Viva Lewes Issue 111 December 2015

John Napier
Set designer par excellence
John Napier is working on the show of his
life. That’s not to say it’s the most epic in
scale of his theatrical designs, or likely to be
seen by the largest audience, or awarded (another)
Tony or Olivier. It is literally the show
of his life. Stages; Beyond the Fourth Wall, on at
Towner in Eastbourne until 31st January, will
include costume designs and 3D pieces based
on his five decades in theatre design, as well
as the sculpture that he’s created in parallel
to his career.
I visit John at his studio in Polegate – a huge
industrial unit where he’s drawing together
and meticulously staging this careful edit
of his life. Not an easy task, as he’s been
responsible for some of the most memorable
stage sets and costumes in theatre; among
them the horses in Equus, the barricades in
Les Misérables, the helicopter in Miss Saigon,
the outsized junkyard in Cats, and the high
velocity wheelie world of Starlight Express.
The space is full of fascinating objects;
drawings, models, costumes. Objects in every
scale, some recognizable and narrative, like
the exquisite horse head-dresses from Equus,
others purely abstract and sculptural, like his
huge bronze castings. I begin to understand
why – when I ask if he describes himself as
an artist or a theatre designer – he answers
‘imagineer’.
Photo by Peter Prior
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