Nature in theatre, the enduring influence of Brook.

I have just spent a whole day talking to Chinese designers at Shanghai Theatre Academy. I began with thoughts on Brook/Jacobs Dream and then my own experience of working for Peter’s company in 1990 on the Tempest. It was good moment to reflect on the work i have done since then, the debt it owes to Brook and the Empty Space and also, as i selected slides, the way in so much of my work i have been dealing with Nature and how to represent it on stage. The  Dream asserted the transformative power of our imagination, that we could watch grey clad figures in a white box , wrap themselves up in twists of wire and believe they have become bushes and trees. It questioned what is naturalism in theatre and how should we represent the world of nature on stage.

Midsummer Nights dream. Directed by peter Brook , Designed by Sally jacobs

Midsummer Nights dream. Directed by peter Brook , Designed by Sally jacobs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the Tempest he reduced the foliage of the lush island, that the nobles comment on, to a single leaf. Shakespeare has the different groups of nobles see the island completely differently , reflecting the differing narrowness or generosity of their spirit. Thus Gonzalo saw it as fully green and bounteous, a spirit offered him a large green leaf out of which water miraculously poured to quench his thirst. While Antonio and Sebastian only saw a single tuft of green placed in the toes of an ‘invisible’ spirit, an ‘eye’ of green on a sandy ground. As in the Mahabarata, Peter and Chloe used natural materials earth , sand and rocks to create a landscape within the ruined  found space of the Bouffe du Nord. There is a fundamental truth to materials in the space, so although Chloe repainted the walls to a new distressed pattern for the Tempest they were still solid plaster , the earth was genuine earth, with all the problems such a rich pigmented clay gave to the costumes !

spirits in La tempete 1990 Directed by Peter Brook, designed By Chloe Obolensky

spirits in La tempete 1990 Directed by Peter Brook, designed By Chloe Obolensky

 

 

 

Bouffes Du Nord 1990 space for La Tempete. Directed by Peter Brook, designed by Chloe Obolensky.

Bouffes Du Nord 1990 space for La Tempete. Directed by Peter Brook, designed by Chloe Obolensky.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In my own version of the Dream, directed by Michael Boyd in 1999 , we were looking for a way to move from the sterile cold world of humanity where it was snowing, into the exciting possibilities of change and transformation within the dream forest. As Bottom mimed firing an arrow to illustrate ‘hold or cut bow strings’ we fired a real arrow into the wall behind him. His imagination had become real. Then a series of red poppies were pushed up from beneath the stage, bringing nature and flashes of strong colour into what had been a closed and blank wooden space.

Midsummer Night's dream, RST 1999. Directed by Michael Boyd, designed by Tom Piper, Lighting by Chris Davey. First court scene.

Midsummer Night’s dream, RST 1999. Directed by Michael Boyd, designed by Tom Piper, Lighting by Chris Davey. First court scene.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Midsummer Night's dream, RST 1999. Directed by Michael Boyd, designed by Tom Piper, Lighting by Chris Davey.

Midsummer Night’s dream, RST 1999. Directed by Michael Boyd, designed by Tom Piper, Lighting by Chris Davey.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Philostrate stalked a female courtier through the growing field of flowers, ended up goosing her . A fight developed between the two as each ripped  items of clothing off the other until they were transformed to Puck and Peasblossom .

 

Midsummer Night's dream, RST 1999. Directed by Michael Boyd, designed by Tom Piper, Lighting by Chris Davey.

Midsummer Night’s dream, RST 1999. Directed by Michael Boyd, designed by Tom Piper, Lighting by Chris Davey.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Midsummer Night's dream, RST 1999. Directed by Michael Boyd, designed by Tom Piper, Lighting by Chris Davey.

Midsummer Night’s dream, RST 1999. Directed by Michael Boyd, designed by Tom Piper, Lighting by Chris Davey.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Flowers were the only natural element in our forest, we made no attempt to create real trees, instead we choose to make the space alive with possibilities as door and traps appeared everywhere. A ‘tree’ was created by a ladder that rose rather phallically through a trap in the floor, initailly for Oberon to reach Titania’s bower, but next as somewhere for Helena to hide from the desparate attentions of the drug induced boys. Earth had been introduced into the space by Puck with a wheelbarrow which he dumped on the sleeping lovers and planted the magic flower on their face. A mischievous way to both get the lover’s muddy and mess up the purity of our playing space.

Midsummer Night's dream, RST 1999. Directed by Michael Boyd, designed by Tom Piper, Lighting by Chris Davey.

Midsummer Night’s dream, RST 1999. Directed by Michael Boyd, designed by Tom Piper, Lighting by Chris Davey.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the final moments of the play when Oberon and Titania blessed the wedding space we struggled to find a magical version that evoked the full nature of the transformation of the world. The play had begun ,following Titania’s words, with the seasons altered . By the end harmony is restored and so we wanted  to evoke the sensual fecundity of summer. We ended up getting the crew to throw handfuls of long fresh wet grass from the grid, so it seemed to rain green. Perhaps the most evocative effect was the smell of new mown grass wafting through the theatre.

I think i will add more to this later !

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