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Mark Tweed

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Herausgeber: Crowood
Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
Sprache: Englisch

Beschreibung

Scenic Construction for the Stage is a comprehensive guide to the practical processes involved in constructing scenery for the theatre. Offering key insight into the role of the scenic carpenter, Mark Tweed details the progression from interpreting design, model boxes and drawings, to material selection, fabrication and finishing. Additional topics include advice for developing accuracy, finish and consistency; tool selection and sharpening; CDM, Health and Safety; practical workshop mathematics and geometry, and how to fit ironmongery. With an in-depth but accessible approach, this practical book offers advice on how to start out and improve as a scenic carpenter, building a solid repertoire of reliable techniques and working practices to achieve professional results. Includes a foreword by Sir Kenneth Branagh and illustrated throughout with 350 colour photographs and 34 technical drawings and detailed step-by-step instructions.

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Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2018

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Leseprobe

Scenic Construction

for the Stage

KEY SKILLS FOR CARPENTERS

Mark Tweed

FOREWORD BY SIR KENNETH BRANAGH

THE CROWOOD PRESS

First published in 2018 by

The Crowood Press Ltd

Ramsbury, Marlborough

Wiltshire SN8 2HR

www.crowood.com

This e-book first published in 2018

All rights reserved. This e-book is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of thistext may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978 1 78500 452 0

Frontispiece

Assassins, Jerwood Vanbrugh Theatre, Director: Nona Shepphard, Designer: Judith Croft, Photographer: Linda Carter. © RADA

CONTENTS

FOREWORD

DEDICATION AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

INTRODUCTION

1 CONSTRUCTION WITHIN A THEATRE PRODUCTION

2 THE BUILD PROCESS

3 KEY CONSTRUCTION SKILLS

4 WORKSHOP MATHS AND GEOMETRY

5 FLATS

6 TREADS AND STAIRS

7 DOORS AND WINDOWS

8 STAGE FLOORS, TRUCKS AND PLATFORMS

9 ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES

GLOSSARY

FURTHER READING

USEFUL CONTACTS AND SUPPLIERS

INDEX

FOREWORD

This book is about one of the most essential and often strangely overlooked theatre arts – that of scenic construction. Scenery, whether for stage or screen, is something we rely on, to support us, to frame us, and to give us context. It is the floor we stand and dance on, the walls on to which we throw our adversaries, the stairs up which we bound to meet our loved ones. It is also quite often what an audience sees first, that gives the first impression, or makes the opening impression in any production. At all times it has to be both aesthetically correct and robustly reliable.

I owe an unpayable debt of gratitude to the many teachers and mentors who have helped me remain an eternal student throughout my career in the theatre. I met and benefited from many of them during my time in training at RADA. The author of this book, Mark Tweed, is currently Head of Construction at RADA, and the several generations of technical students he has taught I know have valued him as their authority on all things ‘construction’. In this book, he shares that knowledge and experience with you. As a director at RADA who has also benefited from scenery built under Mark’s inestimable guidance, I heartily recommend this book to you.

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to Connie and Arthur.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

A huge thank you to my wife Eli, to Mum and Dad, to Amy and John, and to family and friends for your support. Also thanks to the following:

Neil Fraser at RADA for all your help and encouragement.

Gary Thorne at UCA Rochester for your advice and wonderful drawings.

Edward Kemp, Jeff Bruce-Hay, Dan Collins, Jacqui Leigh, and the RADA technical staff.

All the RADA technical students, both past and present, who make every day challenging and rewarding in equal measure!

Dave Agnew at Theatre Projects.

George Orange at Clockwork Scenery.

Sir Kenneth Branagh and Tamar Thomas at KBTC.

Kate Jewitt, James Russell and the Hamlet build team.

Darren Joyce, Ken Rose, Sam Stacey, Clayton Handley and the National Theatre construction team.

Mark Pursey, Stewart Worts, Tony Murphy and the Royal Opera House construction team past and present.

Alasdair Flint at Flints Theatrical Chandlers.

Courtney Kupferschmidt for the photograph of the author on page 10.

And finally a thank you to everyone at Tring Festival Company and Berkhamsted Youth Theatre, where it all started!

INTRODUCTION

ABOUT THIS BOOK

Every carpenter, theatre and workshop will have their own particular style and way of doing things based on any number of factors, so a book that represents the ‘definitive’ way to build scenery doesn’t really exist. However, what I hope this book will provide you with is a solid methodology to enable you to produce scenic elements that are accurate, functional and well finished, whatever the scale or budget. It is designed to encourage a consistent approach, which may be adapted to suit your working practice.

An ‘A-frame’ brace temporarily fitted to a flat in the workshop.

With a consistent approach, it is possible to produce anything that your imagination and resources will allow, and will quickly build confidence to tackle ambitious projects. Whilst the emphasis is very much on practical projects and exercises, there is plenty of background information to put the principles demonstrated within the book into context. As you will see, this approach takes the form of step-by-step projects, technical drawings and sketches, and photographic examples of professional work. Hopefully this will prove a useful resource that will appeal to you whether you are a technical theatre student, professional carpenter, draughtsperson or project manager, and also to those of you who are involved in local theatre groups or school productions, and want to get more involved in creating sets.

Theatre sets are rarely built from a single type of material, and often require input from craftspeople and technicians with a wide variety of skill bases.In the digital era with projection mapping, automation and VR at the forefront of production design, the very definition of what a ‘set’ actually comprises changes all the time. However, as advanced and forward looking as theatre production can be, there is always a need for the traditional and the reliable, not only as a foundation from which these new technologies can be used, but to suit the majority of theatre productions, which either require a more traditional aesthetic, or are less reliant on technology.

Carpentry and joinery, as well as metalwork fabrication, represent the mainstay of the industry. In my experience of the two, working in timber is by far the most common practice (although as a carpenter I am obviously biased) as it is an extremely versatile material, and can be undertaken with even the most basic tool kit. That said, timber does require a good understanding of its properties and applications to make the best use of it, which is what I aim to do in this book.

Having a wide range of skills in your repertoire, and the ability to combine different materials, will make you infinitely more adaptable and employable, and I would certainly encourage anyone in this field to try out as many related production crafts as you can. The techniques and materials discussed here should serve as a useful guide for many different projects, not limited purely to scenic construction.

Above all, the most important factor in learning practical skills is developing consistency through practice. No amount of reading will make up for a lack of ‘hands-on’ practice, so spending time ‘on the tools’ honing your craft will pay dividends. Put in the time to get the basics right, look for ways to make small improvements, and with patience and practice you will be producing work of a professional standard.

The aim of this book is to give a solid introduction to the fundamental carpentry skills and processes involved in building scenery for the stage, presented from a practical perspective, with which you can begin to expand your skills and refresh your knowledge.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The author, Mark Tweed.

I have always had a passion for making things, and I am never happier than when I am either putting something together or taking it apart. As fun as it can be to make things for yourself, I find that creating something which is part of a collaborative process even more satisfying. Theatre is the perfect arena in which to work with a huge range of people, each with different skills and interests. Together you can produce something which is greater than the sum of its parts, in the sense that you are part of creating an experience that audiences will remember for far longer than just the run of the production.

I trained to be a scenic carpenter at RADA, which gave me an excellent foundation in a wide range of technical skills. I was lucky enough to be offered a job as a production carpenter at the Royal Opera House workshops upon graduation, where I spent a few years honing my skills and broadening my understanding of what went into building for productions on a large scale. My first professional build was on Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), and I went on to work on many others, including Faust, The Tempest and Der Ring des Nibelungen. The Opera House maintains a traditional approach to scenery in many respects, with carpentry at its core, and during my time there I learned something new every day. I worked with some fantastic people who generously shared their knowledge and experience with me, much of which I am passing on to you in this book.

Following my time at the Opera House, I returned to RADA as a tutor, and have been the Head of Construction for several years, training students of all abilities, running the department and supervising builds for public productions, of which there are around fifteen per year. Alongside this I continue to work as a freelance carpenter and project manager when time allows! The huge variety of work in the scenic construction field means that every day is different, and every build a chance to work with new people, and either brush up on old skills or try something new.

I hope that reading this book encourages you to push your skills, try new projects and, most importantly, enjoy the work!

Mark

CONSTRUCTION WITHIN A THEATRE PRODUCTION

THE PRODUCTION TEAM

Behind every production is the creative team who provide the aesthetic and artistic setting in which the play can take place. Their process and priorities can be different to that of the workshop, although the team as a whole are working towards the same goal. Understanding the roles within the creative team and being empathetic to their process will ultimately lead to a smoother build and higher standard of work. Making theatre can be a fascinating balance of creative thinking, artistic vision and technical skill, however often the reality of the considerations facing the construction team, such as the budget and schedule, as well as the health and safety considerations and logistics, can at times seem at odds with these aspects.

The scenic workshop at the National Theatre, where construction, scenic art and props teams work closely together to produce work of the highest standard.

Developing a deeper appreciation of what can be achieved, and a willingness to negotiate and experiment, rather than just being tempted to do things the ‘easiest way’ in terms of construction, will aid the finish and your enjoyment. It will mean you create the best work to serve the production, and you will gain greater satisfaction in the work, from being that much more invested in the process as a whole.

The team itself will vary depending on the scale and set-up of a production, but the key roles you may find yourself in contact with are the production manager, the designer and the workshop foreman.

The Production Manager

The production manager is responsible for all the technical aspects of staging a production. They will plan the schedule from the initial design meetings through to the get-out, and need to have a solid understanding of a huge range of both technical and creative disciplines, and the relationship that these have with each other, in order to stage a successful production. In construction terms the production manager will be keeping an eye on the progress of the build in relation to the schedule and budget, as well as keeping the construction department informed of any design changes or developments.

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollst?ndigen Ausgabe!

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