Save The Theatre Museum!

THE STORY SO FAR :

After its failed Heritage Lottery application to extend the exhibition areas the V and A announced the closure of the Theatre Museum in covent Garden. A plan to run it jointly with its neighbour, the Royal Opera House, collapsed. 'The Stage' reported on developments and pledged financial support for a campaign for it to reopen. A group of theatre organisations (including Equity) and professional practitioners formed as the 'Theatre Museum Guardians'. The aim is to provide a base for supporters to campaign for a practical reopening of the Museum - (www.theatremuseumguardians.org.uk).

The Convenor / Ian Herbert, Society of Theatre Research - (ian@herbertknott.com) - has actively negotiated with potential supportive organisations. A proposal was put to the V and A to widen the Museum's remit as 'Theatreland HQ'. This was rejected by the V and A. The Chair, Paula Ridley, who informed us the immediate Trustee priority is to refurbish the Medieval and Renaissance Galleries (£30m). The Theatre Museum to close to save on expenditure to finance this.

Support was gained by the TM Guardians from GLA Cultural Tourism Group who oppose closure of a popular London visitor attraction. Westminster Council would pedestrianise Russell Street to make the entrance attractive for visitors to Covent Garden.

There has been wide-spread support for re-opening the Theatre Museum. But importantly there has been key thinking and planning. The closure is ironically an opportunity for a radical re-start - back to basic principles!

STAGE DESIGN and LIVE PERFORMANCE

Using this standstill a group of professionals with Museum experience have developed a Practical Dynamic Plan. Not simply to reopen it as an exhibition space with artefacts in glass cases, but to redevelop it though presenting the history of Theatre in Live Performance - thereby activating interest in dynamic displays of the collections, (which the curators are skilled at producing) - making it as popular as Madame Tussauds.

A key element will be to focus on Stage Design in relation to Live Performance. Not the static displays of design models and costumes - active recreation of staging, lighting to create location, atmosphere - and moments of live performance moving the audienc to laughter or tears.

The following Plan lays out the development of a practical, innovative and exciting way forward to make the Theatre Museum the World Leader in Demonstration and Research into the creative relationship of Performance, Staging and Design - historically and in contemporary theatre.

CONTACTS :

Theatre Museum Guardian Convenors
- Ian Herbert / ian@herbertknott.com
- John Levitt / johnjlevitt@blueyonder.co.uk

Project Development
- Stuart Bennett / TMPlan@bennetthouse.org.uk

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DYNAMIC PRACTICAL PLAN for
RE-DEVELOPING THE THEATRE MUSEUM
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COVENT GARDEN - an enactive THEATRE in PERFORMANCE MUSEUM
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• Enactive Programmes :
THEATRE ON STAGE in PERFORMANCE
• Historical Exhibitions / Activities :
THEATRE in COVENT GARDEN / WEST END
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Nell Gwyn invites you in at the door! You enter the high-ceilinged Ground Floor Hall - now an exciting Proscenium Arch Theatre (platform stage between far brick pillars / curtains - simulated candle / gas / lime / and electric lighting.

A Company of Actors present Cavalcades of Scenes on stage in period costume following the history of theatre in London :

- Restoration / fans and asides / Mrs Malaprop / candlelight
- Beggar's Opera / Macheath and Polly Peachum / gaslight
- Melodrama / original music / spectacular effects / limelight
- 19C Realism / fourth wall / scene changes / electric light
- West End Theatre / Shaw / Coward / modern lighting
- Kitchen Sink to Contemporary Theatre

This is a tried successfull practice developed from the successful Actor/Guide programme.

SELF-FINANCING. Visitors pay (as for the popular backstage tours at the Royal Opera House, Drury Lane Theatre, NT).

FREE MUSEUM DISPLAYS. Active interest now stimulated, visitors excitedly follow a theatre journey down the ramp to the displays - narratives devised from the collections to tell the story of theatre in Covent Garden / West End in a lively and informative way.

Practical Activities / Studio Theatre : Visitors re-creating and acting out scenes with costume and period movement related to the stage design - with Photo Opportunities!

Note: Re-equipping and facility costs / no building alterations
- the Ground Floor Hall already cabled for lighting
- the Lower Floor audio-visual / display facilities in place

The same facilities used by researchers to recreate period theatre / using the visual evidence to discover how it actually worked in practice for contemporary audiences.
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Active Development as a CULTURAL TOURISM ATTRACTION

Most visitors to the Theatre Museum / UK and abroad / combine it with a visit to a West End / Fringe show. This links it to Cultural Tourism as key part of the London economy. We are in contact with Greater London Authority Cultural Tourism / and Westminster City Council (who will pedestrianise Russell St to allow for outside activites to attract passing visitors.

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SOUTH KENSINGTON - a dynamic 'THEATRE DESIGN in PERFORMANCE / EXHIBITION CENTRE' ______________________________________________

Contemporary and Historical Displays:

Costume / sets / lighting from the collections
• Prints, paintings of period theatre in performance
• Edward Gordon Craig invents modern theatre design
• Modern and Contemporary Design / e.g. Ballets Russes
• Popular Visitor Attractions / Specialist Design Projects

Demonstrated on stage by professional animators
- explaining how performance and staging / lighting work artistically in practice for an audience.

Touring nationally / internationally - actively promoting Theatre Design

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HERITAGE LOTTERY FUNDING

HLF were not prepared merely to support a large-scale application merely to extend the galleries. However Carole Souter, Director, and Stephen Johnson, Director of Operations, have indicated that a revitalised Theatre Museum could qualify for major funding. They are not interested in merely supporting heritage collection displays, but in funding new, innovative approaches which will revitalise access to the collections - and create new audiences for theatre. ______________________________________________________

BUSINESS PLAN

GRANTS

• Corporate Finance : Banks / Insurance / Airlines

• Sponsorship of Exhibitions : compare / NT Travelex
/ Top Shop VAM Fashion Exhibition

• Theatre Industry: SOLT Support for a West End attraction

EARNED INCOME

• Regular Income Generation
Cavalcade of Theatre Performances
Merchandising / bookshop /
Visitor Photo Opportunity / in costume on stage

• High charge Corporate Hospitality (evenings)
costumed Actor/Waiters
(as already run by the Development Manager)
/ Court Masque (masks and fans)
/ Melodrama (villains / innocent heroines)
/ Noel Coward Dinner Party
/ Agatha Christie Murder Mystery
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