Copyright © 2023 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett
Mike Hume, Rick Boychuk, and I visited Glasgow after attending the Tyne Opera House & Theatre conference last month. The stop not only offered an opportunity to visit historic theaters, but also an opportunity to visit our good friend Megumi, now scenic art tutor at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. I first met Megumi in 2018 at a CITT (Canadian Institute of Theatre Technology) scene painting workshop in St. Catherines, Ontario, Canada.
Megumi in front of Wallace Studios, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
Megumi and Alan Butler joined Mike, Rick, and I on the morning and early afternoon of Sept. 16, 2023. We toured the Theatre Royal Glasgow, King’s Theatre, Tron Theatre, and the Citizen’s Theatre (the Citz). We then took Glasgow’s tiny subway, the “Clockwork Orange” to visit Megumi’s paint shop.
Glasgow’s tiny subway, now dubbed “Clockwork Orange.”
When it opened in 1896, it was only the third underground in the world; London had opened in 1863. For more information, here is a link to a “Glasgow Times” article about the subway: https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/13229439.one-penny-adventure-115-years-of-the-glasgow-subway-day-1-of-a-three-part-look-back-at-the-clockwork-oranges-history/
We took the subway across town to the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland’s Wallace Studios building. Megumi wanted to show us the motorized paint bridge in her paint shop and the two theater spaces.
Motorized bridge and paint frame at Wallace Studios, Royal Conservatoire, Scotland.
This was the first time that I have ever encountered a motorized bridge, where the paint frame is stationary and the painter moves up and down. This is opposite to what I use at home: a paint frame that moves while I remain stationary. I considered the pros and cons while I watched the bridge in action. The “con” of a motorized bridge is that you can’t quickly step back to see the entire composition, or rush to get something. It also requires a bit more planning when you shut the gate and operate the lift; no rushing to the sink. I can see that this system could slightly prolong the painting process in the long run. The “pro” is that retrieving dropped tools is far easier.
Motorized paint bridge at Wallace Studios.
Another view of the motorized paint bridge.
Controls for the motorized paint bridge.
When the paint bridge is “up.”
Caution sign on paint bridge gate.
Looking below the bridge when it is in the “up” position.
There is a second vertical paint frame in the nearby Royal Conservatoire of Scotland building that houses the New Athenaeum Theatre and Chandler Studio space.
The second paint frame at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland building that houses the New Athenaeum Theatre and Chandler Studio.
After touring the Wallace Studios, we headed to the Royal Conservatoire’s New Athenaeum Theatre and Chandler Studio. For geographical context, these two theaters are across the street from the Theatre Royal Glasgow (the site of our first theatre tour that day).
The Theatre Royal across the street from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
Here are a few pictures from our tour of the studio building and theaters at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. For more information about the school, visit: https://www.rcs.ac.uk/
The New Athenaeum Theatre entrance.
The New Athenaeum Theatre auditorium.
The New Athenaeum stage and auditorium.
The New Athenaeum Theatre stage.
The New Athenaeum Theatre counterweight system.
The Chandler Studio entrance.
The Chandler Studio.
The Chandler Studio.
Map depicting out location at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow.
To be continued…
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Great blog! Having dropped more than one liner down a paint frame well, I can truly appreciate the “easy retrieval” remark!
Re: the CW system, was the locking rail on a catwalk?