Renishaw Hall to celebrate 100 years of The Triumph of Neptune with Pollock’s Toy Museum

In the year of its 70th anniversary, Pollock’s Toy Museum is delighted to be partnering with Renishaw Hall, Derbyshire – the historic home of the Sitwell family – to celebrate the centenary of a remarkable but long-forgotten Serge Diaghilev ballet with a scenario by Sacheverell Sitwell.

Visitors to Renishaw Hall will be able to discover the story of The Triumph of Neptune, which premiered in London in 1926 and was met with instant acclaim. The ballet’s fantastical compilation of characters, costumes and scenes was inspired by a visit paid by Sitwell and renowned impresario Diaghilev to Benjamin Pollock’s London shop, which sold traditional hand-coloured prints for toy theatres.

Opening on 22nd April and included with entry to Renishaw Hall’s beautiful Italianate gardens, The Triumph of Neptune: Diaghilev, Lord Berners and Sacheverell Sitwell reveals how the Pollock prints evolved into the ballet’s elaborate and highly imaginative staging. The exhibition features specially made and original toy theatres, along with archive photography of the 1926 production, music by Gerald Berners and two spectacular Diaghilev costumes that evoke the colour, creativity and extraordinary ambition of The Triumph of Neptune. Letters from the Renishaw Hall archive, never previously exhibited, add further atmosphere and detail to the enchanting story of this mesmerising ballet.

Members of Historic Houses visit for free with their membership card.