A Belfast based set designer has brought some of the city’s most iconic historical theatres back to life in a special exhibit at the Ulster University.
Like many of us, Stuart Marshall was left with a lot of free time during the pandemic, he decided to use that time to make models of Belfast’s theatre.
“It all sort of started in the lockdown and then everything evolved from there.
“The Grand Opera House had asked me to do a piece and from there I thought that maybe I could do some more and I got curious about some of the older theatres that were in Belfast back in the day,” Stuart said.
After five years of work Stuart teamed up with Young At Art and the Children’s Festival to put all of his models on display.
“I’ve shown them to people before but this is the first time that they are all displayed together so it’s really interesting to go and see them all at once so it’s like seeing,” he said.
The Ritz opened in 1938.
All of Stuart’s models were made using everyday art and craft supplies.
“They are all just cardboard and plastic and they are painted to make them look a bit rougher and more realistic- that is something I really like about them, you can’t really tell what they are made from, they just look like they have just appeared there,” Stuart said.
Theatres once played a huge part of life in Belfast but now, many of them have been forgotten, Stuart is hopeful his exhibit can help change that.
“There is some photos you can go see in the Ulster Museum of the older theatres but they are in black and white so whereas the models really let you see what they would have looked like,” he said.
Some of the theatres were easier to recreate than others.
“You have to put two and two together, I’ll find old photos and then maybe some newspaper articles about them and from that you can piece together what it would have looked like- you feel like a bit of a detective,” Stuart said.
“It’s given me a renewed appreciation for the architecture we have here in Belfast, like we are very lucky to still have the Grand Opera house and we have so many buildings that are so special it makes you look around them a bit and notice things you wouldn’t normally notice,” he said.
The Hippodrome Theatre.
The models are part of Theatres of Old Belfast display in Ulster University and so far have been a hit with locals.
“It’s quite a cross generational exhibition, the children enjoy them because they are miniatures, like almost doll house type things, then adults appreciate the art and older people recognise them as places they would have known,” Stuart said.
He is thrilled the model have unlocked memories for some older visitors.
“A man actually came up to me to say that his 90 year old father would have loved going to the theatres so he was taking photos so he could show his father and ask him if he remembered any of them and i just think that’s quite amazing,” Stuart said.
He is hopeful the exhibit can inspire the next generation of set designers.
“I really want young people to get something out of it because that’s what sparked my interest, it was making model kits and Lego that inspired me to go into this line of work.
“On Saturday they are running a special event where children can make their own model stage and just be inspired to create their own little project.
The Alhambra theatre was Belfast’s first music hall.
“So it would be great to see as many young people and their families there as possible- there’s lots of other things for families to do as part of the Young At Art Children’s Festival so it’s just really about getting the children involved in art and creativity here,” Stuart said.
This exhibit won’t be the end of Stuart’s theatre models though- he has got a lot more planned for the future. “There’s a couple more theatres I’d like to do, there’s lots of other theatres that I have tried to do but there’s only small mentions of them and no photography so it is bit more challenging but I’ve done a few cinemas as well as theatres and I’d like to do more of them because the history of theatres and cinemas in Belfast are intertwined as a lot of theatres became cinemas.
“I’m thinking of doing smaller sketchy things instead of the models as I don’t have loads of time free to do these at the moment but there’s loads of options and I’m keen to continue making these as it’s nice for people to look at think back of what was once here,” Stuart said.