Ronald William Webb's Chopin Exhibition at Manchester's Royal Exchange Theatre

On Friday I was at Manchester's Royal Exchange Theatre for a private viewing of Ronald William Webb's exhibition that is accompanying a production of 'The Pianist', part of the Manchester International Festival.

The play is based on the memoirs of Wladyslaw Szpilman, and Ron Webb's work is correspondingly based on the piano compositions of Chopin. Each canvas represents one individual piece of music. All of the work is executed in just three colours, red, black and white. This represents the colours of "the Polish and Nazi flags, piano keys, soil and blood".

The evening also featured a little light Klezmer music before the play, performed in the hall by The Deli Babies.

I loved the theatre set-up in the building, which looks like a lunar module has landed in the middle of the old trading floor. The walls are now decorated with large portraits of British theatre luminaries, but it also retains original features like the stock exchange ticker, and a fantastic domed ceiling.

Ron Webb's paintings are on display on the mezzanine walkway, and the play and exhibition run until June 27th

Posted by Martin Belam, June 21, 2009    
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