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Props 
 
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Making the Brides' Bodies
 
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Making the Wax Head
 
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Portraying the Bird
 
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How the Bird was Made
 
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Diary: A Head Start
 
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Creating A Fake Head
 

 
 

Props

The production opens with the story of 'Bluebeard', a dark and bloody tale in which the climax comes when Bluebeard's new wife discovers the decomposed bodies of his past wives hanging in cages in a secret room - a gruesome spectacle. Head of Props, Bill Talbot, talks about how they went about making the brides' bodies and in particular how each one was made to look as though in a different stage of decay.

In 'The Juniper Tree' there are two memorable scenes where props play a crucial role in the drama: first, when the boy's head is knocked off, and second, the last scene when the bird, who represents the spirit of the dead boy, rises up Phoenix-like from under the tree where the boy's bones are buried. The fake head looks very realistic as it was actually modelled from the actor Kelly Williams' head. Peter Reynolds' rehearsal Diary tells how Kelly Williams got a head start to the second week of rehearsals by undergoing a procedure that turned out to be as taxing as almost anything she experienced in the rehearsals and performance of Beasts and Beauties. She tells us that the experience of making the wax head was very uncomfortable and claustrophobic, since at one point her head was completely encased in the heavy plaster used to make the cast.

Making the bird in 'The Juniper Tree' presented a particular creative challenge for Bill Talbot. Director and designer Melly Still tells us about portraying the bird and how she wanted it made from metallic kitchen utensils to bring to mind the kitchen where the child was dismembered. Bill Talbot talks about how the bird was made and how he found parts for it, such as a corkscrew to act as the mechanism for flapping the bird's wings.

 

Bristol old vic
Beasts and Beauties
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People
Bill_Talbot Bill Talbot
Props Manager
Melly_Still Melly Still
Director
Kelly_Williams Kelly Williams
Actor
Issues
Lessons for All
Connections: Staging Miracles | The Juniper Tree | Design
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