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DS_CD_au13.mov |
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Question: Finally, I would like to look at an overview of the period that we're looking at, the forty years in British design. Do you think that British design has developed or changed dramatically in the last forty years? Answer: Absolutely. Question: In what ways? Answer: I think it just reflects the periods that theatre has gone through since then. I had a lot of work say in the 70's and into the 80's but I think then there was, kind of, like a major change in theatre design at the end of the 70s to the mid 80s and I, kind of, missed that boat. I didn't realise what was happening, what you might call post-modernism or something. Question: How did the change manifest itself, what was the nature of the change? Answer: Just a different kind of design, I think a design that relied more on wit, like a removed statement if you like, a cornice that was there, a kind of cerebralness, is that the right word? An intellectual take on design that made a different statement to the piece itself. Unwittingly ... I didn't realise what was happening, I think, I was still kind of locked in my own style if you like or way of designing. I've got a name for it I think, a, kind of, almost naive approach to design in the way I use materials. Question: Naive in what sense? Answer: There's another word for naive art isn't there? Primitive, that's it. In the way that I use materials and want the materials to talk to the audience I think. That its design or the objects on stage that they see kind of come from the hands rather than the head, you know, are kind of made, and have a texture and a way of working with the actors that is more an improvised kind of way of working I think. That sounds dreadful. Question: And you worked primarily with natural materials, is that what you're saying? Answer: Yes I like wood, a lot of the stuff I've done is with wood. But a lot of my designing is quite structural so there has been a fair bit of metal as well, to kind of make the structures. Mike always had a joke about me and pillars, I had this thing about pillars, phallic or not phallic but there was always a lot of pillars on my sets. Question: Has your approach to design changed then over the period that you've been designing, or have you stuck with your primitive approach? Answer: I've tried to, kind of, come back into myself more and use my own resources rather than, kind of, go in directions that I think I should go in or follow styles. I've tried to find myself as an artist if you like and tried to be true to that. You can get to a point where, you know, you're talking with a director about how to do a particular play and the director will come with a book of photographs and you'll sit down and you'll look through the book trying to find a clue as to what would be the right thing to put on that stage, and I think when I've been doing that a bit too often I began to distrust the process. You know, like pick a design almost and then how do you apply yourself to that. |
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DS_05_06_01 INT-01 (mini DV tape) |
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Quicktime Progressive (audio) |
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Resource Audio |
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This clip may be used for educational purposes only, any commercial use of this material requires permission from the copyright holders. Misuse or misrepresentation may result in legal action. Copyright holder: Christie Carson, COMPH, Royal Holloway University of London. |
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4 minutes 14.15 seconds |
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Arts and Humanities Data Service (AHDS). Copyright 2003-5.