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July 30th, 2010
We have been telling stories for thousands of years. The simple story was the chief source of entertainment for a long time, that is, until some great person came up with the idea of staging a play. The play simply improved upon the art of storytelling by making it a much more visual and exciting experience. No longer did you have to imagine how the beautiful heroine would look or wonder how the hero looked as he saved the day, you could see it all. Of course, when the play was first invented, it was in a much more primitive state than the huge productions we see in the West End today, where props and expensive theatre sets are the order of the day. Back then, there would have been few props, and actors would supply their own garments for their parts. Back then, there was still a lot of imagination involved.
Today, however, theatre is an amazing spectacle. Theatre sets are so detailed that you could almost believe you had been transported to another time and place and the actors wear expensive costumes which have been painstakingly created for the role. The actors now use authentic props which look realistic, no matter what time period they are representing. We at Keeley Hire have props ranging from the futuristic to the primitive, available for hire. No expense is spared in creating a new world for the audience to relish and revel in, before coming back down to reality. But, at the heart of this entire spectacle, is still the simple story.
Tags: Prop Hire, Props, Stage Props, Theatre Sets
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July 17th, 2010
When putting on a show in the theatre, there are many things to be considered if you wish it to be successful. Of course, you will need great actors and a strong script, but you will also need a convincing theatre set, great props and excellent costumes.
Theatre sets are very important, because they set the scene and paint a picture of the world that the characters inhabit. There are many different variations of theatre sets, some simpler than others, which are used to create a whole new world for theatre goers. They can be futuristic or dark and gothic, but without them, the stage would lack atmosphere and the play’s impact would be lessened as a result.
Similarly, props and costumes are very important aspects of any stage play. The clothes people wear show us a lot about them. The outfits worn on stage can tell us so much; they tell us if a character is rich or poor, conservative or outgoing, and they can also give us a good idea of the time period in which a piece is set.
Props can enrich a character and help the actors to play their roles convincingly. They can show us little quirks a character may have, further the plot, and are often central to the proceedings on stage.
At Keeley Hire, we offer an exciting range of props and theatre sets for hire. Our stock will help to enrich and maximise the audience’s immersion in your production, helping you on your way to success.
Tags: Prop Hire, prop hire company, Props, Theatre Sets
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April 8th, 2010
For many people, a night out at the theatre is special experience where they expect to be wowed by the production, the actors and the ever-amazing theatre sets. Over the years, there have been many many spectacular film sets which have catapulted productions into the stratosphere.
When staging a theatre production, it is therefore of the utmost importance that your theatre sets are well designed and true to the time period in which the play is set. This helps to get the audience into the right mindset; allowing them to suspend their belief and be totally captivated throughout the show. A shoddily designed set will automatically turn the audience off and leave them with low expectations of the show, thus giving the actors a much harder time on stage.
There are a few different types of theatre sets which are commonly used in productions. These are flat sets, box sets and round sets. All have various pitfalls and benefits to be weighed up before use but all are very effective in a theatre setting.
Today more than ever, production companies are opting to hire theatre sets rather than buy them. The main reasons for this are cost and storage. It can often be a much more affordable option to hire your set from a reputable company such as ours at Keeley Hire than to buy. Storing theatre sets is also expensive because of their size. If you hire your set, you do not need to worry about safe storage as everything is taken care of for you.
Tags: authentic theatre sets, hiring theatre sets, Prop Hire, prop hire company, Theatre Sets
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March 9th, 2010
Design for theatre involves many different elements. There is the overall design of the set, costumes, wigs and make-up, props, sound, music and lighting. There may also be specialists designing pyrotechnics, or other special effects. Pulling all these disparate departments together usually resides within the remit of the stage management or assistant director, although some prominent directors are very ‘hands-on’; which can be a polite way of describing them as control freaks.
If any one element of the design is not up to scratch, the whole show’s look and feel can quickly unravel. Having authentic, suitable props is essential in order to maintain a performance that looks professional. A show that succeeds in dazzling with its overall design is ‘Enron’, which had a sell out run at the Royal Court Theatre last year and is now in the West End.
The show is large scale in every way and has a cast of 17, many of them playing several roles. However, the backstage team including designers and director numbers 22 – which gives an idea of how the show you actually watch is just the tip of the iceberg.
There might have been more designers involved but Adam Cork not only composed the show’s music but also designed the sound. The show also has its own video and projection designer in Jon Driscoll.
At Keeley Hire, we love theatre and whether you’re planning an extravaganza in the West End or a play in one of the UK’s brilliant fringe venues, we have the props for your show. We specialise in theatre sets and props; all of which are extremely authentic.
Tags: Prop Hire, Props, Stage Props, theatre props, Theatre Sets
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March 4th, 2010
The traditional theatre set consists of flats, which are usually constructed into a three walled room with the fourth wall missing and the audience viewing the show through that imaginary barrier. Those walls are then dressed and the appropriate furnishings, and props complete the overall impression that the designer is looking to convey.
However, many theatre spaces, especially on the fringe consist of little more than black boxes and do not have the necessary space to erect huge flats. It therefore becomes all the more important that authentic props are used as these will carry the whole weight of the show’s design.
In fact, many large scale productions in huge theatres also shy away from traditional theatre sets. For example, the Royal Shakespeare Company helped cement its position at the forefront of the British theatre scene with its productions of Shakespeare’s history plays, which did away with sets and instead utilised banners and weaponry.
Shakespeare’s plays are timeless. You might think this means that you can take costumes and props from any period. This was the approach in a recent production of Chekov’s ‘Three Sisters’. The effect was as if the actors had been let loose in a child’s dressing-up box. In fact, to get the timeless quality, there still needs to be consistency – however stripped back it is.
At Keeley Hire, we provide props for films, television and theatre as well as the advertising and event planning industries. We have been in business over forty years and are always happy to deal with your queries however strange you may think them.
Tags: authentic props, Prop Hire, Props, Theatre Sets, traditional theatre sets
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February 24th, 2010
On many occasions, an audience’s first impression of a play is the set. In the more traditional production, the show will start with the curtains closed in front of the stage. Often, as the curtains open, the set will actually get a round of applause if it looks particularly lavish. Many theatres now seem to have done away with their curtains and you are faced with the set as you take your seat.
Anton Chekov was an innovative playwright whose plays are still regularly performed. They were written as a penetrating depiction of life in pre-revolutionary Russia. As such, they normally lend themselves to realistic theatre sets particularly for the interior scenes. You will often see original period furniture and you can be sure that the designer will have spent a great deal of time researching how houses would have been decorated.
A recent production did away with the set all together, though. The flats that normally form the walls of a room were completely absent. Instead the stage was virtually bare. In fact, even this is a theatre set of sorts. One of the pieces of set on the stage was the props table which is usually hidden in the wings. It contains the hand held props that are used in the performance.
At Keeley Hire, we don’t mind whether you go for a traditional theatre set with authentic props or something avant-garde. We have over half a million props and are sure that we can enhance your production, given the chance.
Tags: Prop Hire, Props, realistic theatre sets, Theatre Sets
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February 11th, 2010
In the United Kingdom, there are three types of theatre; the professional, the amateur and fringe theatre. It is often difficult to know where one stops and another starts and many productions that describe themselves as fringe would not be perceived as such by other people in the industry.
Amateur productions are, some would say, the purest form of theatre. A group of like-minded people from all walks of life who enjoy staging plays. The standard of many amateur productions is as good as the professional theatre. What can make amateur theatre particularly enjoyable is when it is possible to hire in professional theatre sets and costumes. For example, it is possible to hire costumes from the Royal Shakespeare Company. This will often have the bonus of the original actor’s name sewn into the collar. Likewise, progressive firms in the sector will hire out professional theatre sets and props to anyone.
Professional theatre is where the actors and technicians are paid. Fringe is more difficult to define as sometimes those involved receive some money or they may be on what is termed a profit share. This is often accepted as a euphemism for no money at all.
The motivation of people on the fringe is often that they are starting out on their careers and want to get noticed and hired by professionals. This goes for the designer and director as well as the actors which is the reason why it is important that the show looks as professional as possible and why at Keeley Hire we are always happy to help with props, particularly theatrical props.
Tags: Prop Hire, Props, Theatre Sets, Theatrical Props
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December 8th, 2009
Nicky Bunch, who trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama, is one of the most promising contemporary designers of theatre sets. She has worked on a wide variety of projects from classics such as ‘Macbeth’, ‘Oliver Twist’ and ‘Playboy of the Western World’ to more experimental works, such as ‘Sound Dust’ at Theatre 503.
When the designer of theatre sets begins work, they need to balance many things. These include the budget, the space they are working in, the director’s vision of the play and, of course, the play itself.
One of Nicky’s most impressive theatre sets was the one for a production of John Galsworthy’s ‘Loyalties’, which was staged at the Finborough Theatre in London. The space is a small one, typical of many pub theatres, and is effectively a black box. Normally plays are staged in the space end-on. That is to say the action takes place at one end of the room and the seats are arranged as they would be in a traditional theatre. However, Nicky and Phil Willmott, the director, wanted the play to resonate with a modern audience even though it was originally written in the 1920’s. They decided to do this by placing the audience as close as they could to the action. This was done by using a traverse staging, with the audience sat either side of the action.
Don’t forget that whatever your budget, we at Keeley Hire can help when it comes to designing your theatre sets.
Tags: Movie Props, Prop Hire, Props, Stage Props, Theatre Sets
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November 27th, 2009
The traditional idea of theatre sets is towering flats creating a box set. However, many smaller theatre spaces, particularly those on the London fringe, do not have the facilities for this and, as they say, necessity is the mother of invention.
The Finborough Theatre near Earls Court is one of the top fringe venues. It is essentially a room above a pub. Some shows have attempted an end-on setting with a raked bank of seats but these do not seem to add anything to the show. Instead they emphasise the smallness of the venue without actually using the intimacy which this can create to their advantage.
A production that did cleverly use the space was Phil Willmott’s production of ‘Loyalties’. The play is about a possible criminal court case and the audience were seated either side of the playing area. The sides of the space had a suggestion of the type of barriers you would see in front of a witness box in a court of law and made the audience feel as if they were sitting in judgement on the characters involved.
Another impressive setting was that for Christopher Roll’s production of ‘The Beaver Coat’ where the audience sat in the round and the props extended to the walls of the auditorium. The audience felt they were actually in the action.
At Keeley Hire, we are proud of our reputation and the incredible stock of stage and movie props we have. We can also arrange delivery of theatre sets if you require it.
Tags: Movie Props, Prop Hire, Props, Stage Props, Theatre Sets
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November 25th, 2009
Theatre design is a daunting profession. As with everything connected with the theatre, it can take many years to become established enough to make a living purely from designing theatre sets.
Of course, theatre design is far more complicated than just designing a set. Designers will usually be involved with the directors at an early stage and discuss, not only the theatre sets but also costume and stage props. They may also have particular contributions for the lighting designer. A clear idea needs to be established of the setting of a particular play in terms of date, location and so on. An early decision also needs to be made with regard to the production’s general style.
Whether it will seek to be realistic or be more stylised, perhaps even a minimal approach could be taken. These decisions are often influenced by the space in which the play is being presented.
A recent production of ‘Saint Joan’ used the Olivier Theatre’s revolve to great effect but did not attempt to give more than a hint of the settings. In fact some chairs were used to create a pyre and combining with some fine movement work by the actors seemed to hold far more significance than just as practical objects. However, even the chairs needed thinking about to ensure they did not look out of place.
Whether you are going for ultra realism or a minimalist approach talk to us at Keeley Hire as, having over half-a-million items in stock, we have exactly the theatre sets that you’re looking for.
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