17th-19th Century Sound Effect Machines

[Pushlik]

My dear fellow technicians and hopefully amongst you some theatre historians, I am currently doing a research project on 17^th18^th and 19^th century sound effects machines. Typical effects that are well known are the wind machine or Aeoliphone, the thunder sheet and the rain box. I recently visited the Bristol University Theatre collection and then Bristol Old Vic and saw the Thunder run. I'm interested in portable machines and ones I can build (sadly this excludes the Thunder Run!)and in particular the less well known effects. For example in the books we viewed at the Bristol collection we came across a description of a machine,nicknamed an "Edith". This machine was created to simulate the sound of a building falling down. It was created for a production of Delilah staring Dame Edith Evans. It was used for when Samson pulls down the temple of dagon. Does anyone know if there is an "Edith" still in existence? I would be very grateful to hear about any machines that can be viewed either publicly or privately.Another example of what I am looking for is a machine (other than a pair of coconut shells!) built to simulate the sound of horses hooves. I look forward to your replies. Many thanks

[ImagineerTom]

Since the oldest theatre in the country still operational is only from the 19th century you're not going to find working examples of original machines or indeed anything that isn't 4 or 5 generations evolved on - especially because they were often created for a specific performance rather than being a permanent tool of the building. Your best bet is some of the more contemporary theatres that have original machinery which is generally based on the older designs.

Tyne Theatre & opera house in Newcastle originally had a thunder-roll within the walls of the auditorium. They still have most of their original machinery and are usually happy to show it off if you ask nicely.

Julien Cahn theatre @ Stanford Hall Nottinghamshire had a custom modified Wurlitzer installed enabling it to play sound effects and tricks to specifically heighten performances and films, it was built outside your preferred time period but is a gem worth seeing

Several west-end theatre have (secretly) retained most of their original stage machinery and so will have audio effects still built in to them but generally getting access is very difficult as they are active working spaces.

[Shez]

Much as I hate to disagree with Tom, the Georgian Theatre Royal in Ripon was built in 1788 and is still in use today (albeit after plenty of alterations). They have a small thunder run in the attached museum and a certain amount of other original fixtures although I don't recall anything else of a noise-making variety. Well worth a visit and I'm sure they'll have records of other original aspects of the building.

[andy_s]

Much as I hate to disagree with Tom, the Georgian Theatre Royal in Ripon was built in 1788 and is still in use today (albeit after plenty of alterations). They have a small thunder run in the attached museum and a certain amount of other original fixtures although I don't recall anything else of a noise-making variety. Well worth a visit and I'm sure they'll have records of other original aspects of the building.

 

I think you mean Richmond?

[Andrew C]

I know it is further afield, but Drottningholm Palace Theatre is famous for the old equipment still installed.

 

For scholars, the most important part of the theatre, however, is not the architectural uniqueness of the space, but instead the stage machinery that is a rare surviving example of common stage effects from its time. The machinery for the theatre was possibly designed by the Italian Donato Stopani, although some historians think the designer may have been George Fröman, master builder for the court who studied similar stage machinery when he travelled through Europe in 1755.^[3] One of the stage machines that is still intact and in use in the theatre is the chariot-and-pole system, which helps to change scenes quickly by sliding the wings with wheels (“chariots”) on tracks in the floor, controlled by a capstan under the stage (“pole”).^[3] The theatre has an unusually large number of wings, with a total of four possible scene changes in a single performance, but the chariot-and-pole system allows a scene change in as little as six seconds.^[3] Other machines that are still used in the theatre are purely for special effects, including a wave machine consisting of giant painted corkscrews that are turned to simulate a rough sea, thunder machine to create storm sound effects, and a flying chair which is often used for "deus ex machina" effects. Lighting is controlled by turning metal sconces and their candles toward or away from the stage.

[Shez]

Much as I hate to disagree with Tom, the Georgian Theatre Royal in Ripon was built in 1788 and is still in use today (albeit after plenty of alterations). They have a small thunder run in the attached museum and a certain amount of other original fixtures although I don't recall anything else of a noise-making variety. Well worth a visit and I'm sure they'll have records of other original aspects of the building.

 

I think you mean Richmond?

Yep. The one in Richmond is much better than the one in Ripon :)

[ImagineerTom]

This is where we get in to a linguistic debate about "age" and "original" theatre. Whilst the TR Richmond is structurally original it had 120 years of non theatrical use (but was used extensively for many other things) as well as having plenty of refurbishments before and after so very little of the original theatre machinery and consumables exist.

 

There's a similar issue with Bristol old Vic which claims to be the oldest (continuously operating) theatre in the country... but the auditorium has been remodelled & refurbished multiple times, the FOH completely rebuilt and the stage house demolished and rebuilt.

 

Theatre Royal Drury Lane claims to have been a theatre since the 16 hundreds but the actual building that stands there now was built in the mid 19th century but the auditorium as we see it now is actually a 1920's pastiche of older theatres whilst the stage house is a mixture of Victorian engineering and all sorts of artefacts of the shows it has hosted over the past 50 years.

 

Theatre's are by their very nature working tools, sound-effects machines are consumables (tied to specific productions rather than buildings) and as a result despite every town in the country once having half a dozen theatre each with dozens of sound effect and scenic tools in use every week they just don't survive sadly because they were never intended to.

[dbuckley]

Sound effects were still a big issue for a goodly chunk of the 20^th century too.

 

I'd suggest having a read of the script for The Ghost Train, by Arnold Ridley; the play was noteworthy in that is was first stanged in the 1920s, before QLab was a thing, and in the back of the script there are a couple of pages of instructions for about a dozen men (yes, men, quite specifically) about how to make the train sound effect, and it is quite amazing...

[Pushlik]

Thank you all for your replies. I will get in touch with the TR Ripon to see if it is worth a trip from the south coast!

 

I think I shall have to do some email writing to various London theatres to see if I can track down some of these "secretly retained......original stage machinery".

One 16th/17th century theatre sound effect device, rather than machine, is the comedia del arte Slapstick. Portable and easy to make. It falls within my remit. If anyone can think of anything of a similar ilk that would be very helpful.

Thanks

 

Thanks for that suggestion David. I'll have a look.

 

Sound effects were still a big issue for a goodly chunk of the 20^th century too.

 

I'd suggest having a read of the script for The Ghost Train, by Arnold Ridley; the play was noteworthy in that is was first stanged in the 1920s, before QLab was a thing, and in the back of the script there are a couple of pages of instructions for about a dozen men (yes, men, quite specifically) about how to make the train sound effect, and it is quite amazing...

[andy_s]

Thank you all for your replies. I will get in touch with the TR Ripon to see if it is worth a trip from the south coast!

 

I think I shall have to do some email writing to various London theatres to see if I can track down some of these "secretly retained......original stage machinery".

One 16th/17th century theatre sound effect device, rather than machine, is the comedia del arte Slapstick. Portable and easy to make. It falls within my remit. If anyone can think of anything of a similar ilk that would be very helpful.

Thanks

 

Thanks for that suggestion David. I'll have a look.

 

Sound effects were still a big issue for a goodly chunk of the 20^th century too.

 

I'd suggest having a read of the script for The Ghost Train, by Arnold Ridley; the play was noteworthy in that is was first stanged in the 1920s, before QLab was a thing, and in the back of the script there are a couple of pages of instructions for about a dozen men (yes, men, quite specifically) about how to make the train sound effect, and it is quite amazing...

 

NB the Georgian Theatre is in Richmond, Yorkshire, not Ripon, (as noted in the earlier post)

 

If you are on the South Coast, Theatre Royal Margate claims to be the oldest surviving stage, I think on the basis that the planks forming the stage floor are the ones installed when the theatre was built in the 1780s. ( but as Tom says, there are "imaginative" ways of defining a theatre's age). It might be worth getting in touch with them to see if there is anything left from their early days.

 

I thought the Victorian machinery at the New Tyne Theatre was destroyed or severely damaged by a fire a few years ago, but I may be remembering this wrong....

[alistermorton]

Sound effects were still a big issue for a goodly chunk of the 20^th century too.

 

I'd suggest having a read of the script for The Ghost Train, by Arnold Ridley; the ..

As in Pte Godfrey?

<checks>

Coo ...

[dbuckley]

As in Pte Godfrey?

 

Yes, the very same. We all know him from Dad's Army, but it turns out he was a playwright too. And in writing The Ghost Train, he invented the genre of "bad stuff happens on a train". Talented chap.

[ImagineerTom]

I thought the Victorian machinery at the New Tyne Theatre was destroyed or severely damaged by a fire a few years ago, but I may be remembering this wrong....

 

The stage and sub-stage stuff was damaged and also (because it was a working theatre) built and rebuilt endlessly. For a few years there were no bridges/cuts but the whole stage could be flooded and had inbuilt tanks for diving in to.

 

Up in the roof of the stage house there’s still original stuff, as in the auditorium where there’s remnants of the around-audience thunder run. It is all remnants and hints though- the recreated stage machinery is of huge interest simply because of the complexity and authenticity of the recreations which were created using original plans and techniques so do at least offer an authentic snapshot of theatre technology 120 years ago

[Junior8]

As in Pte Godfrey?

 

Yes, the very same. We all know him from Dad's Army, but it turns out he was a playwright too. And in writing The Ghost Train, he invented the genre of "bad stuff happens on a train". Talented chap.

 

When he was short of cash he sold the amateur rights for a couple of hundred quid. It may have been in 1935 when his film company was in difficulties but I can't recall if that was the case.

 

 

 

 

 

[kerry davies]

Anecdote time? A friend sent me a birthday card one year with the message "Plus ca change but now there's Gaffa tape.".

The picture on the front was a print of a 16th century production held together with string and sealing wax. The set and mechanics were jerry-built bits of cart and scaffold with shadowy figures pushing, pulling and lifting things "backstage".

 

The point is that iTom is right, we make what we need when we need it, usually as cheaply as possible, and chuck it away afterward. The kit we used as recently as the early 70's would, in many cases, be ditched as hazardous today. HASAWA changed things in 1974 like you young 'uns couldn't begin to comprehend. Much of the gear that Pushlik is seeking has long gone and a clue is in the post by dbuckley about numbers of men being needed. Those items would have been scrapped years before "austerity".