All in the Round

Recently, I have been to Wimbledon Art College's gallery. On display was work of a theatre designer, Richard Negri, who was active between 1952 to 1996. Although, I have worked in the theatre, when I was at Bolton art college and performed in the Kingsdown 250th celebratory community play in Bristol, The Nine Trees' Shade. This application for creativity and the arts, is something that I have never looked at closely. It is a specialised subject and in someways, I would see the play rather than the world it was set in.

The exhibition was pictures of the characters in the play and layout for set design. The style of how the characters would fit within an overall production was laid out across these portraits. Depending on the production it was 7 or 8, but on the larger production 20 or so characters. There were some small figurines that would be used for modelling on a miniature stage, allowing for the practical details to be worked out first.

One of the things, I found out was Mr Negri had designed the Royal Exchange theatre in Manchester. One of the most impressive and unusual theatres in the country. The theatre building was placed into an old Victorian building,

There were several marquette's showing the various ideas and designs of how the theatre should be laid out. What is unique in this professional theatre is that the stage is surrounded by the audience. There is no back drop, all the props and stage setting has to be brought in and laid out.

Richard Negri was shown on an audio-visual display talking about how he wanted to put actors
in the centre of the stage. This creates a seamless space between the audience and the actors, you feel as those you are part of the action. Even if you are looking down from the gallery seats, the audience is seeing a spot light on a scene and looking like gods down on the play.

Negri used the phrase, picture frame theatres having only been a 'recent' invention during the 18th century, whereas Greek, Medieval and Tudor-Stuart staging was usually in the round. The Globe theatre on the Thames, which every one should go too, if they get the chance to visit London. Standing in the 'pit' you are drawn into the action on to the stage jutting out into the audience.

The comment about a picture frame has started me thinking about the flat plane of an image and how by being included in the frame, your perception can change. The differences between pictures and sculpture, maybe a obvious comment and one that I should see, but sometimes as an artist you become wrapped up in your own views and need just the odd reminder to 'jump the tracks' now and again.