AHDS Collections

Designing Shakespeare Collection - Video Interview Clip

- Contemporary Design

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Designing Shakespeare Collection - Contemporary Design
Filename	:	DS_SK_vi14.mov
Short Desc	:	Forteenth video interview clip with Theatre Designer Shelagh Keegan
Description	:	Question: I'm going to move on to the last sort of section of questions which is about more general ideas about how theatre design has changed over this forty year period that we're looking at and the first question I guess is do you feel that it has changed in any dramatic ways? Answer: I don't go and see a lot of theatre now but when I do go and see it it seems much more sort of instillation-like than it ever has. I don't know if that's because of cost where one set has to, you know, I don't think theatre is subsidised heavily enough in this country and I do think that impacts on theatre all the way through right from the smallest beginnings right up to the RSC, the National, and you know certainly you don't get enough money to design a set. Whether today, you know, we're making one set do for fifteen different scenes and you are adding a few props that's what seems to be happening now and that can work brilliantly, it's definitely what David and I did a lot of. However I do think if you've got proscenium arch stage it would be nice to be able to use that in the sense that it's supposed to be used which is you know a sort of visual box with different pictures coming in you know, otherwise what's the point. I think it has changed probably not enough because of money, probably you know there isn't enough money backing theatre so we don't get enough, don't get enough good theatre I think, don't get enough new writers coming in you know. I mean I think it's dreadful that the RSC and the National stuck in this kind of repertoire of safe theatre really and that you are relying on theatres like the Royal Court to do anything slightly radical, you know. But yes, I guess it has moved on but not as much as perhaps it should have, from the little bit that I've seen it doesn't seem to have moved on radically.
Source	:	DS_18_06_02 INT-06 (mini DV tape)
Format	:	Quicktime Progressive (video)
Type	:	Resource Movie
Rights	:	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.
Length	:	1 minute 38.12 seconds