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event photography . The Wizard of Oz

26 Sep 2019
Categories: event

Event photography is something I don’t do a lot but having a boyfriend in the performance industry definitely got me back into that field a little more again.

Over the summer holidays, Lee (the boyfriend in aforementioned performance circles) worked on an open-air theatre production at Groombridge Place. He was contracted by Acting Moon Events to be director, musical director and set designer for a short version of “The Wizard of Oz”. During three daily shows over the course of two weeks, lots of excited kids and families got to look for the Wizard along with Dorothy on her attempt to find her way back home to Kansas.

Please sit back and enjoy the show:

The wizard of oz live theatre
Open air kids show Sussex
The wizard of oz live theatre
Open air kids show Sussex
The wizard of oz live theatre
Open air kids show Sussex
Groombridge place open air theatre
Even photography kids theatre show
Even photography kids theatre show
Groombridge place open air theatre
The wizard of oz live theatre
Groombridge place open air theatre
Groombridge place open air theatre
Even photography kids theatre show
Groombridge place open air theatre
Even photography kids theatre show
Even photography kids theatre show
Open air kids show Sussex
Groombridge place open air theatre
Even photography kids theatre show
The wizard of oz live theatre
The wizard of oz live theatre
Even photography kids theatre show
Groombridge place open air theatre

Let’s look at some behind the scenes shots…

Since Lee built some of the stage and props himself, I got to document some behind the scenes footage leading up to the show.
Famously, the Wicked Witch of the East dies when Dorothy’s house lands on her. So Lee put my legs in a cast as a model for the witches’ broken legs. He then dressed them in stripy tights and all that was missing were the red shoes the Dorothy would put on.

Event photography theatre Sussex
Building a theatre set
Open air theatre behind the scenes
Groombridge place theatre production
Building a theatre set
Groombridge place theatre production
Event photography theatre Sussex
Building a theatre set

The house Dorothy lived in, which was built by Lee’s friend Bobby, needed some shutters to hide the backstage. They had to be attached onto the rest of the house on stage – after being build obviously. With this detail, the house seemed much more complete and helped the illusion of story.

Groombridge place theatre production
Building a theatre set
Groombridge place theatre production
Open air theatre behind the scenes
Groombridge place theatre production
Building a theatre set
Event photography theatre Sussex
Event photography theatre Sussex
Open air theatre behind the scenes
Building a theatre set

This is how the stage finally looked – ready for the actors to do their thing for the audience. Let’s go to Kansas, shall we?!

Documenting the show as well as some behind the scenes moments, was not just a fun exercise over the summer, it brought me back to documenting theatre and artists at work again – something I haven’t done in a while. More of that please!

If you liked what you saw above and have an event or a commercial project or if you are an artist in need of someone to document and portray whatever it is you do, please get in touch!

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Anja Poehlmann

Brighton’s photographer and filmmaker for families and small businesses. Cultivating confidence though beautifully authentic images of the real you!