Richard Negri - theatre designer, director and teacher

This site is a web resource intended for theatre studies students and researchers and will develop to provide a broad range of material covering the life and work of Richard Negri, the eminent theatre designer and influential teacher whose vision propelled the extraordinary Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester into existence in 1976. The site also aims to offer a particular insight into aspects of the development of theatre design professional practice during the second half of the twentieth century.

The research, by David Burrows, Head of the Theatre School at Wimbledon College of Art, is being assisted by a series of interviews with former colleagues of Negri coordinated and conducted by Lydia O'Ryan on behalf of the National Life Stories project at the British Library. Audio clips have already been uploaded of selected moments from these interviews with the writer Ronald Harwood (which was completed in November 2005), close collaborator George Hall (musician, composer and teacher interviewed on February 24th 2006), and Richard Pilbrow (distinguished lighting designer and Chairman Emeritus of Theatre Projects Ltd.).

The actor Bernard Cribbins (actor and assistant stage manager at Oldham Repertory Theatre and for the Piccolo Theatre Company from 1952 to 1954), was interviewed shortly before Christmas 2006 and material from that interview has now been uploaded. The final interview of this series, with the director Frank Dunlop (co-producer with Negri of the Piccolo Theatre in 1954), took place on February 2nd 2007, clips from which are now being gradually uploaded.

Supplementary material from interviews conducted by David Burrows continue to enhance the site, most notably and most recently in February 2009 with Michael Williams, the project manager during the building of the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester, the designer Johanna Bryant and the actress Avril Elgar who both shared their memories of Negri in November 2007.

In February 2009 a 13 page, copiously illustrated article by David Burrows on Negri's life and work was published in Theatre Design and Technology (TD&T), the quarterly journal of USITT in the USA.

(Go to the interviews page)

Negri in discussion with Orson Welles, working as his assistant, in the rehearsal room for
'Lady in the Ice', a Roland Petit Company ballet for the Stoll Theatre in1952,

Negri's family, principally his sister and children, have also supported the project by offering full access to the archive of surviving designs and photographs as well as providing personal recollections and insights into Negri's life and work. Additional insight is also contained in clips from interviews with members of Negri's family to be found on the Biography page.

Feedback
Anyone with any further information, recollections or insight about Richard Negri in any context can contact the webmaster by clicking here to access a convenient form.



	This site is a web resource intended for theatre studies students and researchers and will develop to provide a broad range of material covering the life and work of Richard Negri, the eminent theatre designer and influential teacher whose vision propelled the extraordinary Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester into existence in 1976. The site also aims to offer a particular insight into aspects of the development of theatre design professional practice during the second half of the twentieth century. The research, by David Burrows, Head of the Theatre School at Wimbledon College of Art, is being assisted by a series of interviews with former colleagues of Negri coordinated and conducted by Lydia O'Ryan on behalf of the National Life Stories project at the British Library. Audio clips have already been uploaded of selected moments from these interviews with the writer Ronald Harwood (which was completed in November 2005), close collaborator George Hall (musician, composer and teacher interviewed on February 24th 2006), and Richard Pilbrow (distinguished lighting designer and Chairman Emeritus of Theatre Projects Ltd.). The actor Bernard Cribbins (actor and assistant stage manager at Oldham Repertory Theatre and for the Piccolo Theatre Company from 1952 to 1954), was interviewed shortly before Christmas 2006 and material from that interview has now been uploaded. The final interview of this series, with the director Frank Dunlop (co-producer with Negri of the Piccolo Theatre in 1954), took place on February 2nd 2007, clips from which are now being gradually uploaded. Supplementary material from interviews conducted by David Burrows continue to enhance the site, most notably and most recently in February 2009 with Michael Williams, the project manager during the building of the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester, the designer Johanna Bryant and the actress Avril Elgar who both shared their memories of Negri in November 2007. In February 2009 a 13 page, copiously illustrated article by David Burrows on Negri's life and work was published in Theatre Design and Technology (TD&T), the quarterly journal of USITT in the USA. (Go to the interviews page) Negri in discussion with Orson Welles, working as his assistant, in the rehearsal room for 'Lady in the Ice', a Roland Petit Company ballet for the Stoll Theatre in1952, Negri's family, principally his sister and children, have also supported the project by offering full access to the archive of surviving designs and photographs as well as providing personal recollections and insights into Negri's life and work. Additional insight is also contained in clips from interviews with members of Negri's family to be found on the Biography page. Feedback Anyone with any further information, recollections or insight about Richard Negri in any context can contact the webmaster by clicking here to access a convenient form.
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