Workshop to Create a Candlelit Miniature Theatre Performance

From CanonBase

Aims

The workshop aims to:

  • Introduce learners to the limitations and opportunities of candlelight
  • Show how brightness as a concept is subjective and depends on the way our eyes adapt and the contrast within a lighting scene
  • Explore how different types of reflectors and lenses can be used to control light in various ways, leading to an appreciation of the differences between lux and lumens
  • Show how stories can be told by the setting and lighting suggested by music
  • Give an understanding of the way theatre was run for 300+ years, and how candlelight availability influenced entertainment and developed theatre as an art form
  • Develop learners’ ability to work together with discipline and teamwork

Note: This workshop is not particularly about recreating a general eighteenth century lighting and scenery setup for an open or a vanishing point stage. It is a specific project to use candlelight imaginatively, using music as a storyline with (usually) a representative setting and signifying objects.

Key Information

Number of learners Between 3 and 10
Number of staff The minimum staffing is 1 teacher. It is useful but not necessary to have a technician to prepare the room and give general help during the workshop.
ECTS Credits (if applicable) 1 ECTS credit, if combined with some additional research and study of historic use of candlelight in theatres.

Learning process

Lecture/seminar Lecture, presentation, discussion (face-to-face or online)
Making project Making a model, mock-up, plan or design (physical or digital)
X Performance project Making a performance or demonstration (live or mediated)
Records and Archives Interviews, photographs and videos of artefacts, annotating archives, creating learning materials (physical or digital)
Independent study Reading, researching, analysing and evaluating learning materials (physical or digital) in groups or alone

Type of learner

X Student of technical theatre
X Student of theatre design, architecture
X Student of theatre arts
X Professional
X Researcher
X General public

What You Will Need

Duration and schedule

Preparation by the teacher:

Before the day - 1-3 hours

On the day - 30 minutes

Preparation by the learners:

Look at some of the reference material to understand the historical context of candlelight in theatre (2-3 hours).

Listen to the music used as a basis for the exercise (15 minutes).

Length of time of the workshop:

One day of 6 working hours, with breaks as required.

Room or type of space

A lighting laboratory or small studio theatre is ideal.

A classroom can be used, as long as it has a good blackout, control of airflow and smoke alarms.

Local health and safety requirements, and fire regulations, must be followed. Permission to work with naked flame may be required.

Equipment

Equipment:

  • An assortment of lenses and reflectors
  • An extra fire extinguisher
  • Several classroom tables
  • A few weights
  • Some small black masking drapes and ‘goal post’ stands to hang them on are useful
  • A sound system of reasonable quality, capable of being stopped, started and taken to cue points via minute/second timer
  • Recording of the chosen music

Tools:

  • 2 hand-held battery torches
  • Scissors
  • Screwdriver or bradawl to clear out candle holders

Materials (consumables)

Candles:

The ideal candles are ecclesiastical (church) candles, preferably with a non-smoke additive. A UK supplier is Charles Farris, the oldest continuous makers, from this range:

https://charlesfarris.co.uk/productdisplay/78-candles-beeswax

With these candles, flame brightness is much more powerful than tealights or domestic candles, there is no hot liquid reservoir if they get moved, and they will sit in lampholders and hand-held candleholders. Their length enables them to sit at the optical centre of larger reflectors and lenses.

Other materials:

Matches or some way to light the candles

Materials to make a model-scale scene: cardboard, fabric, and so on.

The following materials are not essential, but very useful:

Learning resources (books, websites)

Recording of Homeward Bound by C.V. Stanford:

https://www.classicalarchives.com/work/1024101.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HPsrUFqjUI

Process

Preparation

Teacher

Prepare the materials, candles, holders, lenses, reflectors, textures, stands or supports, music, pack for transport if necessary.

Students

Look at some of the reference material to understand the historic context of candlelight in theatre. Listen to the music used as a basis for the exercise.

The learning activity

Summary:

During the workshop, students work as a team to create a lighting scheme to accompany a short piece of music with a narrative (a 5-minute piece of music is ideal). Students create a model-scale, table-top setting from found materials (cardboard, fabric, and so on). They then experiment with candles and light modifiers - lenses, reflectors and masking - to create lighting for each scene or ‘episode’ in the music and story.

Working with the music, students rehearse how the light sources and light modifiers must be operated in real time to move from one episode to the next. This process of rehearsal is used to investigate different techniques and effects, and refine the detail and accuracy of the performance.

During the workshop:

  • Listen to the music and discuss the episodes within the 5-minute piece
  • Set up the stage area and surrounding tables
  • Do candlelight health and safety training
  • Turn working lights off
  • See what candlelight does on the surfaces
  • Work out which equipment needs to be where for each episode. Take photographs of these trials
  • See how to get from episode to episode, working with the timing of the music
  • Run the piece with music, stopping, adjusting and experimenting
  • Do a performance, take photographs and videos
  • Make more adjustments and try alternative approaches
  • Turn working lights on. Take picture of stage and wings under working light to record the set-up
  • Clear up and pack away equipment
  • Debrief and group discussion.

Example:

One song that works well for this workshop is Homeward Bound by C. V. Stanford. The song is a setting of a poem by Henry Newbolt.

In the song, a sailing ship comes towards its home port after a long voyage. In lighting terms, the narrative is about revealing what the crew sees as they first glimpse familiar land. The poet Newbolt spaces it out very nicely for two verses, so you can usually find around 5 cue points.

The following elements are needed, made from fabric, cardboard and other found objects and materials:

  • The sea
  • The ship
  • Cliffs
  • A lighthouse

See the photographs below.

Assessment and feedback

The workshop is not designed to be formally assessed. You can give students feedback informally during the process. Have a group discussion at the end of the workshop to help students reflect on and embed what they have learned.

The workshop can act as an introduction to further study of the use of candlelight for stage lighting historically, perhaps through a research project. See ‘Additional information and resources’ below for some possible starting points.

Our Experience

Tips

  • Keep a balance on the different elements as the project unfolds and make sure the learners aren’t being asked to make too many leaps at once.
  • Take breaks to allow time to reflect on the learning process, and to allow the eye to readjust to daylight.
  • Students discover that much more is possible than they first assume.
  • It becomes instinctive to impose some 21st century lighting concepts onto an 18th century art form and candlelight then brings a gentle compromise.
  • Anyone looking at a mobile phone is immediately the brightest thing in the room!

Additional information and resources

Photographs of the workshop:

Photographs of the workshop at Rose Bruford College, with BA (Hons) Lighting Design students:

  • Preparing the set

  • Adjusting reflectors

  • Ship on a heaving sea

  • "faint on the verge"

  • "the phantom skyline"

  • "like noontide ghosts"

  • "there lies the home"

  • Under working light

Inspiration

This workshop was inspired by the 18th century theatre-making of Philip James de Loutherbourg, and in particular his Eidophusikon.

Historic Theatres:

Drottningholm Palace Theatre, Stockholm, Sweden – an 18th century historic court theatre with simulated candle lighting.

Český Krumlov Baroque Theatre, Český Krumlov, Czech Republic – an 18th century historic castle theatre with original lighting equipment.

The Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, London, UK – a simulation of a 17th century theatre, lit with candles and other naked-flame light sources.

Recreating the candlelit stage:

The Chamber of Demonstrations – documentation of research by Professor Martin White and others into the use in performance of candle and naked-flame light sources in the Jacobean indoor playhouse.

Examples of this workshop:

An article by Jim Laws describing this workshop in Sightline, the journal of the Association of British Theatre Technicians (Spring 2020, pp39-41):

Credits

This learning method was made by: Jim Laws, Nick Hunt
Institution: Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance
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