Exciting Theatre and Performance Gallery at V&A
Victoria & Albert Museum's FuturePlan Opens New Permanent Display
Mar 18, 2009
Theatre history lovers were devastated when the National Museum of Performing Arts, a branch of London's Victoria and Albert Museum, closed permanently in January 2007. During 2008 items from the V&A's extensive Theatre Collection featured in a successful exhibition, Collaborators: UK Design for Performance. As part of the museum's FuturePlan and following the popularity of Collaborators the V&A has now opened a permanent gallery housing pieces from Covent Garden together with many other rare and unusual items.
Theatre and Performance Galleries
The new galleries feature more than 250 items from the V&A's collection showing British theatre history over the last 350 years. The exhibition explores all the processes of production and performance from the initial idea to design and opening night.
Highlights of the Exhibition
The highlights of the installation include some of the earliest surviving set models together with designs by world-renowned designers such as John Piper, Edward Burra, Edward Gordon Craig, Ralph Koltai and Alison Chitty.
The role of set designers is examined and the display shows how set and scenery convey information about the period, location and social setting. Stage scenery has been in existence since the Renaissance and was usually designed and executed by painters. The concept of the professional stage designer, or scenographer, is a 20th-century idea.
Stage Props and Equipment
The exhibition features props such as Minnie the Magic Piano, created in 1954 for the musical play Salad Days which enjoyed a very long run at London's Vaudeville Theatre. Also on display is a guitar played by Pete Townshend and smashed during a 1970s performance with The Who.
Promotion and Merchandising
Playbills, programmes and souvenirs covering a period of over 200 years are on view including a poster from a 1759 production of The Earl of Essex and a souvenir programme, made of red silk, commemorating the 2239th performance of The Mousetrap in 1958. This performance made it the longest-running show in the West End and it's still showing! The exhibition also includes an original 1957 poster for Look Back in Anger.
Scores, Manuscripts and Rare Documents
On display are scores, manuscripts and rare documents, including a first folio of William Shakespeare's plays, compiled in 1623, and a score for Jesus Christ Superstar (1971) with alterations written in by the conductor during rehearsals.
Costume and Make-up
An extensive display of garments includes Richard Burton's costume as Henry V and Adam Ant's outfit as Prince Charming. Also on show is an exact replica of Kylie Minogue's Showgirl: Homecoming Tour dressing room (2007) , showing clothing, shoes, make-up and a collection of teddy bears.
Films and Photos at the Exhibition
A specially commissioned film explores performance. It features interviews with directors Peter Brook, Sir Peter Hall and Paulette Randall, playwright Michael Frayn, actor Henry Goodman, and Monica Mason, Director of the Royal Ballet. Visitors can watch archive footage of performances by Rudolf Nureyev, Marlene Dietrich, Daniel Radcliffe and other well-known performers. There is also an extensive gallery of photographs of well-known theatre people taken by the photographer Reg Wilson.
Public Events, Tours and Future Exhibitions
A varied programme of public events will accompany the show. The V&A will also be presenting touring exhibitions and much of the Collection can be viewed online. In addition, the museum is mounting a major exhibition in 2010 entitled Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes. Details of all events are available at Victoria & Albert Museum.
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