• Title
  File 5: Brian Thomson interview by Martin Portus, 7 and 20 June 2017
• Level of description
  file
• Date
  
  7 and 20 June 2017
• Type of material
  Nonmusical Sound Recordings, Oral Histories
• Reference code
  1009278
• Physical Description
  2 audio files (2 hrs., 28 min., 3 hrs., 57 min.) - digital, WAV, stereo (48 kHz, 24 bit)
  
• ADMINISTRATIVE/ BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY
  
  Brian Thomson was born and educated in Sydney and made his theatre debut in 1971 when he designed set and costumes for Jim Sharman’s productions of As You Like It for the Old Tote Theatre and Hair for producer Harry M. Miller. He is recognised as Sydney’s most prolific and celebrated set designer and has designed settings for more productions in the Sydney Opera House than any other designer. He has also designed innumerable plays for all the major theatre companies in Australia including Company B Belvoir, the Sydney Theatre Company, Opera Australia and the Sydney Dance Company.
  
  Reference: Library correspondence file
• Scope and Content
  Interview 1 - 7 June 2017; Interview 2 - 20 June 2017
  
  Brian Thomson interview describes his childhood influences in Campsie, Sydney, and in rural WA and then Perth where his father was a bank manager, and his move back to Sydney, dropping out of architectural studies and the beginning of his long influential collaboration with director Jim Sharman. He describes in detail their work on Hair, Jesus Christ Superstar in Sydney and London, and the origins and cult success of the Rocky Horror Show and productions around the world. He also speaks of working in London on other musicals along with Barry Humphries’ first show there and on Broadway. Returning to Australia he worked again with Sharman and later Neil Armfield on Patrick White’s plays. He discusses landmarks like his first opera set with Death in Venice and his evolving signature as a architecturally based, technically accomplished, designer interested in minimalist sets and impressionistic elements. Thomson comments on disputes over the control, payment for and duplication of his designs in revival, overseas productions, such as Macropoulus Secret and the Opera Australia’s Eighth Wonder and Carmen on Sydney Harbour.
  
  The interview also describes his vision for the operas Voss, Tristan and Isolde, Billy Budd, Katya Kabanova; designing for Australian plays, Shakespeare, Ibsen, Chekhov, Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams and other classics with Richard Wherrett at the Sydney Theatre Company and Neil Armfield at Belvoir.;his research work overseas for key Australian TV series in the 1980’s; his achievements with musicals: The King and I – for which he won a Tony on Broadway, Grease, Kylie Minogue, Boy from Oz, the stage adaptation of the film, Priscilla, Dream Lover and more; his work on operas (notably with Gale Edwards), Bliss, Tristan and Isolde, La Boehme, La Traviatta on the Harbour; he speaks of his work on the Sydney Olympics, Centenary of Federation, his OAM in 2005, his annual work decorating the Harbour Bridge on New Year’s Eve, and for the York Theatre Seymour Centre, and smaller stages like the Stables and Hayes Theatre in Kings Cross.
• Copying Conditions
  Copyright status:: In copyright
  Copyright holder:: State Library of New South Wales
  Rights and Restrictions Information:: Download available for research, personal use and public use
  Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales
• General note
  
  Recorded in the sound studio of the Redfern Community Centre on 7 and 20 June 2017
• Creator/Author/Artist
  Thomson, Brian, 1946-
  
• Subject
  Thomson, Brian, 1946---Interviews.
  Set designers--Australia.
  Opera--Australia.
  
• Open Rosetta viewer
  IE4674832

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