Theatre set design history going under the hammer

Aug 27 2008 by Barbara Hodgson, The Journal

As a unique collection of theatre designs goes  under the hammer, Barbara Hodgson hears more about the creative talent of Eric Briers.

THE creations of a Newcastle set designer, whose clients ranged from Northern Opera to Coronation Street, are being auctioned next week – offering a key opportunity to own a slice of local creative history.

The late Eric Briers, also an artist and occasional actor, was well-known in the region, especially during the 23 years he designed for the opera company.

He also designed for Coronation Street – creating Annie Walker’s bedroom in the Rovers Return – when the soap opera’s production transferred to Tyne Tees Studios in Newcastle city centre during rebuilding work at Granada.

Now his studio collection is  set  to attract a huge amount of interest at auction house Anderson & Garland next Tuesday.

“It’s  the  sort of material which could well have appeal to a local museum,” suggests John Anderson, Anderson & Garland’s collectables specialist.

“We’re conservatively expecting to exceed £1,000-£1,500.”

Eric Briers was born in Rochdale in 1928.

John said: “It was while working as an apprentice with Burton  the  Tailors that his artistic abilities were first recognised.

“He was encouraged by his regional manager to leave and go to art college, where he studied at Rochdale and Manchester Schools of Art.

“After national service in  the  RAF, he joined Barrow-in-Furness Repertory  Theatre  and went on to join others, including Woolwich, Bath and Bolton Reps.

“Over the years, he gained experience not only in set  nd costume design, but acting as well.”

But it was set and stage design which was to prove the focus of his life.

While with Bolton Rep in the early 1960s, he was contacted by Tyne Tees Television and this brought about his move north.

Initially, he worked for Tyne Tees as a set designer, then – until his retirement in 1985 – as head of design, designing sets for such programmes as the One O’clock Show, Super Troupers, and the Epilogue.

But it was the set and costume designs he created when he became involved with Northern Opera – which held an important place in the city’s cultural history – that have won him the most praise.

They will be represented in Tuesday’s sale.

John said: “His set designs, many of which are represented in the sale, won high praise in the national and local Press and were used for productions by other opera companies in Britain and even as far afield as New Zealand.

“For 50 years, Northern Opera was based in Newcastle and for 23 of those years the complex and magnificent sets were designed by Eric.

“The final two operas he designed were The Bartered Bride, in 1967, and the ever popular opera Carmen the following year, starring a young Kiri Te Kanawa.”

As a form of relaxation, away from the busy world of design, Eric would paint in oils and watercolours.

He also acted and his final role was as Cardinal Camillo in The Cenci – the 1819 play being Percy Bysshe Shelley’s first attempt at writing drama – performed at the People’s Theatre, Newcastle, in 2001.

Eric died in October 2002, in Fawdon.

The Eric Briers collection of designs are up for auction at Anderson & Garland in Newbiggin Lane, Westerhope, Newcastle, at 10am on Tuesday.

The collection will be divided among nine lots, each containing a large quantity of Eric’s artistic and stage designs.

Work will include watercolour paintings; set artwork; little models of stage sets and costume designs. Viewers can see the collection, and other artistic lots, at the auctioneers between 10am and 4pm tomorrow and Friday; from 9.30am and 12.30pm on Saturday; and from 10am until 2pm on Monday. Anderson & Garland can be contacted on (0191) 430-3000.