A Spotlight on Process: Staging the Unstaged

 

 

The exhibition is open Tuesday-Friday, 09.30-17.00 from 6th May 2025 - Autumn 2025

Nineteenth- and early twentieth-century theatre histories frequently focused on the plays and performers at London and regional theatres, with only occasional glimpses of the hard work that happened behind the scenes. Since the late 1960s however, there has been a greater move to study all aspects of what Michael R. Booth referred to as ‘the business of theatre’, a more holistic approach to all the different aspects of theatrical production.

Archives held at the University of Bristol Theatre Collection reflect this research interest in the creation of theatre, but many records of the backstage work have not been seen before.

Starting from the work of specific practitioners such as lighting designer Robert Stanbury, wig maker Willy Clarkson, and set and costume designer Julia Trevelyan Oman, as well as the rehearsal process and stage management, this exhibition explores the range of work that takes place behind the scenes of a theatrical production.

Curated by MA History of Art and Liberal Arts students, A Spotlight on Process: Staging the Unstaged celebrates those items in the Theatre Collection that reveal the technical work and preparation before the curtain rises, shining a light on the people and processes rarely seen in the spotlight.

See our exhibition catalogue here: A Spotlight on Process (PDF, 2,141kB)

For further information on visiting us please click here