My Royal Opera House 2 Week Placement!

So for the past 2 weeks I've been lucky enough to get some experience at the Royal Opera House Scenic Workshop in Purfleet, Essex through my university.

On the first day I was given a complimentary ticket to see La Donna Del Lago, the opera that was currently showing. I'm not a huge fan of opera's but I wouldn't miss an opportunity (especially when it's free) to try out something new. I saw The Marriage of Figaro at the Colosseum a couple of years ago and really didn't enjoy it, especially as the set consisted of a white wall revolving set - not too interesting for a Scenic Artist - so when I went to see this I hoped it would be better, which it was.

I'm eternally grateful for the idea of subtitles or else I would be completely lost. However I found that I spent the whole time reading them and not properly watching what was going on on stage; they also seemed to sing a lot longer than the subtitles suggested. Focusing on the aesthetic side of things, I found the set to be very beautiful and quite traditional looking. There was a big mountain scene painting on a set of doors that rolled in and out and for a while I was distracted trying to determine whether it was a painting or a photograph. (I later found out it was a painting and I wish I could show you but no photography allowed I'm afraid.)

Whilst being at an Opera I find myself quite uncomfortable in the fact that I'm surrounded by far more refined people than me... using words such as 'quite' and 'bravo'.

In total I was only in the ROH workshop for 6 days. To give you an idea of what I did, here is a schedule I made which will eventually be a part of my end of term essay.

I didn't get much chance to help out with ROH sets as I was learning how to draw and paint using a stick and working on a personal project for university. However, I learnt SO much from this, including new techniques and methods that I wouldn't really get a chance to do such as making a cloth look like 3D foliage. Their list of products is insane, everything I wanted to try was there for me to use and they didn't mind at all. I did get to help cut out a cloth for an upcoming show but hopefully one day I will be able to go back there and help out more. Here are some pictures of what I did whilst there:

At the end of my placement I was given another complimentary ticket to see the Raven Girl/Symphony in C ballet's (two ballet's in one showing) which was great as I prefer ballet to opera. The first ballet was driven by a story and it's colour's were quite dark. It was great to see a set that the artists had been working on just before I arrived at the workshop, on stage. I'd previously seen pictures of it and it was good to see under lighting. It was good but I found my attention drifting quite a lot which I assumed was going to happen, I don't enjoy it enough to be hooked. The second ballet was just... ballet. Pretty white tutu's set again a bright blue background - very pleasing to look at and only lasted 36 minutes so it was a nice pick-me-up after Raven Girl.

I think this is a worthwhile read if you're interested in Raven Girl. Click HERE.

These two weeks have been an amazing experience, I've seen things I wouldn't have done had I been in university and even though I didn't get to help out too much with the ROH sets, their help and guidance was genuinely appreciated.

Currently Me

Currently feeling:

A little stressed, restless but generally okay.

This week has been a bit of a roller coaster for me. I started it off at a really low point, I was having a really bad few days, the worst I've had in a while. Throughout the week I've gotten better and am enjoying myself as of now.

I'm currently on a placement at the Royal Opera House in Purfleet, Essex which IMO is an amazing opportunity.

I'm training to be a Scenic Artist (painting sets for theatre, film, etc...) alongside being a Traditional Artist and this 2 week placement was offered to me by my tutor, thanks! I'm also going to Rocket Scenery in Nottingham next week which means I get to stay at home for 2 weeks. Hopefully I'll learn loads of new things that will help me, because quite frankly I'm worried about how I'm ever going to be able to support myself.

Thanks to my lovely parents my car is ready to be back on the road so watch out this summer! I haven't driven in 2 years because I just haven't needed to, have been out of the country or haven't been able to afford it which currently, is the story of my life.

I've been reading a lot more recently. I used to read so much as a kid, I have home videos of me narrating 'Sams Sandwich' so enthusiastically and passionately I wonder why I didn't become an author or a motivational speaker. I've read all my life but it's been on and off throughout my teenage years... obviously Harry Potter and the Georgia Nicholson series are exceptions to this because I read them like they'd disappear the next day. Only recently, at the start of the year I discovered a website called Goodreads. A facebook for readers, if you will.

I set myself a reading challenge to read 30 books this year and so far I've read 15 and am on my 16th: Dean Koontz - Watchers. Not bad going, considering I'm not even halfway through the year and haven't read this much in years.

I just finished reading Duma Key which I've reviewed in the previous blog post from Goodreads. Wow, whatta book! I don't think I've ever read anything like it, Mr King is fast becoming one of my favourite authors. I don't really have favourite authors, I haven't read enough of one persons work to call myself a fan, except perhaps JK Rowling, Roald Dahl... the usual. I've read 3 books by Stephen King and have loved all 3, and am falling in love with the works of Dean Koontz. I guess I'm a thriller-lover.

I've felt quite artistic this past few days so yesterday I painted a quick 30 minute self-portrait which I think represents me on a good day and is a nice thing to look at when I'm feeling down:

I'm also in the middle of a commission for a friend which I'm struggling with as it's quite a detailed drawing of a couple (which is fine) and a LOT of background which is a tad mind-numbing after a while. Still, it produces income so I shan't complain.

My boyfriend is on his way now, so I better jump in the shower, make myself look presentable, we're going to make mint cake! Yummy.

Just finished Duma Key!

Duma Key by Stephen King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Kudos SK, this is one of the best books I've read. I'm not sure if I think it's better than IT or The Shining because it's completely different but just as good. I wouldn't know where to begin describing this book, I kind of took it as not just a thriller but a book about friendship and finding yourself.

When I first started reading it, I was so busy and it took me a couple of weeks or so to get into it but once the art started, I found myself buried in it at every possible opportunity.
I found myself more than a little creeped out by it, probably because the scare wasn't obvious... it creeped out at you when least expected and it was only short and then you'd be back to normal again trying to guess at the hint just given to you.

At no point during this novel did I know what was going to happen which is quite rare I think, on some level you can guess within the boundaries of a genre what will happen but I couldn't with this. If someone had told me at the start that by the end of it they were going to be drowning a china doll in a torch after witnessing a floating lawn jockey and an upside heron, I would have laughed and worried about Mr King's sanity.

I found myself emotionally invested in all of the characters, especially Wireman and the only criticism I have about this book, and it's a picky one at that, is that I wish there was maybe more of a 'bang!' at the end. We 'met' Perse as the china doll but I would maybe have liked to have seen a lifesize confrontation with her which could have been a little scarier. The time up at the old Heron's Roost wasn't quite dramatic enough I don't think. Maybe I've been watching too many Hollywood endings, I don't know.

I've given this book 5/5 stars because damn, it was good.

View all my reviews