Performing Newcastle: The Theatre as a Reflection of the City

Performing Newcastle: The Theatre as a Reflection of the City

performing newcastle the theatre as a reflection of the city written by jordan paige ince (150264754) dissertation tutor - james a. craig

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Performing Newcastle: The Theatre as a Reflection of the City

list of illustrations Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6 Figure 7 Figure 8 Figure 9 Figure 10

Teatro Oficina design by Lina Bo Bardi, from Kok, Pedro, Teatro Oficina for Domus Magazine, 2012 <http://www.pedrokok.com/teatro-oficina-theatre-sao-paulobrazil/> Illustration of exterior of Theatre Royal, authors own Sketch of decor around the box in Theatre Royal, authors own Rail network of Newcastle-upon-Tyne and surrounding areas, map taken from Digimaps Drawing depicting the picture boxâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability of pausing time, authors own Collage expressing notions of proscenium-arch theatre, authors own Sketch of the proscenium frame, authors own Illustration of exterior of Live Theatre, authors own Sketch of Live Theatreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s auditorium, authors own Collage expressing notions of black box theatre, authors own 2

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Performing Newcastle: The Theatre as a Reflection of the City

contents

Chapter One - Introduction

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Chapter Two - Theatre Royal

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prelude - my experience with introductions to Frank Matcham and the inspirations behing the proscenium arch the act - the dream box and the influence of showbusiness closing curtain - the proscenium arch in modern society and the influence of architectural stratifcation

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Chapter Three - Live Theatre

prelude - introduction to the 1970s society and radicalismâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s influence on theatre the show - the black box and itsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ideology closing curtain - philosophy of the black box theatre

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Chapter Four - Conclusion

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Bibliography

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Performing Newcastle: The Theatre as a Reflection of the City

Figure 1 Teatro Oficina designed by Lina Bo Bardi

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Performing Newcastle: The Theatre as a Reflection of the City

chapter one introduction

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any associate the theatre as a temporal art, however it is a form which is very spatial. However, the architecture of the theatre according to Jacques Copeau, a French actor and director in the early 20th century, is something which is ‘the most fundamental and consistently overlooked aspect of the theatre.’1 when people consider the qualities which aid the unique theatrical experience. All performances must consider the spatial surroundings and its importance of atmosphere, just as ‘for most churchgoers the architectural atmosphere is as essential to the experience as the words.’2.

Architecture has a central impact on the performance with ‘sculpting of space and the organisation of the environments in which we live and act – and which act upon us – through the use of light, materials, technology, texture and sound.’3.

The sightlines, lighting and materials etc. used therefore affects how the audience and yourself view the performance. For instance, the Teatro Oficina (Fig. 1) designed by Lina Bo Bardi in São Paulo is a long narrow building connecting two streets either side with a long glass wall. The interior feels like the remains of a 5

1 Juliet Rufford, Theatre & Architecture (London: Palgrave, 2015), p. 2 2 Iain Mackintosh, Architecture, Actor And Audience (London: Routledge, 1993), p. 1 3 Juliet Rufford, Theatre & Architecture (London: Palgrave, 2015), p. 12-13

Performing Newcastle: The Theatre as a Reflection of the City

construction site with the scaffolding, with little space for the actors, audience and crew, creating difficult sightlines, the audience feeling as though they are on stage with the actors making the theatrical experience intense and more of a reality.4 Theatre going as a child is a fond memory, at a young age every year my parents would take me to see a ballet. The simple joy that overcame me, admiring everything about the experience which has become ingrained in my memory: entering the grand door, the anticipation in the velvet seats taking in the height of the room with the sounds of the orchestra warming up circulating around me.

The aim for my dissertation is to compare and contrast an old and new theatre within Newcastle, analysing their different performances and the auditoriums in which they are contained and how it has a fundamental influence on the theatrical experience.

Whilst investigating this, I hope to develop my understanding and own theory of the importance of theatre architecture. However, how I will develop my opinion will be shaped by others through reading and observation as they are essential.

Another important aspect, that will develop throughout the dissertation,

will be how the auditoriums reflect the city and the social standings they represented at the time of their design and construction. As both theatres will be from two completely different eras, the societal ideals will be completely opposing, and therefore the influence that socio-political issues had on theatre architecture will be an important and intriguing one. Society and its cultures is something which will always have a direct influence on architecture as a whole, the human body and the relation to the building is forever in the forefront of the architect’s mind The theatres which I will be analysing are the Theatre Royal and the Live Theatre. The Theatre Royal designed

by Frank Matcham, a known master of theatrical design, with its’ grandeur, luxury and classic proscenium shape, the most common type of stage design for the era it was built. Allowing everyone within the audience to watch the performance facing straight on towards the framed from more or less the same angle.

The Live Theatre, founded in 1973, is a contemporary theatre with the auditorium completely opposing Theatre Royal’s it seems more basic, with its “black box” with a mixture of cabaret seating directly in front of the stage to offer a more intimate and social like atmosphere and behind 6

4 “Teatro Oficina / Lina Bo Bardi”, Archeyes, 2016 5 Gay McAuley, Space In Performance (Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press, 2000), p.55

Performing Newcastle: The Theatre as a Reflection of the City

fixed seating, some with limited views.

The stage set in the corner provides the audience with a different angle, furthering the fact that everyone has their own unique experience.

Therefore, for both theatres the analysing will include the audience behaviours and the social experience as their participation is an active one unlike cinema, this is essential to theatre-going and these features of the theatre which contribute to these attitudes.

the sense of space and the experience.

Overall I hope this dissertation provides an insightful outlook on theatreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s auditoriums, on their atmosphere and effect upon the audience, and a reflection they contain on a broader sense that is the city.

As the experience at the theatre is so unique, it therefore does not seem right to approach the writing assuming everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s opinions are the same.

Throughout the chapters there will be a description of my first hand experience at the theatres, which would flow into points which have influenced theatre architecture such as the history of the theatres, society and the influence they had on shaping the space and also theories of theatrical architecture.

It is also important to add that although the theatres themselves are very different, the performances as well which I will be analysing will also differ. Therefore, it is important to take note that how they are directed and produced, how the actors interact with the audience or something as simple as the lighting, will all be unalike and hence 7

Performing Newcastle: The Theatre as a Reflection of the City

Figure 2 Exterior of Theatre Royal

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Performing Newcastle: The Theatre as a Reflection of the City

chapter two theatre royal

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or the primary research of the Theatre Royal, Newcastle, I watched ‘The Little Mermaid’ a ballet performance

by Northern Ballet. The theatre located on the iconic Grey Street, near Grey’s monument, is situated within the heart of the city centre.

the noteworthy inspirations of the “original” Western formations for performance space which had an impact on the proscenium-arch style.

This chapter delves into the auditorium, redesigned by Frank Matcham in 1901, and why the space contains this level of splendour and opulence.

Exploring the influences that society at the time of it being redesigned had affected Matcham’s significant approach to the project, and also 9

Performing Newcastle: The Theatre as a Reflection of the City

Figure 3 Sketch of Theatre Royal decor surrounding the boxes

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Performing Newcastle: The Theatre as a Reflection of the City

prelude

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pon entering the theatre, the grandeur and indulgence of the building infects both body and mind. The entrance floor laid with black and white tiled floor and the walls adorned in timber cladding, which has been engraved with thoughtful detail.

My mind instantly began to imagine the elite socialising about current events and the spectacular which is soon to begin behind the closed doors, wearing their black tie and elegant gowns, back to who the Theatre Royal was originally intended for.

For this particular performance I am seated within the amphitheatre, one of the top tiers within the auditorium, looking directly down onto the stage.

Sitting down before the performance begins, I observe the surroundings with its’ finer details which renowned theatre designer, Frank Matcham, included into the 1901 redesign of the interior after the initial was destroyed after a fire in 18991. The splendour and detail of the ceiling above the void is beautiful, and something which would have missed if seated below the overhang of the auditorium seats or the “cheap seats”. The decoration is gold plaited, complimenting the red velvet seats which run throughout the whole of the auditorium, adding to the opulence of the space (Fig. 3).

The extravagant comfort which adorns

the auditorium is reminiscent to that of the studios at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City, where the likes of the ‘The Tonight Show’ and ‘Saturday Night Live’ are recorded. The audience seating in these theatres are extremely luxurious with their wide, leather seats, in particular ‘The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon’ seats made from Ferrari leather. As the audience participation of these particular shows are so vital, the designers of these spaces believed that providing the audience with this “VIP” experience, the more positive response and therefore the better the participation when recording and as a result a successful episode. This can be related back to the Theatre Royal and the atmosphere they want to create for their audience by the particular choice of details of the interior. Today this type of opulence and finely detailed interior enforces the audience to feel superior and aristocratic, which at the time that Matcham designed the theatre was to conform with the standards which people expect for such an event.

Between 1879 and 1912, the time Matcham was designing theatres, he designed more than any other architect in the British Isles. He responded to ‘economic and social forces which stimulated a great expansion of commercialised public entertainment during the late 19th and early 20th centuries’2. This was due to the rapidly 11

1 Vanessa Histon, Theatre Royal Newcastle: A New Short History (Tyne Bridge Publishing, 2012) 2 Brian Mercer Walker and Cyril Ehrlich, Frank Matcham: Theatre Architect (Belfast: Blackstaff Press, 2017), p. 21

Performing Newcastle: The Theatre as a Reflection of the City

rail links to scotland

NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE

rail links to the east of england and wales

rail links to london (the south)

Figure 4 Rail network of Newcastle-upon-Tyne and surrounding areas

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Performing Newcastle: The Theatre as a Reflection of the City

increasing population along with their increasing income and leisure. This unexpected process of urbanisation triggered a mass entertainment industry to be created, which furthermore caused theatre to become an urban phenomenon. Another factor which helped strengthen the entertainment industry was the extraordinary improvement with the transport system, in particular rail. For instance, Newcastle is an area with ample transportation links, especially rail (Fig. 4) and therefore became an attractive area for this sector to thrive.

During the time that Frank Matcham was designing theatres, the proscenium arch style was common form for theatre design, hence why the majority of his projects have similarities, such as the Edinburgh Empire. This particular style of theatre architecture evokes a separation from the stage and the auditorium by using a frame and arch. Using this particular arrangement forces everyone in the audience to look into this “dream box”, where a whole new world is almost being created in front of your eyes.

Entering into the 19th century, the theatre’s auditorium faced new competing pressure with some theorists, such as August Wilhelm Schlegel in 1808, who debated that the perspectival stage was beginning to

‘unavoidable defects’. However, the iconic théâtre à l’italienne, ‘which came to be regarded as the natural architectural form of theatre within western culture’3, still remained as architects could provide no alternative. The origins of show its this theatre architecture arisen from the Italian renaissance where perspective and the idea of the frame was praised upon, therefore its overall objective was to prioritise vision.

‘The soul is content to stay imprisoned in the human body, for through the eyes the various things stay imprisoned in the human body, for through the eyes the various things of nature are represented to the soul. Who loses his eyes leaves his soul in a dark prison without hope of again seeing the sun, the light of all the world.’ – Leonardo da Vinci4 What was seen though was an evolution of the auditoria, where gradual changes took place within the confinements of the existing form. This was partly due to urban growth therefore, as an example, auditoriums had to become larger. From this the proscenium arch was developed, where the auditorium was split into vertical tiers with the idea to bring more of the audience closer to the stage, however this did bring the issue of limited sightlines. This layout provided a subliminal message into the architects’ ideals by segregating 13

3 David Wiles, A Short History Of Western Performance Space (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003, p.214 4 James S Ackerman, Distance Points: Essays In Theory And Renaissance Art And Architecture(Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 1991), p. 97

Performing Newcastle: The Theatre as a Reflection of the City

its audience, furthermore the theatre therefore became a forefront for a highly stratified society, whereby the architecture somehow purposefully groups people based upon their income, wealth and social status. For instance, Charles Garnier, a French architect remembered for being the main designer for the Paris Opera House and an influencer towards architecture for the wealthy, would with no shame ‘refer to the stairs leading to the upper galleries in his operahouse as “la division du corps social”5(rough translation, the division of society).

The Theatre Royal during Frank Matcham’s course of redesigning the theatre was faced with a growing population who can now afford the theatre with the increase of disposable income, he ‘responded to this with warmth and affection’6.

This was perhaps due to Matcham’s main principal as a theatre architect primarily about safety and providing the same opportunities, wherever and whoever you are within the auditorium. From this outset was how Matcham was given the title of such a renowned theatre architect, his innovation of using steel frame construction for the structure allowed the cantilevered tiers to become a reality, providing decent sightlines for everyone within the audience. His deep thought into fireproof constructionand

ventilation were well respected, although of course not the expected sophisticated standard of modern day ventilation. However, his designs were often well respected by critics, such as written after a performance in one of Matcham’s theatres in Brighton: ‘At the close of the entertainment on Monday evening, which lasted nearly three hours, it was noticed that on the ground floor the temperature was moderate and the atmosphere far clearer or less oppressive than could have been expected, seeing that there was a crowded audience and that smoking had been going to a greater or lesser extent throughout the evening.’7 His thoughtfulness towards these examples of criteria actually aided the audience’s health, as before the standard ventilation system were gas burners placed centre of the ceiling to cause air to rise, but did nothing with carbon dioxide falling.

During the 19th century the theatre became a monument to city with its the growing urban societies, extravagantly presented in the main hub. For instance, the Theatre Royal emerges like a temple to the arts on the iconic Grey Street, only a short distance from Grey’s Monument. A forefront for entertainment and providing an escape from the everyday norms. The more 14

5 Gay McAuley, Space In Performance (Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press, 2000), p.58 6 Brian Walker, Frank Matcham: Theatre Architect (Belfast: Blackstaff Press Limited, 1980), p.80 7 Brighton Herald, 3rd November 1888

Performing Newcastle: The Theatre as a Reflection of the City

prosperous members of the community would elaborately dress, with wigs and make-up, dramatizing and accentuating their place and roles within the space of the auditorium8. Although there was an increasing amount of members from the lower classes who could afford to visit the theatre, which Frank Matcham warmly appreciated within his designs, there was still a high level of stratifying society by entering through â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;separate doors, were watered at separate bars â&#x20AC;Ś Advance booking of seats by telephone added a further guarantee that the classes need never mix.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;9.

Although whether purposeful or accidental the increased number of spectators meant that what was once a more intimate affair with a closed-knit community, turned into something more individualistic. The proscenium arch meant that only rows of seats were allowed rather than what the thrust stage, where you could look onto those seated opposite on the side of the stage, a reminder of their presence in society. Therefore, within proscenium auditoriums all of the audience are almost forced to be entranced with the happenings on the stage, one of the powers the simplicity of layout and arrangement of seating can emplace. The Theatre Royal is therefore an exemplar of how design can provoke captivation for drama unravelling behind the arch and frame.

8 David Wiles, A Short History Of Western Performance Space (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003), p.229 9 Brian Walker, Frank Matcham: Theatre Architect (Belfast: Blackstaff Press Limited, 1980), p.29 15

Performing Newcastle: The Theatre as a Reflection of the City

Figure 5 Drawing depicting the pictures box ability of pausing time

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Performing Newcastle: The Theatre as a Reflection of the City

the act

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he beginning of the show starts with the universal knowledge of the light fading into darkness.

The framed stage becomes illuminated by a blue hue, a clear indication that we are entering an underwater world with the hint of a yellow glow rising from the orchestral pit. The commotion from the audience settles, entering a unanimous appreciation of silence with only the melodies emanating from below and the surrounding spectators capturing the last glimpses of reality before being spellbound by the fantastical new world unravelling before them, absorbed into the tale.

The dancers glide onto the stage from the edges of the gilded frame, and its as though the world you know as come to a stop and this dream box has come to life, you are entirely devoted to the performers yet recognising a separation between the ‘actor’ and ‘audience’. The theatre has become a romantic one, the stage providing the performance as an ‘object of aesthetic contemplation’10, as though the spectacle is replicating a painting.

One particular moment of the ballet was where the principle dancer’s character, becomes lost in her memories and time becomes suspended. The rest of the dancers become frozen, and there is only the flow of the two characters, Marilla and Prince Adair, moving across

the space. This particular scene almost echoes the atmosphere of Theatre Royal where as an audience member time is frozen, whilst you observe the happenings within the frame (Fig.5). Where reality has disappeared for the few hours and the body and mind are fully immersed into the unique experience of the theatre, specifically the Theatre Royal. This moment is something which theorist Edward Gordon Craig, a pioneer for theatre being an ‘autonomous art’ within the realm of a romantic tradition. His interest lied not in the actor-audience relationship but with the aesthetic object11, he wanted the audience to be overwhelmed with the fact that ‘art is revelation’, something which he noted in his rendition of the play ‘Rosmersholm’.

Personally, this experience of this theatrical performance highlights how theatre can be used as a persuasive illusion. Therefore, returning to when perspectival staging was born with the théâtre à l’italienne, this prosceniumarch stage can ultimately provide an illusion to its’ audience. This was utilised to the fullest advantage back with aristocrats and the avant-garde, and the love for entertainment and the shocking. For instance, with the recent film ‘The Greatest Showman’, directed

by Michael Gracey, based loosely upon the life of P.T. Barnum a man 17

10 David Wiles, A Short History Of Western Performance Space (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003), p.229 11 David Wiles, A Short History Of Western Performance Space (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003), p.235

Performing Newcastle: The Theatre as a Reflection of the City

Figure 6 Collage expressing the key notions of the proscenium arch

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Performing Newcastle: The Theatre as a Reflection of the City

known for being a legendary showman during the 18th century and, to some, the person who invented entertainment as we know today. He was someone who was interested in ‘putting on glittering appearances — outside show — novel expedients, by which to suddenly arrest public attention, and attract the public eye and ear.’12.

The film clearly shows how show business and the want to be entertained by illusion during the 19th century.

The proscenium-arch providing this desire with the perfect ideological framework, highlighting the power that theatre architecture has by that it ‘not only forms and manipulates audiences’ perspectives on events but also upholds social hierarchies and ideologically laden visions of the world.’13.

12 Cited on: Jackie Mansky, “P.T. Barnum Isn’t The Hero The “Greatest Showman” Wants You To Think”, Smithsonian, 2017 https:// w w w. s mi t h s o ni anm ag . com/history/true-story-ptbarnum-greatest-humbugthem-all-180967634/. P T Barnum, Humburgs Of The World (New York, 1865) 13 Julia Rufford, Theatre & Architecture (London: Palgrave, 2015), p.49 19

Performing Newcastle: The Theatre as a Reflection of the City

Figure 7 Sketch of Theatre Royal’s “picture box” with annotations

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Performing Newcastle: The Theatre as a Reflection of the City

closing curtain

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he performance has ended, the dancers and conductor all come out onto the stage to take their bows and all of the audience all acknowledge their appreciation with a round of applause which fills the auditoria. All element of illusion has come to an end.

In today’s approach towards theatre architecture, society has developed a negative approach towards the proscenium-arch, where practitioners are opting out of once was a popular form of theatre. Instead the standard choices have become the all-round and street theatre. Where the audience and performers virtually interact with each other, a play on play, where there is no separation between the two, at times almost causing confusion. But how this come to light? Has society evolved, with attitudes towards space changing?

Dan Revellato questions why this is and argues why the proscenium-arch should still be utilised in modern society in his article for The Guardian, he writes the three main accusations such as: 1) The proscenium-arch is only useful and theoretically only design for illusion 2) The auditorium sets a particular set of social and cultural behaviours 3) Promote passivity14 The second is something that I would

like to iterate more about, with the Theatre Royal being redesigned where almost 140 years ago, the segregation of society which was fully intended at the time is still powerfully everpresent, and within other designs of the proscenium-arch. The range of ticket prices in respect to seating and the difference in sightlines which come along with the arrangements of seating. However, has it created a different stratified society compared to its’ “original” days? In some ways this is probably the case, for instance with the increase in the number of students, especially in a student affluent area such as Newcastle, the “cheap seats” are more tempting to this part of society. In the case of my experience of the Theatre Royal, I was sitting in the amphitheatre tier, the majority surrounding were students like myself. On the other hand, within the proscenium-arch theatre there will still be some element of division between “the wealthy and the poor” with the ticket prices and also with the frequency that people will visit the theatre.

Although back to the first point that Rebellato argues against, that this specific theatre type is only suited for the illusion, I would have to agree to some level with both sides of the debate. His view stands at that ‘the theatre isn’t illusionistic at all, so in 21

14 Dan Rebellato, “What’s So Wrong With Proscenium Arch Theatre?”, The Guardian, 2010 <https://www. theguardian.com/stage/theatreblog/2010/jul/19/proscenium-arch-theatre>

Performing Newcastle: The Theatre as a Reflection of the City

using a picture-box stage we run no risk. of convincing anybody of the literal truth of what they see.’15.

However, it is not so much the risk of convincing people of a truth or a lie, propaganda in this sense can occur wherever it is on a stage or on the street. After my personal experience of both theatres, the proscenium-arch can only contain particular types of performances, those of which the main and sole purpose is to entertain, like that of the cinema. Although this is the primary purpose of theatre – to entertain – some performances have more underlying messages which would somehow get lost on this stage and therefore are more suitable for other theatres, such as the performance at the Live Theatre which I shall discuss in the next chapter.

15 Dan Rebellato, “What’s So Wrong With Proscenium Arch Theatre?”, The Guardian, 2010 <https://www. theguardian.com/stage/theatreblog/2010/jul/19/proscenium-arch-theatre> 22

Performing Newcastle: The Theatre as a Reflection of the City

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Performing Newcastle: The Theatre as a Reflection of the City

Figure 8 Exterior of Live Theatre

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Performing Newcastle: The Theatre as a Reflection of the City

chapter three live theatre

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or the first hand experience of the Live Theatre, Newcastle, I watched ‘From the Sky to Your Hands’, a play written by Juliana Mensah and told by Joana Geronimo.

The play tells the story of the actress herself migrating from Angola to Newcastle, and the events that she ensued. Part of the Freedom City Festival, which celebrated 50 years since Martin Luther King received his honorary doctorate at Newcastle University. Set within a small theatre near the Quayside, where the main objective of the company is to encourage new writing. The Live Theatre has been a growing company

since 1973. This chapter studies my experience within the auditorium, how the theatres contemporary shape mimics Newcastle’s society during the 70s and radicalism, which the company was an advocate and furthermore provided the Live Theatre’s fundamental principles of the auditorium’s design

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Performing Newcastle: The Theatre as a Reflection of the City

Figure 9 Sketch of the Live Theatreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s auditorium

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Performing Newcastle: The Theatre as a Reflection of the City

prelude

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efore visiting the Live Theatre, I never had the experience of a contemporary theatre.

My experience was limited to playhouses that lay within the more traditional sense, for example Empire Theatre, Liverpool or Theatre Royal, Newcastle. Within these commercial theatres, the layout and therefore the passage throughout the entire building feels systematic: you enter into the grand foyer, climb the stairs to the bar, wait and socialise before the auditorium doors open. However, in the Live Theatre, the doors leading to the auditorium are painted black and therefore easily overlooked.

As the audience members take their seats, the atmosphere replicates that of a pub or bar with everyone socialising.

The sense of space, which in the you were acutely aware of Theatre Royal, almost disappears in the Live Theatre with people becoming the forefront of the experience. The simplicity and intimacy the theatre attempts to create is immediately apparent once entering through the main doors and is reflected throughout the entire building. Perhaps the setting makes you conscious of the other small group of spectators and the close-knit community that is created during this performance. The auditorium of the Live Theatre itself is modest, completely opposing that of the Theatre Royal, with nothing avant-

garde imposed upon the audience. A black box room (Fig. 9), the stage set in the opposite corner to the entrance, fixed row seats arranged along one corner with a balcony hovering above.

Dispersed around the front of the stage are cabaret seats with small, round wooden tables with lamps adding a subtle glow around the foot of the stage.

The Live Theatre’s roots are cemented and expressed within the feel of the space, with its simple yet intimate experience. The feeling that every person in the space has chosen to be there to purely appreciate the performance, there is no desire to be enclosed with expense and elaborate décor. The resultant atmosphere of the company’s space echoes to the 70s theatre and the decade’s particular legacy to theatre, and furthermore the Live Theatre’s own personal legacy established in 1973.

Beginning as a radical theatre company – where plays are taken to traditionally to non-theatrical locations such as pubs – their initial material, provided by playwrights Tom Hadaway and later on C.P. Taylor, was fully dedicated to reflecting contemporary working life in the North East region1. The 70s in general tends to be a forgotten decade in British history, with it being between two iconic decades: the swinging 60s and the 80s, with Margaret Thatcher 27

1 “History | Live Theatre”, Live Theatre <http://cms. live.org.uk/about-us/history>

Performing Newcastle: The Theatre as a Reflection of the City

undertaking the role as Prime Minister.

The majority of people remember the decade as the years that brought disco music, platform shoes, Star Wars etc.

However, there were many movements with people advocating that they wanted change. Especially within the arts, socio-political issues were heavily dealt with across the various mediums.

It is often said that the 1960s saw a wonderful flowering of the visual arts in Britain, but that in the ’70s it all vanished. In fact, the ’70s produced a different kind of movement, a remarkable growth of political and social consciousness among artists.2 The North East, known for being a heavily industrial region of the UK was rapidly in decline with more mines and ports closing, its’ main identity slowly disappearing. More specifically the miner strikes which occurred during 1972 and 73, which catalysed the change of a four-year end of Conservative government to Labour. From this the Live Theatre saw an opportunity, a basis for the purpose of the company and the significant cultural art that would develop. For instance, Tom Hadaway, who became one the lead scriptwriters for Live Theatre during the 70s whilst the company was touring working man clubs and pubs. His work was poetical work based on the North East region,

in which he grew up and forever admired. One of his scripts, ‘God Bless Thee Jackie Madison’, a love story between a Cullercoats fisherman and the widow of a Northumberland miner, star-crossed lovers similar to that of the iconic Romeo and Juliet. Although the film is poetically structured and proves a worthy and respected example of the North East language, deals with the socio-political issues between the two communities.

The alternative theatre movement is linked to radicalism, a term which can be traced back to the the early decades of the 20th century with modernism taking a ‘radical change to received notions of self, space, society and representation.’3. With the rise of the theatres tough competitor – the cinema – where they have the freedom of different angles for example, and the ability of playing with time with editing - ‘The function of theatre as a representational medium became uncertain, alongside its social function’3. Therefore, many theorists and practitioners of the theatre believed that change was in order, and that the practice should be thought of as an important art form which should be utilised to all the opportunities it provides.

Theatre practitioners developed an understanding and action that not only 28

2 Cited in John A. Walker, Left Shift: Radical Art In 1970S Britain (New York: I.B. Lauris, 2002), p.2 from Guy Brett, ‘The art of the matter’, City Limits (27 November-3 December 1981), p.38-40.

3 David Wiles, A Short History Of Western Performance Space (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003), p.235

Performing Newcastle: The Theatre as a Reflection of the City

did they want to ‘change the future actions of their audience, but also the structure of the audience’s community and the nature of the audience’s culture.’4. They saw a potential in theatre that performance can have on the spectators, that by encouraging the space as a route for escapism with the temptation of entertainment, it can have a wider effect on its’ audience. Creating a theoretical formula for change by a amalgamation of entertainment and a ‘discussion of socio-political proposals and recommendations.’4. Believing that promoting the theatre as a way to getaway the everyday norm, meant those visiting wanted, and therefore would, push their personal social and political thoughts and queries to the back of their mind. As a result, the ‘performances with a more overtly ‘serious’ purpose- shows which engage with current moral issues, for instance- are hoping more obviously to alter, or confirm, their audiences’ ideas and attitudes, and through that to affect their future actions.’4.

Due to the original nature of the alternative theatre with it growing outside the realms of the traditional sense of a theatre building, it was therefore easier for the ideological socio-political nature of all their projects to develop as they were always present within the confinements of their context.5

Another aspect which influenced the purpose of this new theatre movement was the geographical locations of the spectators, due to the new aspect of the movement an audience had to be constructed from somewhere.

Therefore, addressing issues that they knew the local community would have an interest in because of their, possibly not obvious to the audience, involvement of the subject tackled.

Throughout Britain there were many theatre companies who all identified themselves with the radical movement, developing the nickname the ‘alternative theatre movement’. One example would be the Medium Fair Theatre Company in Devon, where this particular company developed a scheme where the entire company would stay in a particular village for a reasonable amount of time, working with the local community for a reliant source of material for their plays and also to create performances with the members of this society, providing them with something on a more personal level and a truth about the villagers lies.5 A theatre for social engagement, committed to actual change in communities. However, many believe that this movement is rather idealistic and is something which develops when society worsens and an ideal of survival cultivates.

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4 Baz Kershaw, The Politics Of Performance: Radical Theatre As Cultural Intervention (London: Routledge, 1992), p.1-5 5 Baz Kershaw, The Politics Of Performance: Radical Theatre As Cultural Intervention (London: Routledge, 1992), p.17 6 Mark Beeson, “Medium Fair Company - The Start Of Community Theatre On Dartmoor”, Dartmoorresource.Org.Uk <http:// www.dartmoorresource. org.uk/performance/theatre - on - d ar tm o or / th e atre-history-of/115-medium-fair-company-the-start-of-community-theatre-on-dartmoor>

Performing Newcastle: The Theatre as a Reflection of the City

Figure 10 Collage expressing key notions of radical theatre

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Performing Newcastle: The Theatre as a Reflection of the City

the show

A

s the ‘alternative theatre movement’ progressed and grew, the theatre companies themselves developed a more respected position within the theatrical society, it got to a time where they needed and deserved a more permanent position within the community they wanted to support. The Live Theatre, for instance, established its’ base by Quayside in 1982 and 83 by purchasing old alehouses and warehouse with the help of grants.

From there the company’s black box auditorium was developed, keeping in tact the social atmospheres reminiscent to origins of the Live Theatre.

Another prominent example for the black box theatre would be the ‘Alvina Krause Studio’ at Northwestern University, built in memory of Alvina Krause a respected drama teacher at the university who had a substantial contribution to the esteemed curriculum. The significant design of the theatre was a monument to the legacy that Krause had on her students and the broad subject as whole. The flexibility of the space was such to match that of Krause’s curiosity for a wide range of subjects, which she passed onto her students emphasising to them the importance of knowledge.

Another important rule of Krause as an educator was that if you are ‘to be actors we had to be activists, that

the purpose of theatre was to stir the heart and the intellect not just to selfawareness but to social consciousness.’7 – a principal that can be carried forward to the notion of the black box.

The idea of the black box theatre you could say developed with theorist Adolphe Appia, ‘the forefather of modern scenographic design’8, with his essay in 1922 which began debated the best approach to create the “people’s theatre”. Inspired by the phrase from Protagoras, “man is the measure of all things”, he was more ‘concerned with the sculptural form of the human body’8. As a result, his theory deals more with the actor and audience relationship, associating himself with a more democratic ideal of theatre. Appia opposed the likes of the proscenium arch, with his clear observation that the gilded frame was disappearing in the modern art world and therefore the theatre should echo this, and itched to bring the performance even closer to the audience. That attention should be brought to bringing ‘layered perspectives [and] multiple viewpoints’9, treating the theatre as a cubic volume and a flat picture plane.

Perhaps it its Appia’s observation of the audience which was also a driver towards his theory, he believed that the spectator no longer wanted to just be fixed within their seat there to only observe. They were ready for 31

7 “School Of Communication Dedicates Alvina Krause Studio | Northwestern University School Of Communication”, Communication.Northwestern.Edu, 2009 <https://communication.northwestern.edu/ news/story/86> 8 Gay McAuley, Space In Performance (Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press, 2000), p.55 9 Julia Rufford, Theatre & Architecture (London: Palgrave, 2015), p.51

Performing Newcastle: The Theatre as a Reflection of the City

“

Let me suggest that the theatre is literally a box, physically and morally a box. What occurs in the box is infinite because the audience wishes it to be infinite … It is a black box when the lights are off because as we all know darkness permits the criminal and the promiscuous act … When Brecht commanded that the box be filled with light he was driven by the passion for enlightenment, and he knew instructions require light just as the imagination hates light and flees from it. Imagination also flees its neighbours.

In light you are only half-conscious of the stage and half-conscious of your neighbour. In all collective culture your neighbour controls you by his gaze. In darkness he is eliminated and you are alone with the actor … In the black box you are trusted to be free, to be solely responsible. To enter it is to be engulfed by the possibility of freedom through the powers of the actor and the dramatist, the onus is placed on the audience not as a collectivity but as individuals.

No disciplines, no recall to conscience … What else can explain the residual excitement we still experience in dark theatres?

Against the walls of the theatre there washes continuously the sea of morality and debate.

Inside the black box, the imagination is wild and tragic and its criminality unfettered.5

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Performing Newcastle: The Theatre as a Reflection of the City

real art, one where participation at some level is needed and a hope that art itself communicates and resonates with themselves. There is a want to rediscover what was once lost, no longer wanting to follow the standards that have come to evolve. Therefore, a search for change is on the horizon.10 Although Appia initiated the theory and the beginnings for a new theatrical space to match modern time, a result the theory remained unanswered until the like of Peter Brook with his book ‘The Empty Space’ in 1968.

Brook became one of the most notable people who supported and almost created the guidelines for the black box theatre with his statement of ‘complex of aesthetic demands’11, believing that he could ‘take any empty space and call it a bare stage.’12. The black box became a highly popular form for alternative/fringe theatre, ‘for new and experimental forms of work; … theatre that challenged the status quo; theatre that asked unpalatable questions of society; theatre that made aesthetic choices that outraged audiences - disquieting theatre; disruptive theatre.’13. The idea behind the space was to propose a neutral environment, providing flexibility to the director, actors etc. with the freedom of space for their performance, to provide them creative freedom to express their opinions of society. Where nothing is

necessarily fixed, with the walls being black making them almost invisible with, for instance, the change of light could provide the director creative freedom for the director to create an illusion of the expanse or compact amount of space to their audience.

Brook in 1976 stated that theatre should be ‘neutral space in the sense of escaping definitions’14. Howard Barker, a playwright, who once was an advocate for the more traditional theatre, believing that if alternative theatre was to grow it will ultimately cause the death of theatre. However, his opinion was believed to have changed after David Hare’s success in the Olivier Theatre. Barker went on to state that black box theatre (shown on p.34) is an art form in which it should supposedly transport the audience to a parallel universe, absorbed into the darkness, removal of any signs of the outside society, and in a sense this works. During the performance ‘From the Sky to your Hands’, the atmosphere you are placed within causes your mind to become fully absorbed into Joana’s, all views and opinions whether your own or others have temporarily disappeared and are focused on the actors.

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10 Richard C Beacham, Adolphe Appia: Artist And Visionary Of The Modern Theatre (London: Routledge, 1994), p.238 12 David Wiles, A Short History Of Western Performance Space (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003), p.262 11 David Wiles, A Short History Of Western Performance Space (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003), p.254-258 12 Peter Brook, The Empty Space (London: Penguin, 1968), p.1 13 Andrew Haydon, “Fringe Theatre Is Too Conventional”, The Guardian, 2008 <https://www. theguardian.com/stage/ theatreblog/2008/nov/04/ fringe-theatre> 14 David Wiles, A Short History Of Western Performance Space (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003), p.262

Performing Newcastle: The Theatre as a Reflection of the City

closing curtain

T

he concept and style of the black box theatre, which at its time was a revolution, has some what starting to become forgotten, as the faults of the theory are coming to light. For instance, Konstantin Stanislavski discovered ‘that there is nothing neutral about blackness’14, they have become historic like the proscenium arch theatres. However, the level of respect for the architectural style of the latter is higher and the architects who created them, such as Frank Matcham.

The intimacy is encouraged by the boundaries of the auditorium, the play therefore benefiting from this aspect of the atmospherics of the space.

Therefore, to place the performance in an entire different theatre, would the story become lost and result in a difference of meaning than intended?

After having experience both theatres, I imagine what ‘From the Sky to Your Hands’ would be like on the Theatre Royal’s stage. I wonder whether the expanse and elaborate detail of the auditorium would overbear the monologue performance? Would the auditorium enforce a subliminal message that it’s all an illusion and simply fiction? That the play would lose its main purpose of providing its’ spectators the realisation of the clear problem within society, that should not be overlooked.

The philosophy behind the space is a rather liberal one, and is very much reflective of the community of people who evolved the black box theatre, the “alternatives”. However, after watching Joana’s story unfold on stage, the message an obvious one being part of the Freedom City Festival: for immigration and against racism, its’ clear that this type of performance will only attract a certain crowd. For instance, someone who is fundamentally against immigration would not be tempted to purchase a ticket for this particular performance.

A simple example, however considering on a broader scale for what the ambitions of the Live Theatre and its’ equivalent companies, the black box will essentially only ever be seen through a liberal’s eyes as otherswill feel challenged and indifferent. Resulting in the defeat over the primary roots of radical theatre ‘alter or confirm their audiences’ issues and attitudes, and through that affect their future actions.’15.

14 David Wiles, A Short History Of Western Performance Space (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003), p.254 15 Baz Kershaw, The Politics Of Performance: Radical Theatre As Cultural Intervention (London: Routledge, 1992), p.1 34

Performing Newcastle: The Theatre as a Reflection of the City

chapter four conclusion

C

omparing both the Theatre Royal and the Live Theatre, the evolving change of society as a reflection on the city is apparent.

Whilst the primary function of the theatre will to always be to entertain, the theatre is something more, it is a representation of the culture within which it resides. For instance, by looking at the Live Theatre you can see how society became more political, urging for change, with the decline in the economy. A movement that was reverberated across all of the arts, whether politically based or a pioneer for feminism.

Theatre has always been an outreach to society as way of teaching them of current socio-political situations.

For instance, before theatre buildings were concrete structures in the Tudor era, majority of plays were performed on the street. A simple and effective approach to teach the public with the happenings of the court for instance, whether it was in the form of comedy, as the majority of population then could not read or write. However, fast forward to todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s society and the theatre has developed a much broader socio-political ground. Even with the film industry this is reflected, with an increasing amount of films 35

Performing Newcastle: The Theatre as a Reflection of the City

based on true stories, tales from the past which have significant meaning and therefore need to expressed upon society, almost as a teaching mechanism. Furthermore, this only highlights the incredible influential power that the entertainment industry and the arts are able to utilise to their full advantage. Architecture also contains this influence, with the subject growing and adapting among all the different movements.

Therefore, theatre architecture and its’ auditorium are vital aspects to any performance, the right setting can further the morals and help the stories to be expressed on the stage.

The wrong atmosphere could portray the story in the wrong light, therefore unknowingly influencing the audience with what will seem false opinion.

For instance, the ballet ‘The Little Mermaid’, the basis that it is a fictional story being expressed, would have had an entirely different impression if it was placed on the Live Theatre’s stage due to the specific properties contained within the auditorium space. This classical dance needs some sort of extravagant value; the gilded picture frame highlights the dream world being depicted on the stage, almost conveying to the audience that a painting has come to life reminiscent that to a Renaissance painting. Furthermore, entrancing

people as the beauty moves behind the frame and highlighting how this art should be respected and appreciated, regardless of your enthusiasm for ballet. The Theatre Royal provides an element for escapism, providing the spectators an opportunity to retreat for a couple of hours and so to be engrossed into this dream world.

Whereas the ‘From the Sky to Your Hands’, a factual piece of work telling the hard-hitting reality, and therefore requires a connection with its’ audience but in a different manner compared to the ballet. A relationship that is more of an interaction between the actor and audience, especially as throughout the play the actress breaks fourth wall due to the monologue format of the piece. What the theatre provides is unattainable in the proscenium-arched Theatre Royal, where the socio-political material would struggle to present their social construct and a falsehood would develop. The Live Theatre owns and presents a liberal freedom, and the black box auditorium enables this, ’it is designed and ordered in such a way that genuine exchange can take place between the human beings on the stage and those in the auditorium’ .

The Theatre Royal, a monument to to an era which feels lost now to the present society. Where the city was full of the avant-garde, the aristocrats obliterating 36

1 Gay McAuley, Space In Performance (Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press, 2000), p.55 7 Julia Rufford, Theatre & Architecture (London: Palgrave, 2015), p.282

Performing Newcastle: The Theatre as a Reflection of the City

all their worries and people worshipped the grandeur and opulence. The Live Theatre, with the primary focus on new writing which conveys society at its current state. A theatre auditorium that welcomes a new close-knit community every night, presenting them with the opinions and the reality of today, allowing some within this newly formed society to empathise with and others an education. The audience should feel apart of the issues, not that it is a dream which can be ignored.

Despite the architectural differences between the two auditoriums, the atmospheres that the performances generate in each perfectly portray those that were intended by the architects. Atmospheres that, at the time of build, reflected societal standards: hierarchical based on income and social status or the creation of a close-knit community where all are equal, therefore face the same difficulties within current society.

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Performing Newcastle: The Theatre as a Reflection of the City

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uk, http://cms.live.org.uk/about-us/ history “Our History | Theatre Royal”, Theatreroyal.co.ukhttps://www. theatreroyal.co.uk/about/our-history “School Of Communication Dedicates Alvina Krause Studio | Northwestern University School Of Communication”, Communication.Northwestern.

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