There’s no central heating and sea gales make the windows rattle, but this set and costume designer’s home is packed with dramatic touches – some straight from the stage
Photograph: Rachael Smith/The ObserverPhotograph: Rachael Smith/The Observeror 40 years this Brighton apartment, set on an elm-shaded, stucco-fronted square in the city’s upper reaches, was the home of opera director John Cox, who used it as a bolthole while he was working at Glyndebourne. A creative crowd, including David Hockney, mingled in the garden, screened by a heady curtain of white wisteria.
There is a stage set feel to the eccentric layout. From the tiny, angled hallway, the rooms fan out ahead, offering tantalising glimpses. It was Cox who installed the saloon doors, which open with a swagger on to the narrow bathroom with its faded, chequerboard Lino floor. The kitchen opposite has the original electric cooker and rustic surfaces.
His 1980s childhood, growing up on a council estate near Belfast during the height of the Troubles against a backdrop of “crude but scenic” protest murals and bomb explosions, has also seeped in to his productions. “Quite often there will be images of destruction in my sets; things have been damaged or compromised. I like to convey the sense that beauty is fragile.”
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Man guilty of stalking Emma Raducanu after leaving notes at her homeAmrit Magar, 35, stole a shoe from porch as ‘souvenir’ and decorated tree outside with Christmas lights
Read more »
Five Meat Loaf albums you shouldn’t ignoreThe singer, born Marvin Lee Aday, had more in his wheelhouse than Wagnerian rock opera.
Read more »
Are you a fan of Minnie Mouse's new look?Disneyland Paris has released a drawing of Minnie Mouse's new outfit, swapping her iconic red polka dot dress for a pant suit designed by British designer Stella McCartney.
Read more »
TODAY IN HISTORY: Designer creates one of the world's most popular toys by accidentTODAY IN HISTORY: The Rubik's cube makes its international debut at a toy fair in London on January 29, 1980. 9News
Read more »
Police investigate the deaths of three people in a Perth homePolice investigate the deaths of three people at a home in Perth's south-eastern suburbs.
Read more »
TODAY IN HISTORY: Designer creates one of the world's most popular toys by accidentTODAY IN HISTORY: The Rubik's cube makes its international debut at a toy fair in London on January 29, 1980. 9News
Read more »