United Kingdom Trips – Page 3

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Theatre Royal, Newcastle upon Tyne, Sept. 12 and 14, 2023.

Mike Hume, Rick Boychuk, and I arrived in Newcastle on Sept. 12, 2023, after touring the Grand Opera House and Theatre Royal in York.

Theatre Royal, Newcastle upon Tyne.

Theatre Royal, Newcastle upon Tyne

For more information about the history of Newcastle upon Tyne, visit https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryMagazine/DestinationsUK/NewcastleuponTyne/

On the evening of Sept.12, 2023, Hume, Boychuk and I attended a production of Noises Off! (Hume’s favorite show). It was very well done!

Interestingly, Noises Off was produced at Theatre Royal Bath and returned the same day that we later toured the venue (Sept. 19). It was fascinating to examine the same set at both venues. Here is a link for more information about the Noises Off production and tour, as it is well worth seeing: https://www.theatreroyal.org.uk/events/noises-off/

Produced at the Theatre Royal Bath, the show stars Liza Goddard, Matthew Kelly and Simon Shepherd. Newcastle Theatre Royal was the second venue on a tour that ran from Aug 23, 2023 – Feb 17, 2024.

Auditorium, Theatre Royal, Newcastle upon Tyne.

Safety Curtain brought down at intermission, painted in 2006 by Phil R. Daniels.

View from the gallery. Theatre Royal, Newcastle upon Tyne, during Sept. 14 tour.

Detail of ceiling ornament.

Proscenium ornament detail.

Detail of spotlight box in gallery rail. A brilliant Frank Matcham touch!

Detail of balcony ornament.

The theater was also part of the international theatre conference tour on the morning of Sept. 14. Dr. David Wilmore gave a brief presentation of the history of the theatre, and then the delegates toured the auditorium and backstage areas.

Dr. David Wilmore leading Theatre Royal tour on Sept. 14, 2023.

Dr. David Wilmore leading Theatre Royal tour on Sept. 14, 2023.

Although the building’s façade dates from 1837, the interior dates is more recent. Frank Matcham designed the 1901 auditorium after fire destroyed the interior in 1899.

Lobby mural detail.

The space was renovated in 2011. Here is a link for more information about the venue: https://www.theatreroyal.co.uk/about-us/our-story/

Mercutio, sculpted by Lisa Del Arny, 2012. In 2011, Mercutio was voted the Northeast’s favorite Shakespeare character in a Theatre Royal poll.

The following text (Romeo and Juliet, Act I, scene IV) was included on the nearby plaque.

Romeo: I dreamt a dream tonight.

Mercutio: And so did I.

Romeo: And what was yours?

Mercutio: That dreamers often lie.

To be continued…

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar. York Theatre Royal, Sept. 12, 2023

On Sept. 12, 2023, Mike Hume, Rick Boychuk, and I visited the York Theatre Royal. It was only a short walk from our first stop that morning at the Grand Opera House.

Entrance for the York Theatre Royal.

Entrance of the York Theatre Royal.

Despite a very modern entrance, much of the complex was built in 1744, replacing a previous theatre located in the Minister Yard. The current theater was constructed on the same site as a medieval hospital, with remnants of the 12^th century stonework still visible throughout the building, most often as archways.

Section with medieval architecture on upstage wall.

Amazingly, there is even earlier architectural elements below the stage, dating from Roman occupation.

Prior to our visit, Hume contacted Mike Woodcock about gaining access to the backstage area. It was Woodcock who arranged a tour with Grace Branch, Deputy Head of Stage. Although relatively new in her position, Branch is extremely knowledgeable, gracious, and accommodated all of our requests.

Rick Boychuk and Grace Branch at the York Theatre Royal.

Here are a few more pictures from our tour.

York Theatre Royal auditorium.

York Theatre Royal auditorium.

Proscenium arch detail (top).

Opera box ornament at the York Theatre Royal.

View from the stage.

Theatre Royal York stage and auditorium.

View from stage right.

Looking up at the gridiron.

The fly floor.

Weight information.

Hall Stage counterweight system.

Weights.

Wendy Waszut-Barrett, Rick Boychuk, Mike Hume, and Grace Branch at the York Theatre Royal.

To be continued…

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar. The Grand Opera House York, England, Sept. 12, 2023

On Sept. 12, 2023, Mike Hume, Rick Boychuk, and I visited two theaters in York, Yorkshire, England. Today’s post is about our first stop and tour at the Grand Opera House York. Hume had arranged a tour with Technical and Buildings Manager, Joe Strange (pictured below).

Wendy Waszut-Barrett, Mike Hume, Joe Strange, and Rick Boychuk at the Grand Opera House York.

For geographical context, York is located north of London, at the confluence where the Foss and Ouse Rivers. Founded in 71 AD when Roman General Quintus Petillius Cerialis and the Ninth Legion constructed a military fortress. Roman origins remain quite visible throughout the city, forming the basis for later medieval structures.

Our walk to the Grand Opera House and Theatre Royal provided a wonderful opportunity to explore York. On a grey damp day, we passed by “The Shambles” (a medieval street), Sir Thomas Herbert’s House (Tudor), the Cathedral and Metropolitan Church of Saint Peter (York Minster), and the Assembly Rooms.

Walking through the Shambles section of York.

Sir Thomas Herbert’s House.

York Minster.

Another view of York Minster.

The Assembly Rooms. The building was erected by public subscription 1730-1736 to the design of Richard Boyle, Earl of Burlington.

The Assembly Rooms are now home to a cafe.

Another view of the interior.

Here is link to an interactive map of York if you want to do a little more exploring: https://www.york360.co.uk/map-of-york.htm

Our First Stop in York – The Grand Opera House

The Grand Opera House York.

Front entrance, Grand Opera House York

The theater emerged from a previous building, dating from 1868. It was architect John P. Briggs who drew plans that converted a corn exchange and warehouse to a performance space. This 1902 venue recently underwent a major refurbishment.

Hume arranged a tour with Joe Strange, Technical and Building Manager of the Grand Opera House York.

Stage door and loading doors, Grand Opera House York. Joe is in the red shirt waiting at the stage door.

The exterior of the building still boasts tall doors; doors that provided necessary access for touring wings and other large flats. Here are several photos from our tour

A view of the auditorium from the stage.

Metal safety curtain at the Grand Opera House York.

Detail of safety curtain.

Backside of the safety curtain.

Ben Hur mural above the proscenium.

The Ben Hur mural above the proscenium arch.

Detail of the mural.

Detail of the mural.

Joe Strange in the upper gallery at the Grand Opera House York.

Auditorium Grand Opera House York. View of the opera boxes.

Opera Box detail.

More ornamental decor.

View of the stage and auditorium.

Looking up at the gridiron.

Rick Boychuk and Joe Strange discussing the grid.

The grid.

The grid.

The Fly floor looking upstage.

The fly floor.

This may be the most cozy fly floor that I have encountered to date.

My favorite backstage sign…“make it epic…”

The bridge (upstage/exterior wall). View from stage left.

I greatly appreciate the time that Joe spent giving us a tour of the building and sharing the history of this beautiful theater.

Here is is a link to the Grand Opera House York website if you happen to be in the region: https://www.atgtickets.com/venues/grand-opera-house-york/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=gmb

To be continued…

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, Sept. 10-11, 2023

On Sept. 10, 2023, Mike Hume, Rick Boychuk, Grit Eckert, and I visited the Drury Lane Theatre.

Hume had scheduled a backstage tour with Michael “Biglad” Burgess-Shaw Head of Stage, Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. The tour was remarkable, both entertaining and informative as we explored the extensive the backstage area.

Rick Boychuk, Grit Eckert, Wendy Waszut-Barrett, Biglad, and Mike Hume backstage at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.

A view from above the stage.

Although everything was fascinating, my favorite part of the backstage tour was visiting the old paint studio. There is so much history spattered on the paint frames, walls, and floor. I have traced the careers of so many scenic artists who worked here. There is nothing quite like standing in the same spot where so many scenic artists, brush in hand, stood for decades.

The paint shop with four paint frames (two in the center).

Paint frame detail.

Paint frame detail, looking up toward skylights.

Next to the paint shop was the scenery storage area; now the main office. Old drops (from a touring production of Oklahoma) now decorated only one wall, now the sole legacy of a space that once housed so many more.

Photograph by Mike Hume. Extant “Oklahoma” drops on the wall.

Drops from a touring production of “Oklahoma” now decorate one wall.

Biglad, Grit, Rick, Wendy and Mike at Drury Lane.

We returned to the theater on September 11 for a front-of-house tour. Mark Fox showed us the rest of the building. We couldn’t have had a better tour guide. Fox is an amazing theatre historian, archivist and advertising manager for LW Theatres. Fox even wrote the book Theatre Royal Drury.

Wendy Waszut-Barrett. Mark Fox, Rick Boychuk and Mike Hume.

The Auditorium.

The Royal Box.

View from the Royal Box.

View from the balcony.

The tour wonderful! Mark’s passion about the building is evident, and he is full of fascinating information about the theater’s history, renovations, and decor.

Print of the auditorium.

Print of the rotunda and principle staircases.

The rotunda.

Looking across the rotunda.

Section of a main staircases.

Main staircase.

View from the exterior balcony.

View of the same balcony from the street.

Here are a few more pictures of highlights from our visit.

One of my favorite paintings – Fortunes by G. D. Leslie, RA. It was for the Royal Jubilee, 1887 Exposition. It is now on display in room behind the Royal Box.

Painted detail.

Painted detail.

Painted detail.

The second painting in the same room of June (actress, singer, dancer) by Herbert Draper.

Painted detail.

Painted detail.

Painted detail.

Painting by Seymour Lucas, Study of a New Act Curtain, 1911.

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar. The Globe Theater, Sept. 10, 2023

On Sept. 8, 2023, I boarded a plane in Minneapolis, Minnesota, for London, England. Mike Hume, Rick Boychuk, and I were presenting papers at the Tyne Opera House and Theatre Conference: Victorian and Edwardian Theatre in Performance, Music & Machinery – Stagecraft & Spectacle, scheduled for Sept. 13-15.

We planned our itinerary to include a few historic theater stops, both before and after the conference. When all was said and done, we visited fifteen theaters over the course of ten days.

In London, the Globe Theatre was our first stop on the morning of September 10.

Mike Hume, Wendy Waszut-Barrett, and Rick Boychuk at the Globe Theatre, London, England.

The Globe Theatre, London.

Painted details at the Globe Theatre.

Painted details on the Globe Theatre stage.

More painted details.

The Globe Theatre stage.

The stage ceiling at the Globe Theatre.

Arriving a few days before the conference also gave me a chance to meet London-based scenic artist, Grit Eckert. Eckert and I virtually met in 2018. We both share a passion for historic scenic art and had been corresponding about people and processes for a few years. In addition to finally getting to meet Eckert in person, she was also presenting a paper at the conference. In fact, I was the chair of her panel on Sept. 15; a panel composed of Eckert, Jim Davis (Professor of Theatre Studies at the University of Warwick), and John Plunkett (Associate Professor, Department of English, University of Exeter).

Eckert is a PhD candidate at the University of Bristol. She started her professional life as a scenic artist in the workshops of a regional theatre in Germany. She moved to England to study Scenic Arts, and over the past two decades has examined scene painting practices from various different angles. Eckert both works as a scene painter and instructor. Like me, Eckert is fascinated with the history of the trade and those scenic artists who came before us.

Later in the day, we went backstage at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Hume had arranged a private tour with Michael Biglad Burgess-Shaw, Head of Stage. With a little time to spare, we wandered around a bit, visiting the Tate Modern, peering into the paint shop windows at the National Theatre, passing through the central courtyard of Somerset House, wandering into the Savoy, and strolling by the Vaudeville, Adelphi, Coliseum, and Garrick Theaters. After all, it is the Theatre District. We made our way back to Drury Lane, and eagerly waited to meet Biglad at the stage door.

Mike Hume, Wendy Waszut-Barrett, Grit Eckert and Rick Boychuk.

To be continued…