Nigel Purchase, local Chichester artist (1940-2011), became renowned for his ‘Chichester Street Scenes’ in which he painted, in minute detail, the people and streets of Chichester. This is a story about a less well known, but fascinating painting ‘Chichester Festival Theatre Summer 1989’ and Nigel’s surprising personal association with the theatre much earlier in his career all of which would lead him, if he were alive today, to celebrate its 60th Anniversary with a raised glass!
In 1988 the Theatre looked different in so far as it was a solitary theatre but was on the brink of an exciting addition: the Minerva; but how could people imagine what that might look like? In the summer of 1988 Nigel was asked to design the cover for Chichester Festival Theatre’s summer season programme, showing Oaklands Park, the theatre and an impression of how the, as yet unbuilt, Minerva Theatre might look.
From that success a new painting, far more ambitious in scope, was commissioned to mark the opening of the Minerva and retirement of director Mr John Gale in 1989. This painting is an artists’ work of true likeness and true fantasy. Included in portrait, standing in Oaklands Park, looking towards the Theatre and the newly built Minerva, are all the directors, from Lord Olivier (1962-65) to Robin Phillips (who took over that year), the board of trustees, and the permanent staff of the Theatre at that time. Of course in centre position is the founder, Leslie Evershed-Martin, who, very ahead of his time in 1962, got the theatre building venture ‘crowdfunded’ by local individuals and businesses: ‘a theatre built by the community for the community, an ethos which still stands today.’ (CFT website). Nigel maybe was inspired by his business approach because in effect Nigel’s other commemorative street scenes also used a ‘crowdfunded’ mindset – asking individuals to pledge to buy prints of his first painting East Street (1975-78) in order to support him in the 1,500 hours it took to complete the painting. It was a great relief to actually be commissioned to paint Chichester Festival Theatre.
There is a long tradition in which artists include their self-portrait within their paintings. (See more in the blog post of 4th November). Some artists used intriguing tricks to hide themselves, for example, Jan van Eyck, in his painting 'The Arnolfini Portrait' (1434) of a wedding couple, hides his self-portrait in the reflection of a mirror above the couple. Nigel included himself in the street scenes and true to form he didn’t want to be excluded from this important painting of the Theatre - if you look closely he is standing at his easel to the right of the painting. But as his daughter, I think there is also a personal reason why he included himself.
Nigel, as a young artist, struggling to support his new wife and me a baby, got himself an evening job working as bar manager at the Theatre around 1968. At this time Sir John Clement was Actor manager for his first year and Sir Lawrence Olivier was actor director for ‘Othello’. Nigel ever still the artist asked John Standing who was staring in ‘Arms and the Man’ to sit for his portrait which he captured in charcoal.
My father wrote ‘everything except running the bars was enjoyable … the stock taking and bookkeeping were a nightmare as the stock going out never squared up with the money coming in. It took some time to catch the culprit responsible for the short fall, which happened on the night of the police concert at CFT and resulted in my chasing a bar man across the ruins of Summerstown, opposite the Theatre car park’. Shortly after my father ended his work as Bar Manager!
Recently a former colleague of his contacted me, Frank Harley wrote...
When Nigel was `bar manager` at the Festival Theatre, his staff included Sid Teasdale, Bill Houlton, and me.Our aim was to ensure that everyone was served. The intervals were short; and we would prepare two dozen whiskies and two dozen gins for each of the three servers (Sid, Bill and me) ready for the rush of the interval(s). Customers received their drinks (bottles of mixers with pre-pared gins/whiskies or beers with the tops off, etc. (We would never pour bottles of anything; it would take too long!)Nigel remained in the background ready to deal with any problems.I remember one `incident`. A flustered Theatre goer was very concerned that she would be unable to find her way to the train station after the performance. Nigel produced a work of art depicting North Street, South Street and of course the station. I fear that the Theatre goer never appreciated the work of art that she was given!
Nigel's love of the Chichester Festival Theatre continued, not least reflected here in this extraordinary picture. We celebrate the theatre’s wonderful anniversary of 60 years, congratulations!