: Miss Elise Hampton
Ten: Boulanger