Stage lit for photographic show (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

Stage lit for photographic show

4:32pm Thursday 2nd September 2010 in

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Light, as any photographer will tell you, can be a fickle master. Using available light to take theatre production shots is even more of a challenge, but it’s been an inspiration for Wendy Gill and Martin Leech.

“We’ve got to know the angles that work. Martin tends to take wide-angle shots from the centre of the stage and I do more close-ups.”

Martin’s interest in photography began in his teens and after years of experimentation, he joined The Woodford Photographic Society in 2002 and met Wendy, who had been a member since 1996.

Their latest exhibition is at the Kenneth More Theatre to mark the retirement of manager, Vivyan Ellacott who directed 250 in-house productions. The exhibition reflects the variety of works he produced from dramas to youth productions, variety shows, dance and musicals by Woodford Operatic And Dramatic Society (WOADS), Thistles, Ilford Operatic, Redbridge Music Guild and Forest Musical Productions, to name a few.

“We’ve been working at the theatre for the past four years,” says Wendy. “We cover around ten shows a year and have gone from taking around 60 to 80 shots to more than 200.

The Show Photography Exhibition is at the Kenneth More Theatre, Oakfield Road, Ilford until the end of September, admission is free.