The Chamber of Demonstrations, a DVD reconstruction of the candlelit Jacobean playhouse, has been created by Professor Martin White and colleagues from the University’s Department of Drama: Theatre, Film and Television thanks to funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council.
The DVD represents a remarkable theatrical experiment and a breakthrough in theatre research and teaching, using the latest Hi-Definition cameras and DVD authoring software to shed new light on theatre history of the early modern period.
In a full-scale reconstruction of the interior of a Jacobean indoor playhouse lit by tallow and wax candles made using traditional methods, experienced classical actors, dressed in costumes from Shakespeare's Globe, perform scenes from The Duchess of Malfi, Tis Pity She's a Whore, The Changeling, Love's Sacrifice and The Guardian.
A unique feature of the DVD allows the viewer to select and move between four viewing points in the playhouse without interrupting the action. Seven scenes, each exemplifying a different aspect of staging or lighting practice, are performed by Hattie Morahan, Monica Dolan, Michael Matus, Jamie Glover and Michael Brown.
You can learn more about the project at http://www.bristol.ac.uk/news/2009/6398.html
The project website can be accessed at The Chamber of Demonstrations
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Media contact: Emi Spinner, AHRC Communications Officer, e.spinner@ahrc.ac.uk. Tel: 0117 9876 770 mob: 07968 480 336
Notes to the editor
Arts & Humanities Research Council: Each year the AHRC provides approximately £102 million from the Government to support research and postgraduate study in the arts and humanities, from languages and law, archaeology and English literature to design and creative and performing arts. In any one year, the AHRC makes approximately 700 research awards and around 1,350 postgraduate awards. Awards are made after a rigorous peer review process, to ensure that only applications of the highest quality are funded. Arts and humanities researchers constitute over a quarter of all research-active staff in the higher education sector. The quality and range of research supported by this investment of public funds not only provides social and cultural benefits but also contributes to the economic success of the UK. www.ahrc.ac.uk