The Beckettorium

Posts

  • Phantom Figures – The Project

    Robert Taylor was kind enough to point me towards this fantastic article he wrote about the Phantom Figures paintings.

    https://www.theatreheritage.org.au/on-stage-magazine/general-articles/item/848-the-phantom-figures-project-1989

  • Thank you – from David

    Celebrate John, his Mind, his Wit, & Passion – his imagining of the possible – never giving in to the inevitable.  

    Thank you, John for the place, the space in which so much creativity, so much love and commitment could flourish and be shared with so, so, many over the generations and into the future. Playbox. The Malthouse. The Beckett Theatre. These will be an enduring testament to you and your indubitable spirit.

    Vale John.

    From David.

  • Phantom Figures

    During the period John was designing the new Malthouse, he frequently referred to phantom figures. The original models for the space had such figures parading around the outside of the space – particularly the balcony areas around the audience seating.

    The phrase comes from the poem The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, a very lengthy poem attributed to the person named in the title. John knew much of this the poem by heart. An English translation of a certain verse was a mediation that John focussed on during the design of the Malthouse.

    The verse reads

    For in and out, above, about, below,

    ‘Tis nothing but a magic shadow-show,

    Play’d in a box whose candle is the sun,

    Round which we phantom figures come and go.

    The third line echos the destruction by fire of The Playbox theatre, the previous home of the company of the same name.

    I believe someone suggested this poem to him, perhaps a reader can tell me who.

    When the theatre itself was opened, prominent Australian artists were commissioned to paint canvasses on the theme “phantom figures” and these canvasses were placed around the walls of the theatre.

  • Hello, and welcome

    Hello friends of John Beckett.

    This website was created by John’s son. This website was created so that, when fully functional, friends, colleagues, students, and other people who knew John could contribute stories or share tributes. Your messages and stories will be posted here so that other friends of John can read them and contribute their own.

    To contribute to this online site, please visit the contribute page.

    You can also email your story, message, pictures, etc. to stories AT johnbeckett.au

    If you want to send John’s family a private message, please send it by email and mark it PRIVATE.

  • Hello world!

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