Set and Costume Designs for the Theatre — Photography

Welcome!

This website is exclusively dedicated to the life and work of Barry Kay (1932-1985), a highly acclaimed stage and costume designer of international renown, who later in his career also made a name for himself as a distinguished photographer.

Inside these pages you will find, among others, an array of Kay’s sets and costume designs, ranging from explorative sketches to final drawings, from set models to technical blueprints and stage layout plans, as well as actual performance shots. His career and views on designing for the theatre are largely conveyed by a collection of articles, essays, interview transcripts, letters and other records, to name but a few. An itemized biography, chronologically arranged over five pages, charts the artist’s activities, a multitude of events, stage production premières, performances generally featuring his designs, anecdotal evidence and accounts of oral history. An addendum to the biography documents posthumous happenings related to his artistic legacy.

The section on photography covers Kay’s remarkable achievement in this field.

The Barry Kay Archive aims to provide free online access to a cross selection of Barry Kay’s diversified artistic output. Its electronic publication is therefore expanded and updated from time to time. To the best of our knowledge, it is the world’s only online archive solely devoted to a single designer for the performing arts.

Please note: Unless indicated otherwise, all material displayed on this website is protected by copyright.

Explore the Archive

Anastasia
Three-act version
Set design, exploratory drawing
Act II, imperial ballroom, section
The Royal Ballet
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
World première 22 July 1971