Skip to content

ISSN: 2446-211X

  • 55.3k
  • 45.8k
Search
Close this search box.
  • Home
  • Design
  • Programs
    • UNITA For Future
  • Interviews
  • Exhibitions
  • Academia
Menu
  • Home
  • Design
  • Programs
    • UNITA For Future
  • Interviews
  • Exhibitions
  • Academia
Gary McCann, Peter Grimes | Directed by Paul Curran | Photo © Michele Crosera set design and performing arts magazine
Gary McCann, Peter Grimes | Directed by Paul Curran | Photo © Michele Crosera set design and performing arts magazine
Gary McCann, Peter Grimes | Directed by Paul Curran | Photo © Michele Crosera set design and performing arts magazine
Gary McCann, Peter Grimes | Directed by Paul Curran | Photo © Michele Crosera set design and performing arts magazine
Gary McCann, Peter Grimes | Directed by Paul Curran | Photo © Michele Crosera set design and performing arts magazine
Gary McCann, Peter Grimes | Directed by Paul Curran | Photo © Michele Crosera set design and performing arts magazine
Gary McCann, Peter Grimes | Directed by Paul Curran | Photo © Michele Crosera set design and performing arts magazine
Gary McCann, Peter Grimes | Directed by Paul Curran | Photo © Michele Crosera set design and performing arts magazine
Gary McCann, Peter Grimes | Directed by Paul Curran | Photo © Michele Crosera set design and performing arts magazine
Gary McCann, Peter Grimes | Directed by Paul Curran | Photo © Michele Crosera set design and performing arts magazine
Gary McCann, Peter Grimes | Directed by Paul Curran | Photo © Michele Crosera set design and performing arts magazine
Gary McCann, Peter Grimes | Directed by Paul Curran | Photo © Michele Crosera set design and performing arts magazine
Gary McCann, Peter Grimes | Directed by Paul Curran | Photo © Michele Crosera set design and performing arts magazine
Gary McCann, Peter Grimes | Directed by Paul Curran | Photo © Michele Crosera set design and performing arts magazine

Images © Michele Crosera

Gary McCann, Peter Grimes

Opera

Opera

Author

Giuliano Picchi

Published

July 6, 2022

Photography

Michele Crosera

Gallery

A production

Teatro La Fenice

Direction: Paul Curran

Sets: Gary McCann

Costumes: Gary McCann

Lighting: Fabio Barettin

Performers: Andrew Staples,
 Emma Bell
, Mark S. Doss, 
Sara Fulgoni, 
Patricia Westley
, Jessica Cale, 
Cameron Becker
, Sion Goronwy
, Rosalind Plowright
, Eamon Mulhall
, Alex Otterburn
, Laurence Meikle, 
Pietro Moretti

Gary McCann, Peter Grimes | Directed by Paul Curran | Photo © Michele Crosera set design and performing arts magazine
Gary McCann, Peter Grimes | Directed by Paul Curran | Photo © Michele Crosera
Gary McCann, Peter Grimes | Directed by Paul Curran | Photo © Michele Crosera set design and performing arts magazine
Gary McCann, Peter Grimes | Directed by Paul Curran | Photo © Michele Crosera
Gary McCann, Peter Grimes | Directed by Paul Curran | Photo © Michele Crosera set design and performing arts magazine
Gary McCann, Peter Grimes | Directed by Paul Curran | Photo © Michele Crosera
Gary McCann, Peter Grimes | Directed by Paul Curran | Photo © Michele Crosera set design and performing arts magazine
Gary McCann, Peter Grimes | Directed by Paul Curran | Photo © Michele Crosera
Gary McCann, Peter Grimes | Directed by Paul Curran | Photo © Michele Crosera set design and performing arts magazine
Gary McCann, Peter Grimes | Directed by Paul Curran | Photo © Michele Crosera
Gary McCann, Peter Grimes | Directed by Paul Curran | Photo © Michele Crosera set design and performing arts magazine
Gary McCann, Peter Grimes | Directed by Paul Curran | Photo © Michele Crosera
Gary McCann, Peter Grimes | Directed by Paul Curran | Photo © Michele Crosera set design and performing arts magazine
Gary McCann, Peter Grimes | Directed by Paul Curran | Photo © Michele Crosera
Gary McCann, Peter Grimes | Directed by Paul Curran | Photo © Michele Crosera set design and performing arts magazine
Gary McCann, Peter Grimes | Directed by Paul Curran | Photo © Michele Crosera
Gary McCann, Peter Grimes | Directed by Paul Curran | Photo © Michele Crosera set design and performing arts magazine
Gary McCann, Peter Grimes | Directed by Paul Curran | Photo © Michele Crosera
Gary McCann, Peter Grimes | Directed by Paul Curran | Photo © Michele Crosera set design and performing arts magazine
Gary McCann, Peter Grimes | Directed by Paul Curran | Photo © Michele Crosera
Gary McCann, Peter Grimes | Directed by Paul Curran | Photo © Michele Crosera set design and performing arts magazine
Gary McCann, Peter Grimes | Directed by Paul Curran | Photo © Michele Crosera
Gary McCann, Peter Grimes | Directed by Paul Curran | Photo © Michele Crosera set design and performing arts magazine
Gary McCann, Peter Grimes | Directed by Paul Curran | Photo © Michele Crosera
Gary McCann, Peter Grimes | Directed by Paul Curran | Photo © Michele Crosera set design and performing arts magazine
Gary McCann, Peter Grimes | Directed by Paul Curran | Photo © Michele Crosera
Gary McCann, Peter Grimes | Directed by Paul Curran | Photo © Michele Crosera set design and performing arts magazine
Gary McCann, Peter Grimes | Directed by Paul Curran | Photo © Michele Crosera
[instagram-feed feed=2]

This new production of Teatro La Fenice, Venice, brings to the stage Britten‘s first large-scale opera, directed by Paul Curran with sets and costumes designed by Gary McCann and lighting by Fabio Barettin.

Gary McCann, Peter Grimes | Directed by Paul Curran | Photo © Michele Crosera set design and performing arts magazine
Gary McCann, Peter Grimes | Directed by Paul Curran | Photo © Michele Crosera

Scenographic fragments of a plywood box gradually uncouple sketching ambiences as the narrative progresses.

Britten’s opera premiered in 1945 and tells the story of the fisherman Peter Grimes who lives in The Borough, a coastal village in the English county of Suffolk.

A tragic character, Grimes aspires to improvement but stays brutish and is often scapegoated by the gossipy folks.

He loses his life at sea in the villager’s indifference. Even though he is involved in the deaths of two apprentice boys, the opera never reveals whether he is a murderer, an abusive guardian, or simply the victim of his obsession with money.

Britten’s music conjures a complex vision of both Nature’s majesty and harsh human relations with luscious orchestral music, powerful choruses, and beautiful solo arias.

Gary McCann, Peter Grimes | Directed by Paul Curran | Photo © Michele Crosera set design and performing arts magazine
Gary McCann, Peter Grimes | Directed by Paul Curran | Photo © Michele Crosera

Scenography today has spoken to set designer Gary McCann about his staging.

“Designing Peter Grimes was an unexpectedly challenging experience,” says McCann. “What looks like a straightforward story on the page translates into a much more complex and multi-layered stage performance.”

In every opera’s design process McCann goes through, there is always a specific set of questions that he asks himself. How to tell the story in scenographic/spatial terms. How to depict the world the characters inhabit. How to encapsulate the music in imagery. “In my view, there’s something self-consciously theatrical about the piece which has to be acknowledged in the design,” McCann says.

In Peter Grimes, the design process itself was one of constant simplification and refinement. A process further accelerated by evolving budgetary discussions. “Step by step, all unnecessary elements were stripped away until the director Paul Curran and I arrived at something very pure and minimal,” McCann says.

Gary McCann, Peter Grimes | Directed by Paul Curran | Photo © Michele Crosera set design and performing arts magazine
Gary McCann, Peter Grimes | Directed by Paul Curran | Photo © Michele Crosera
Gary McCann, Peter Grimes | Directed by Paul Curran | Photo © Michele Crosera set design and performing arts magazine
Gary McCann, Peter Grimes | Directed by Paul Curran | Photo © Michele Crosera

The opera takes place in what appears to be a simple plywood box roughly painted with brush marks. The inspiration was an oil sketch by John Constable – Rainstorm over the sea – which was painted in Gary McCann’s hometown, Brighton.

The plywood box has lines scored in the surface. “These lines—fault lines if you will—allow the scenographic fragments to uncouple,” McCann says.

Gary McCann, Peter Grimes | Directed by Paul Curran | Photo © Michele Crosera set design and performing arts magazine
Gary McCann, Peter Grimes | Directed by Paul Curran | Photo © Michele Crosera

Using these elements, different locations are loosely sketched, such as the interior of the local pub, the Quayside, Grimes’s hut on top of a cliff, and the schoolroom which functions like a court.

This spatial deconstruction progresses as the story gets told, so the sets become ever more angular and fragmented as the narrative’s intensity develops.

Gary McCann, Peter Grimes | Directed by Paul Curran | Photo © Michele Crosera set design and performing arts magazine
Gary McCann, Peter Grimes | Directed by Paul Curran | Photo © Michele Crosera
Gary McCann, Peter Grimes | Directed by Paul Curran | Photo © Michele Crosera set design and performing arts magazine
Gary McCann, Peter Grimes | Directed by Paul Curran | Photo © Michele Crosera

The main moving wall unit is used as a projection surface at certain points, while at waist height, the set features a continuous LED strip built into an angled fascia. “This allows us to conjure up the endless horizon of the sea, which is omnipresent in the opera.”

Gary McCann, Peter Grimes. Technical drawings © Gary McCann (edited, sequence)

→ Peter Grimes premiered in June at Teatro La Fenice, Venice, Italy.

Photo gallery

Subscribe to our newsletters

Share this

Follow us

  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
Robert Wilson, Adam's passion | Photo © Kristian Kruuser /Kaupo Kikkas

Robert Wilson, Adam’s passion

Sila Sveta Pygmalion

Sila Sveta, Pygmalion

Marko Japelj, Corpus - disTANZ | Choreography Filipe Portugal | Photo Gregory Batardon, Ballett Zürich

Marko Japelj, disTANZ

Facebook-f Twitter Instagram

Follow uS

© 2023 Scenography Today. All rights reserved.

  • Contact
  • About
  • Contact
  • About
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
elementorneverThis cookie is used by the website's WordPress theme. It allows the website owner to implement or change the website's content in real-time.
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
CookieDurationDescription
_ga2 yearsThe _ga cookie, installed by Google Analytics, calculates visitor, session and campaign data and also keeps track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognize unique visitors.
_gat_gtag_UA_86839159_11 minuteSet by Google to distinguish users.
_gid1 dayInstalled by Google Analytics, _gid cookie stores information on how visitors use a website, while also creating an analytics report of the website's performance. Some of the data that are collected include the number of visitors, their source, and the pages they visit anonymously.
CONSENT2 yearsYouTube sets this cookie via embedded youtube-videos and registers anonymous statistical data.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
CookieDurationDescription
VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE5 months 27 daysA cookie set by YouTube to measure bandwidth that determines whether the user gets the new or old player interface.
YSCsessionYSC cookie is set by Youtube and is used to track the views of embedded videos on Youtube pages.
yt-remote-connected-devicesneverYouTube sets this cookie to store the video preferences of the user using embedded YouTube video.
yt-remote-device-idneverYouTube sets this cookie to store the video preferences of the user using embedded YouTube video.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT
Powered by CookieYes Logo
  • Front Page
  • Design
  • Interviews
  • Exhibitions
  • Academia
  • Front Page
  • Design
  • Interviews
  • Exhibitions
  • Academia
  • Contact
  • About
  • Submit your content
  • Contact
  • About
  • Submit your content
  • UNITA For Future
  • UNITA For Future
Search
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter