New Accessions Forthcoming Events
Recent highlights include: Friends Event The Crucible: talk & show Graham Barlow Archive additions—design archive Tuesday 15th June [donated by Priscilla Barlow] £13 - includes the show and a Bristol Hippodrome material post-show discussion with Including posters, the director Sue Wilson [donated by John Lamus] Exhibition Opening Terry Hallett Collection [donated by Greer Hallett The Ingram bequest: Spring 2010 Issue 23 - see details on Page 3] Leslie Hurry Designs
NRLA 2010 Footage Friday 11th June, 6pm [Commissioned by the Theatre THE NRLA CELEBRATES 30 YEARS! Collection] Please contact the Theatre Collection to book your place Phyllida Garth Archive The NRLA reached a very special landmark when it celebrated [donated by Lesley Trotter] its 30th Anniversary in March 2010. Volunteer Sessions: In the past three decades the festival has hosted work from Preservation preparation in some of the most adventurous artists from all over the world. It the Theatre Collection has travelled to Nottingham and London, but has always THEATRE COLLECTION returned to roost in Glasgow. It has featured performances that MAILINGS Wednesday 9th June have lasted moments, and others for 97 hours. Audiences have 10am - 12pm watched paper launched into the Glasgow night sky on helium Please note: if you have received balloons, been soaked by upturned hoses, and washed their Wednesday 7th July this newsletter by mail it means that hands with soap made from the fat of an artist's stomach. your name and address are stored 2pm - 4pm on the Theatre Collection mailing The NRLA has hosted artists who have screamed, wept, writhed, list. These details may be used by slept and drawn blood, and to celebrate its long and colourful the Theatre Collection, and also Phone Jo, Bex or Heather on history, more than a hundred artists were invited back to more widely by the University of 0117 33 15086 or email present new work. The line-up was nothing short of Bristol. Should you wish your details [email protected] to be removed from the mailing list, extraordinary, including work from such live art luminaries as Tea and biscuits provided! please contact us. Ron Athey, Neil Bartlett, Julia Bardsley, Alastair MacLennan, La Ribot, Lee Wen and Kira O'Reilly. The Director, University of Bristol Theatre Collection, The Theatre Collection commissioned the video Department of Drama, Cantocks Close, Bristol BS8 1UP documentation of the festival by a specialist camera team. A Tel: 0117 33 15086 Email: [email protected] full list of the archived footage from the 2010 Festival is Website: www.bristol.ac.uk/theatrecollection available at http://www.bris.ac.uk/theatrecollection/liveart/ liveart_NRLA.html and is available to view by appointment. 16
2MP Project 2MP Project Wickham Lecture 2010 Legacies
Professor of Medieval Studies, Ted Hughes By leaving a gift in your will Pamela King, in partnership to the University of Bristol with the Bristol University Thea- and Shakespeare Theatre Collection you can tre Collection, has secured help it to grow and ensure funding from the Worldwide This year’s Wickham lecture, in the best care for our collec- Universities Network to progress conjunction with the Society for their project "Medieval Plays in Theatre Research, was given tions, so enabling students Modern Performance" (http:// by Jonathan Bate on 4th May. to access this unique re- www.wun.ac.uk/ A leading Shakespeare scholar, source. Bate’s lecture focussed on the Regardless of its size, your research/2mp). Bristol Drama Dept, Cornish subject of legacy will live on forever, Ordinalia, 1969 The funding will enable an in- Bate’s cur- and it will make a significant ternational team of theatre reign of Elizabeth I. rent re- impact on Bristol University scholars, led by Bristol, to track search for generation after genera- his book on all known archival traces of The 1951 Festival of Britain saw tion. twentieth-century revivals, re- an explosion of interest in ac- the literary l i f e o f For further information constructions, and adapta- tivity which had begun 50 Hughes. please contact Jo Elsworth. tions of English drama from the years earlier with William Poel's
Middle Ages. production of "Everyman".
Ted Hughes was passionate Bristol University Drama Depart- New Procedures about Shakespeare, an obses-
ment, the first of its kind in the Medie-
sion that culminated in his book UK, helped drive this forward Shakespeare and the Goddess with such seminal productions of Complete Being. Derided by A Reminder …. as the Cornish professional Shakespeareans "Ordinalia" (1969). on its publication, it now looks It is vital that we keep a rec-
val Players, 1985 val Players, prophetic of the turn towards ord of people using the The- The project seeks to ensure an interest in religion in much that these unique archives are atre Collection Therefore, in Taming of the Shrew of Taming recent work on Shakespeare. October 2009, the Theatre preserved for, and made ac- Collection introduced a cessible to, future generations. Shakespeare expert Jonathan The project wants to uncover Owners and custodians of rel- Bate, reassesses the poet as a new system where all exter- previously unknown archival evant material are invited to reader of Shakespeare, while nal researchers (including traces in order to create a contact the project partners also showing how this publica- those only using the library) central hub of information. It is about the material they hold. tion gives us more of an insight will be asked to complete a expected that the archives will into Hughes’ life and personali- researcher’s form. A visitor’s reveal the work of pioneering For more information contact ty than that of Shakespeare. pass will then be issued and producers who defied the the Theatre Collection on 0117 must be produced when censors to bring God to the 331 5086 or theatre- The lecture was well attended signing in each day. stage for the first time since the [email protected]. and enjoyed by all.
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One From the Archive ... cation within the country. New Archives Obituary
Gog Theatre Company As well as touring schools, The Terry Hallett Rodney West Gog has also devised and Collection (1943—2010) performed other plays Gog Theatre was initially aimed at adult audiences formed from a three month Donated by his wife, Greer, It is with and toured them to various theatre training and perfor- the Theatre Collection has sadness that venues in England, including mance Youth Opportunities recently acquired the Terry we report the Edinburgh Festival. Programme, sponsored by a Hallett archive. The author the death of Gog also undertook work on M a n p o w e r S e r v i c e s of Bristol's Forgotten Empire: R o d n e y an international scale. In scheme, in 1981. the History of the Empire West. November 1985 Gog trav- Theatre, Hallett was elled to Cameroon, West The name, Gog, was sug- involved in many local Following his Africa for a three month gested by a member of the history and theatre history undergraduate degree at performance and workshop theatre group as there are projects, and was a keen Leeds, Rodney undertook a tour. From this visit evolved two 1000 year old trees at cinema and theatre-goer. postgraduate course at two productions, A Comin’ the foot of Glastonbury Tor Bristol University Drama Home and Into Africa. called Gog and Magog. It Amongst his papers are Dept. Following this, in September was said in the Druids time programmes, playbills, He joined the Bristol Old Vic 1989, Gog travelled to Tbilisi, that these trees were the photographs, books and Company as Assistant Georgia USSR for the first beginning of a sacred tree research notes relating to Theatre Manager in 1967, as a v e n u e part of a unique cultural ex-
Bristol Theatre and Music a student placement. 5
- change project with the that let up Hall. When, in May 1968 he took Rustaveli Young Company. to the Tor. up position as Theatre Gog premiered a new play The tree is Cinema related material Manager he did so as ‘the called Birdman based on also the from this collection has youngest Theatre Manager the story of Bladud, an an- logo of the been donated to the Bill in the oldest theatre’. He Gog Thea- cient King of Britain, who Gog Poster, 1984 Poster, Gog Douglas Centre at the later founded London Arts wanted to fly. In May 1990 tre. University of Exeter. Discovery. Gog Theatre hosted the Rodney was an established Rustaveli Young Company Gog Theatre worked with committee member of the in England, with a national primary and secondary Friends of the Theatre tour of The Stepmother. schools, colleges, youth and Collection. He will be missed community centres by way Bristol’s For- Bristol’s by all who knew him. This archive is currently be- Hallett Terry , of performance tours, work- ing catalogued by a volun- shop programmes in thea- A memorial service is to be teer and oral history inter- tre, dance, video and cir- held at St. Paul’s Church, views are being undertaken cus, alongside a commit- Covent Garden, London on
with the original members. of cover Front ment to multi-cultural edu- Empire gotten 25th September 2010, 11am.
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New Archives successes in the West End in- Any questions …? Theatre Collection cluding War and Peace, A Sev- Opening Hours ered Head, and Fiorello. Graham Barlow designs
By 1966 Barlow had developed an ambition to direct. So he matriculated at Bristol to read for the combined degree in English, Drama and History of The Theatre Collection dealt
European Art. During these with 156 research enquiries Monday 12.00pm - 4 .45pm
three years he remained inter- from January to April 2010, Tuesday to Friday
mittently at the service of the including 38 regarding the 9.30 am - 4.45 pm
Bristol Old Vic and naturally of Live Art Archives. the Drama Department where We are closed at weekends he enjoyed a happy collabora- Portrait of Graham Barlow from Subjects included: Welfare and on Bank Holidays and tion with Professor Glynn Wick- his time at Bristol Old Vic University closure days. We ham on many productions. State International Graham Barlow’s love for all (including a number of re- close for 2 weeks in early aspects of theatre became On graduating he applied for searchers using the materi- September for collections evident during his time at LSE, an academic post at the re- al); Harold Pinter, especially management and may very whilst also working for the Metal cently established Drama De- regarding The Room; re- occasionally close for other Box Company. National Service, partment at the University of quests for images for use in reasons - please phone us spent mainly in Germany en- Glasgow. His postgraduate television and publications on 0117 33 15086 or check study led to his becoming a couraged this with the cultural including John Vickers, Bris- our website for any forth- recognized authority on 16th renaissance taking place and tol Old Vic and others; fami- coming closure dates. and 17th century theatre archi- the West Berlin scene. tecture. His doctoral thesis, From ly history enquiries from In order to make the most of When he left the army, he re- Tennis Court to Opera House those whose ancestors were turned to London with a firm became a seminal study in this on the stage; and theatre your visit to the Theatre Col- ambition to become a theatre field. architecture. lection archives, it is advisa- designer. There was nothing like ble (but not essential) to a training in the then flourishing In 1983, Barlow set up home We also had 661 visitors in make an appointment with repertory system and Barlow with his second wife on the Isle the Reading Room during us, either by phone (0117 33 found a position in a company of Skye but continued to com- the same period. 15086) or email (theatre- mute and teach. He retired ear- in St Helen’s to train as a scenic [email protected]). artist. His talent was recognized ly in 1993. Researchers are encour- We can then discuss your and he was contracted to work requirements and retrieve under Paul Shelving at Birming- He bequeathed his archives to aged to use our online any archival material re- ham Rep, moving on to Notting- the Theatre Collection in his will s e a r c h f a c i l i t y : ham and finally to Bristol Old Vic and following his death in 2003 www.bristol.ac.uk/theatrec quested in time for your arri- where, now married with two first his academic papers, and ollection as a first point of val. young children, he was estab- more recently his designs are reference. We look forward to lished as resident designer with now held here. seeing you soon!
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Desperate Men guage, “Desperanto” They Working with Students Working with Students have appeared from Edin- burgh to Athens, Sligo to 30th Anniversary The Theatre Collection is con- go on to work in museums and Berlin. tinuing to be involved in the galleries. Students will acquire teaching of the Drama Dept practical experience of cura- On 15th—17th October and more widely across the torial processes, and expert there will be a series of Faculty of Arts. knowledge of the subject- events taking place in Bristol matter of the exhibition. They to celebrate the 30th anni- This term first year undergradu- will develop techniques of in- versary, aptly named ‘The ates have been working with dependent research as well as the archives in various ways in enhancing their ability to work Festival of Desperation’. their Approaches 2 module. At in a team. The task of prepar- the beginning of the module ing texts for the catalogue One aspect is the ‘Acts of they had to create a timeline, and display will enhance their Desperation’ project with choosing a 50 year period and research and writing skills. new and emerging Bristol 2010 sees the 30th anniver- then selecting 2 historic and 3 based performers (funded theatrical key events in that Sophie, a postgraduate on the sary of Bristol-based interna- by Bristol City Council). period. They were to use the MA Performance Research tionally renowned theatre library and the archives to find course, is basing her disserta- company, Desperate Men. There will also be an exhibi- these events – and were NOT tion on the Berta Freistadt ar-
tion which is to be curated allowed to use the internet at chive, recent additions to Desperate Men are one of by and mounted in the The- all! which were reported in the last the UK’s longest-running newsletter. She will be cata- atre Collection foyer, chart- Street Theatre Companies. The culmination of this same loguing the new material as ing the history of the Desper- Founded in Amsterdam in module, saw the students cre- part of this work. ate Men and their iconic 1980 by Richie Smith and ating a performance, using work. Jon Beedell, the company items from the archives as in- Eleanor, a third-year under-
combines contemporary spiration. Items including a graduate, used the Theatre It is also planned that the make-up box, scenic grooves Collection and museum pro- themes with an anarchic, archives will be transferred from Bristol Old Vic, a Victorian cesses as inspiration for her passionate style. to the Theatre Collection court sword, and Franko B’s final year performance. It in-
during this year, to be pre- collar were used. volved the audience writing Since 1980 Desperate Men served and catalogued. A down memories concerning have produced eight in- postgraduate student is cur- The Theatre Collection has also their body, snippets of which door shows; over thirty street established a new Independ- were written on Eleanor’s body rently working on the mate- shows, animations and ent Study postgraduate mod- in the archive. She then com- rial to sort and appraise it community events in the UK ule within History of Art entitled mitted herslef to the archive as before transfer takes place. and abroad; performed ‘Curating the Theatre Collec- a commentary on ‘the body
countless cabarets, led doz- tion’. The unit aims to give MA as archive’. All the items creat- For more information see: ens of workshops, produced students extra curatorial expe- ed by the performance were http://www.desperatemen. videos for Channel 4, and rience, which is particularly donated to the Theatre Col- com/. important for those wanting to lection, completing the circle. invented their own lan-
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Live Art Archives News Live Art Archives News Friends Event Oral History Project
Post-Historical-Cluster-F*** historical-cluster-f***. This The Crucible: This project looks instantaneous documenting to record the As part of the 30th Anniver- Performance and post memories of of live work took the form of -show talk sary of the NRLA, the Live Art collating and recycling past those involved Archives were delighted to events through existing his- in the theatre, collaborate with TRACE Col- torical documents over a whose memories lective on a new perfor- two-day period. may otherwise be mance piece. Through access to the ar- lost forever, and chives of the NRLA, TRACE aims to: photocopied existing perfor- mance photo documents, Build up an oral history catalogues, posters, flyers, archive to compliment the and programmes of past collections held here; performances and events Provide an enhanced th produced by the NRLA Tuesday 15 June 2010 research resource;
TRACE Collective: André Stitt, Eddie since 1979. Provide an alternative Ladd, Holly Davey, Philip Babot and Andrew Stocker, Chair of way for our supporters to Tim Freeman During the live performanc- the Friends Association, has contribute to the develop- es the artists processed this arranged for a post-show ment of the Theatre Collec- TRACE is dedicated to the documentation by continu- talk by director Sue Wilson, tion. research, investigation, dis- ously photocopying images prior to the Bristol Old Vic semination and discourse of Theatre School’s production of past performances on a Want to get involved? performance art. The series of photocopy ma- of Miller’s The Crucible at
group’s aim is to focus on chines. They further insinuat- the Theatre Royal, Bristol. We need help to conduct the investigation and explo- ed their own physical pres- Sue will talk about this pro- interviews, transcribe re- ration of living performance ence into the archive by duction and her experienc- cordings, or even financially activity and its discourse photocopying their own es of working with the Thea- sponsor an interview. We and dissemination through bodies. The photocopies tre School. are also keen to interview process, documentation were shredded, with the those involved in the thea- and archiving. shredded material being Please note: this event is tre in any way. placed in recycled bags for open to Friends of the Thea-
For the 30th anniversary of redistribution. The public tre Collection only. More details can be found the NRLA, through a dura- had full access throughout Cost £13. at www.bristol.ac.uk/ tional performance, the to experience the ‘live’ ac- To book your place, please theatrecollection/ Trace Collective reviewed tivity and the resulting instal- contact Jo, Heather or Bex oral_history_leaflet.html. the history of the National lation/evidence and residu- on 0117 331 5086 or theatre- Review of Live Art as post- al traces. [email protected]
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TC Exhibition News TC Exhibition News Live Art Archives News Live Art Archives News
Ray Ingram Bequest: memoration of Raymond newly commissioned essays
Hurry at London Old Vic Ingram and the collection NRLA 1979 – 2010: by significant international art- of Leslie Hurry designs he A Personal History ists and producers reflecting has donated to the Theatre on the place of the NRLA in Collection. It showcases a To celebrate the 30th Anniver- their own careers and on the selection of Hurry’s set and sary of the NRLA, a limited edi- international live art scene; costume designs, primarily tion Box Set was launched at anecdotal reflections which from the London Old Vic midnight on Wednesday bring to life the distinctive en- productions of Tamburlaine March 17th at the CCA in Glas- gow. ergy – the liveness – of the the Great, Richard II and NRLA; The Cenci. The Box Set represents the unique spirit of the NRLA festi- ‘Off the Radar’ – contribu- The exhibition also continues val, as well as the diversity of its tions from artists who once in the Reading Room, dis- Raymond Ingram was an programme over the past 30 played a key role in the NRLA, playing designs from other but who have not been at the enthusiast of the theatre, his years. Seventy contributors well known productions by NRLA since its early years; love for drama influencing each offer their own perspec- Leslie Hurry, such as Hamlet. tive on and history of the long- much of his life. Having est-running live art festival in a published ‘archive’ which
worked as a drama teacher the world. lists, year by year, all the artists, in Wolverhampton and Opening event works and events that have been programmed by the Taunton, he later went on to This exhibition will be official- The archive, held at the Thea- lecture on the subject at the tre Collection, was heavily used NRLA since its inception. University of Winchester, in ly opened on Friday 11th to create this box set and all due course becoming the June at 6pm, in the Theatre material from all the past festi- reproductions of all the front covers of the NRLA pro- Head of the Drama Depart- vals can be viewed here. Collection Foyer and Read- grammes and poster cam- ment. ing Room. All are welcome - Celebrating 30 years of remark- paigns.
During his earlier years stud- see enclosed flyer for details able live arts practice, the set Price £45 + p&p ying at King’s College he contains: and to book. became acquainted with
3 specially produced DVDs, To order your Limited Edition Box
the artist and set designer capturing 3 decades of work Set, please visit the New Moves Leslie Hurry, who was to be- shown at the NRLA; website at come a lifelong friend. In- http://www.newmoves.co.uk/na
London Old Old London tional-review-of-live-art gram collected many of comprehensive interviews with Artistic Director, Nikki Mili- Hurry’s designs, soon be- To contact the Theatre Collec- can, telling the story of the coming the leading authori- tion to view any of the NRLA ma- founding of the NRLA, its early
ty on his work. II, Richard
Vic, 1955. Leslie Hurry Leslie 1955. Vic, terial, contact liveart-
years, and its subsequent de- in in Costume design, Queen Queen design, Costume [email protected]. This exhibition is in com- velopments;
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Volunteer News Volunteer News Friends News Friends News
Dear Friends of the Theatre Col- space. The seats themselves Caroline has started the lection, are different, borrowed for the mammoth task of indexing duration of the run so that we the Ingram scrapbooks to Thank you so much for inviting can test them out for comfort me to join your AGM before and style. make these useful research Christmas. It’s always a treat to Moving up to the dress circle, items accessible. spend time talking about our we’ve started to combat one The number of Theatre Col- beautiful theatre with like mind- of our biggest obstacles: the lection Volunteers has Sophie is working with Des- ed souls! beautiful pillars that both help grown recently, with a num- perate Men theatre com- define our auditorium, and ber of new Volunteers tak- pany to appraise and or- I would like to tell you a little block the view of many of our ing on individual projects. ganise their archive before about the temporary changes patrons. By losing the central that we’ve made to the Thea- aisle we’ve been able to cre- it is donated to the Theatre Collection. She is also under- tre Royal auditorium for our ate entrances where there Some projects are: production of Juliet and Her were once restricted view seats taking Oral History interviews Eleanor J is helping to cu- Romeo, which Tom is directing. and, vice versa, seats where with the members of the rate the next Theatre Col- We’ve been trying out some of the aisle once was; the central, company. See page 12 for lection exhibition, based on the ideas that are driving our raised, best view in the house. more information the Raymond Ingram Be- planned for capital develop- There are different seats here ment with a fairly simple ambi- too, and we think they’re pretty quest of Leslie Hurry designs tion in mind; that the audience comfy. (see page 10 for more de- Volunteer Sessions should get a better view of the In the gallery you’ll notice tails). stage and a little more leg something different: each seat Preservation Work room. gives you a full view of the Eleanor F, a third year Dra- stage, achieved by raising the ma student has been listing A new project for 2010 - We’ve put the stage back to its benches just a little. This area is the recently acquired Rose- preservation of the John Vickers original thrust format, as we did now unreserved, so if you get in mary Vercoe/Patrick Rob- glass plate negatives, creating last year for Uncle Vanya. first and grab the front row then ertson design archive, which specialist storage for this archive We’ve opened up the stage you really will have one of the left box to make an actor’s best spots in the theatre for a was reported in the last entrance, whilst sitting in the fraction of the price of the newsletter. Wednesday 9th June 10am-12pm stage right one puts you within stalls. thrilling touching distance of Anne is gaining museum Wednesday 7th July the performance. We’d love to know what you experience by making sta- 2pm-4pm In the stalls we’ve raised the think. Please drop me a line on tistical sense of the Theatre floor level to give a better view [email protected], or Collection environmental of the extended stage and, write to me at the theatre. monitoring forms - essential Phone Jo, Bex or Heather on most strikingly, we’ve got rid of for preventing any potential 0117 33 15086 or email the central aisle, filling the best Emma [email protected] positions in the house with problems for the collection. (Emma Stenning, Executive seats, rather than empty Director, BOV)
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