lighting session," insists Chelton. "I then offer the whole to the director in the theatre." Chelton's lighting apprenticeship included a passage through the Theatre Projects stores and design office, an insti­ tution for many young designers in the late 1960s and early 70s. This helpful entry to the profession offered by Richard Pilbrow's hire operation has led not only to the uniformity of lighting style in London 's West End today, but also to the perpetuation of the belief that handling equipment is a good way to learn lighting design . (A hypothesis not all agree with). ~"' "It was Pilbrow 's aim to demystify light­ m ~ ing," Chelton remembers . "He separated z 0 -< the hardware from the software and used n the former to process the latter ." "' After stints as assistant electrician at 4 Nottingham Playhouse and chief electri­ cian for the RSC's 1967 and 68 UK tours, Chelton returned to London "beca use I A SELECTED NICK CHELTON DESIGNOLOGY needed to be streetwise. It helped to have THEAT RE credibility in the relationships with those up the ladder , and those tucked away in Royal Court: The Farm, Life Seasons the box ." Class, What the Butler Saw, Cologne Tanz-Forum: Cantata Bingo, Gimme Shelter, The Royal Opera's Un Re Byrthrite OPERA \Nest End: Three Sisters, The Kent Opera: Orfeo, Engene in Ascolto benefitted Bells of Hall, The Rear Onegin, Ulysses, La Traviata, from Chelton's interest Column, Season's Greetings, The Beggars Opera, A Night in HMI, high wattage Shirley Valentine, Curtains at the Chinese Opera, Count discharge lighting. Broadway : Shirley Valentine Ory, Peter Grimes RSC: The Way of the World; English National Opera: Love's Labour's Lost, Antony Orpheus in the Underworld, This desire to move on from electrician to artist was based firmly in Chelton's and Cleopatra, Julius Ceasar, Doctor Faust, Tosca, The recognition of his own abilities. "Design The Wizard of Oz Stone Guest, Pacific Over­ was what I wanted, and after four years of Royal Exchange, Manchester : tures, The Barber of Seville, freelance technical work I knew I had Heartbreak House, Don Rusalka, The Magic Flute, mastered the easy bit . I understood the Carlos, Don Juan Eugene Onegin. basis for a working team in the theatre ." Lyric Hammersmith : Medea Scottish Opera: Don Gio­ For Chelton, a new line of interest lies Chichester Festival Theatre : A vanni, Oberon, Carmen, in the lighting of television drama . Having Little Night Music Iolanthe, Billy Budd just lit his first straight television play on Welsh National Opera: The location he feels that he has more control DANCE Makropoulos Case, Ernani over "the product" and that the framing Ballet Rambert: Prelude and The Royal Opera, Covent elements allow for the exploration of better and more exciting lighting styles . Song, Ghost Dances, Berlin Garden: Salome, Tannhauser, The tapestry of dynamic lighting that he Requiem, Concertina Samson, Un Re in Ascolto has learned to weave in the theatre is Sadlers Wells Royal Ballet: contained rather than restricted by Wand of Youth, Gloriana TELEV ISION television . Television to Nick Chelton London Festival Ballet: The Jericho/Channel 4: Family allows for better management of his art, and thus, to better art. JANUARY /FEBRUARY 1990 19 .