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Sets and costumes recreating the vibrant world of Mexican artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera have won NYTW a prestigious award at the 2004 Theatre in Wales Awards. The presentation of the award marks a successful start to the year for Robin Husband, Senior Designer on Frida and Diego – a love story. He is currently working as associate designer to the award-winning Ultz on the stage premiere of When Harry Met Sally at the Haymarket Theatre, London. The West End show stars Luke Perry and Alison Hannigan, who played Willow in the TV series Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Last Summer, Robin headed up a five-strong design team to create an extraordinary stage landscape featuring living paintings and a cast of dozens of calaveras, characters from Mexico’s Day of the Dead celebrations, for Greg Cullen’s inaugural production with NYTW. Siân Jenkins (Costume), Rhiannon Mathews (Costume/Set), James North (Set) and Elanor Higgins (Lighting Designer) worked with NYTW technical and design students on a four-week residential course, culminating in a tour across Wales that was acclaimed for its striking visual effects. The Western Mail described the team’s designs as being “beautiful, quirky and eerie.” NYTW’s professional production design won out, something that Robin attributes to the “fabulous teamwork” achieved on the course run at Aberystwyth Arts Centre. “It really was tremendous team effort,” he says. “The students in particular were thrown in at the deep end on a demanding, large scale project, but they rose to every challenge set them. The original idea for the design was generated by Greg (the writer and director) and then it had to be worked up in a series of projections and lighting effects that would somehow convey the impression of paintings coming to life, as well as the atmosphere of revolutionary pre-war Mexico.” The awards, organised by Red Snapper web designs, with financial support from New Welsh Review, the Aberystwyth Arts Centre and the Department of Film Theatre and Television, University of Wales, Aberyswtyth, were chosen by visitors to www.theatre-in-wales.co.uk For further information and photographs, please contact Penny Simpson on 029 2026 5033. |
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Monday, January 26, 2004 |
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