Quentin Blake: Performance
– Quentin Blake“Illustrating is like directing a play, except that you also get to design the scenery and play all the parts.”
From acrobatics to Shakespeare, this is a rare opportunity to explore Quentin Blake's theatrical influences and collaborations. See over 100 original works by Quentin Blake in this UK-first retrospective of his work through theatre. Discover how Quentin has captured the spirit of performers - from street performance to circus, to theatre illustrations and the quaint British charm of pantomime and puppets.
– Olivia Ahmad, Artistic Director“His unmistakable drawings are fizzing with kinetic energy”
Quentin's work has often been stimulated by drama - from opening night performances to accompany theatre reviews, including a fantastic depiction of Laurence Olivier's iconic turn in The Entertainer (1957). Glimpse original drawings for Roald Dahl's The Enormous Crocodile (1978) as inspired by pantomime.
The exhibition features Quentin's illustrations of works by Ancient Greek, Elizabethan and modern playwrights including William Shakespeare and Samuel Beckett, with highlights including Waiting for Godot (2021) and Aristophanes' The Birds (1971).
His recent illustrations of Macbeth (2023) characters as birds will be publicly shown for the first time, with his distinctive scratchy line drawings offering a fresh take on the tragedy. Rarely seen preparatory material will give an insight into his working process, alongside his own works Angelo (1970), Clown (1965) and Patrick (1968), and illustrations from Punch magazine.
