Guest lightnix Posted November 1, 2006 Share Posted November 1, 2006 London's Theatre Museum to close26 September 2006 London's Theatre Museum is to close in January after 20 years because of a lack of funds. The museum's future became uncertain when the Heritage Lottery Fund twice refused to back refurbishment plans. Its owners, the Victoria and Albert Museum, had been trying to formulate a rescue plan with the Royal Opera House. But Opera House chief Tony Hall said that despite a "huge amount of moral support" for the museum, "money for the most part has not been forthcoming"... ...The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) said it would re-house the theatrical collection in a new gallery on its main site... ..."We remain totally committed to safeguarding and displaying these collections which celebrate Britain's unique theatrical heritage," said V&A director Mark Jones... ...The museum has many famous supporters, including actors Dame Judi Dench, Vanessa Redgrave and Peter Bowles. In March, they wrote a letter to the Times newspaper protesting at plans to close the museum... Actors' union Equity, which has led a campaign to save the museum, told BBC News: "We are astonished that the world's centre of theatre appears to be unwilling or unable to sustain a theatre museum."... ...The V&A said its trustees would review the situation before their decision becomes final, but added that the museum would be likely to close in January 2007.Source... See also... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
w/robe Posted November 1, 2006 Share Posted November 1, 2006 Loath though I am to say it when I have worked shows in the studio and wandered round the museum I did not find it very interesting. I don't know if this is because I know too much already but the exhibits were generally presented in a very dry and traditional way. Perhaps live performance is not something that translates easily into a static display. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Some Bloke Posted November 1, 2006 Share Posted November 1, 2006 Loath though I am to say it when I have worked shows in the studio and wandered round the museum I did not find it very interesting. I don't know if this is because I know too much already but the exhibits were generally presented in a very dry and traditional way. Perhaps live performance is not something that translates easily into a static display.I have to agree, I'm afraid. I didn't find it as interesting as I expected. The Museum of the Moving Image was a lot better, though obviously had a much bigger budget. Shame it has to move, but if it simply relocates it's not as bad as it might have been. Certainly if they own the freehold it will make an awful lot of money selling the building. Covent Garden doesn't come cheap! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
w/robe Posted November 1, 2006 Share Posted November 1, 2006 The Museum of the Moving Image was a lot better, though obviously had a much bigger budget. MOMI is a good example of the direction that they should try to move in. The Theatre Museum appears to concentrate on the preservation and presentation of artifacts without looking at the history of theatre or the process of producing it, which is what MOMI does for film. I guess that this is partly because it is a department of the V & A, but it could be even worse if and when they are found a gallery at the V & A proper in South Ken. If I'm not interested in looking at costumes in a glass case then no one is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ynot Posted November 1, 2006 Share Posted November 1, 2006 The Museum of the Moving Image was a lot better, though obviously had a much bigger budget. MOMI is a good example of the direction that they should try to move in. The Theatre Museum appears to concentrate on the preservation and presentation of artifacts without looking at the history of theatre or the process of producing it, which is what MOMI does for film. Maybe this could be an opportunity for the guys at NEET to get a little involved.....??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
back_ache Posted November 1, 2006 Share Posted November 1, 2006 MOMI is a good example of the direction that they should try to move in. they are moving in that direction, they're shutting! MOMI sadly shut in '99 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Museum_of_the_Moving_Image Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Posted November 1, 2006 Share Posted November 1, 2006 How many people on this list have visited the London's Theatre Museum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ynot Posted November 1, 2006 Share Posted November 1, 2006 How many people on this list have visited the London's Theatre Museum.Me.Though not recently, but I've been twice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted November 1, 2006 Share Posted November 1, 2006 I'm a tad confused - this has been done to death in the stage - practically every week. Always really sad when something closes down, but personally I wasn't that impressed with what was there. Theatre technology had been reduced to it's simplest level with a few photos. Just think how interesting a working model could be of a theatre? Lights controllable by the kids looking, maybe cloths coming in and out, traps, scenery etc - but nope, nothing like that. An old control that I spent half an hour trying to get to without success. Considering the technological inventions fo the past 100 or so years, I found it dull and ok to keep out of the rain, but if I'd taken a party of students there, it wouldn't have held their attention for more than ten minutes. There does seem some contoversy on the closing, but even the stage have down played the comment recently, as if it's running out of steam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oovis Posted November 1, 2006 Share Posted November 1, 2006 It's just round the corner from me, and I've been three times. The first time was in 1988 as we donated our old Strand CD console to them. Next time I went in it was an exhibit in the coffee room. Last time I went in, a few weeks ago, I found one lighting control system on show, a Grand Master high up on a wall with no access. The luvvies have their costumes and programmes and video pieces on show, but there's pretty much bog all if you're an electrician trying to look at historical bits from the past. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Hampson Posted November 1, 2006 Share Posted November 1, 2006 I have been twice (the first time I went I think I even paid to get in), and I must agree, from the technical (esp. electrics) side there was very little to sustain my interest, I did spend most of my time trying to get to the Strand Grandmaster that was up on an upper gallery. My wife on the other hand designs costumes and liked to go to the occasional costume demos that they did in the studio space. I would have liked to have seen some of the old stage machinery etc. that many of the older London theatres must have scrapped over the years to be replaced by hydraulics and computerised flying. I've even got a few Patt23's they could have had! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted November 1, 2006 Share Posted November 1, 2006 That's 3 of us spent ages trying to get to an old lighting control that was not meant for a close up view! Perhaps it is things like this that don't really help project a good image? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the kid Posted November 1, 2006 Share Posted November 1, 2006 I went with a school (well college) party at the start of September. I found nothing very interesting and was not until I was going round to round up the kids that I realised there was some lighting thing. It was interesting with the kids and also a shame, out of about 45 a handful enjoyed it and even less said "do we have to go? I want to stay longer". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GridGirl Posted November 1, 2006 Share Posted November 1, 2006 That's 3 of us spent ages trying to get to an old lighting control that was not meant for a close up view! Make that 4! I spent ages trying to find the stairs that went up there, to no avail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikey Posted November 2, 2006 Share Posted November 2, 2006 I'm afraid I'm with most of you on this one. I was down in London about 3 years ago and went in with some work people.Dissapointing is the best word to describe the experience. Theatre has been around for thousands of years, but the changes in British Theatre over the past 200 or so years is astonishing. I didn't see anything that blew me away. Nothing had any sort of 'wow' factor. Shame really, it should be THE place to go to find out the history of this business, and to see the newest technology coming into it. Mikey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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