Theatres (Encore)

Wow, what a great set of images. I love the subject too. You've also achieved great variety in you pictures, congrats they are all superb!

Thanks David, Raza and Miles...

Best

Lovely continuation of your theatre series Bill, beautiful work once again. I do appreciate the wide angle views of 1, 2 and 4 (Nottingham is breathtaking) for showing us the view from "the other side" (I've performed on a stage or two, but nothing close to these - must be quite inspiring, and, literally, awe-some), and in such a grand manner.

And the ceiling in Edinburgh reminds me of the many times I stared at Chagall's ceiling in Paris' Palais Garnier - innocently marveled as a child, artistically awed as an adult - while the Wall of Kisses and the Brighton Shadow give a sense of the 'real world' within these otherworldly settings. And the Front Cloth detail - very circus-y, thus, to me, quite nostalgic.

But the "element" shots, where you have closed into the particular, are those that really move me. Oxford and Wimbledon really pull it off, in color, composition and, especially, feeling. They seem to have both beckoned you to share their story, their life of silence and speech, light and dark, emptiness and fullness - very strong images.

Thank you for these!

Hi Serge... thanks for your detailed thoughts and comments re these... much appreciated as ever...

Yes, there is a stillness in an empty theatre that I absolutely love... always a strong sense of humanity, too, of sharing, of past and present audiences, performers, productions... all those who've come and gone, on both sides of the curtain...

Ceilings in theatres are often pretty gorgeous, but I do think the one in the Kings Theatre Edinburgh is particularly magical... the mural is pretty recent (2013 I think) and was painted and designed by the artist John Byrne (a genuine polymath - also a very good playwright), and partly inspired by/based on Jaques's “All the world’s a stage” monologue from As You Like It...

Thanks and best