NCN: initial research

The director for this project was Louisa Holmes her original concept was of a traditional music hall set in which the different musicals would be played.

From this starting point I began to research Victorian and current music halls and the traditions surrounding them. One source I found particularly helpful was a programme called ‘the good old days’ a BBC variety show set in a Victorian style music hall. The gaudy colours as well as the obviously fake painted backdrops I felt were a pivotal part of this style. The idea of highlighting the faux nature of musicals and suspended disbelief emerged and I looked further into accentuating these elements. My research around the period of musicals consisted of researching key figures of the time such as Marie-Lloyd a famous musical hall singer. From watching documentaries about her I found that in many ways there was a slightly dirty feel to the music hall.