colour…
On a summer day in 1970 I walked in through the front door of Tintagel House in Sheffield - part of the Merlin Theatre complex. I met Christopher Boulton and his wife May. Christopher was one of those rare people one can call inspirational. Gifted, intellectual, with a knowledge encompassing religion, philosophy, astronomy, music and drama he led a group of enthusiasts to discover much about themselves through acting and working in the theatre.
His was a rare talent. His legacy was to leave a memory of himself in the hearts of others. His gift to me was theatre. At first acting, later stage lighting I began to realize that a play could be made or broken by the way light and colour was used on stage. The technical aspects - that of planning, rigging, patching and plotting lighting cues suited me well - but it was the moods created by lighting that interested me most. Here I could be creative.
Sadly Christopher died in the winter of 1971 - but those few months were not wasted. As one route dies away so another springs into view. Through John Watson, now a lighting designer, who like me also worked with and knew Chris, I was introduced to a man of whom I'd heard and ever since wanted to meet: Michael Wilson.
Michael Wilson. Studied music at the Royal College, leader of the orchestra under Barbirolli, glider pilot, co-founder of the Sunfield Children's Home in Clent, Chairman of the Colour Group of Great Britain, awarded the Newton Medal for his researches into light and colour, writer, chairman of the Goethean Science Foundation, Anthroposophist.
I first met him in 1978 having been brought in by John Watson to help Michael put together a course on stage lighting. It was the beginning of a close association and friendship that lasted until Michael's death in 1985. Michael had been instrumental in bringing his knowledge of music and colour together to form the basis of both a colour therapy room and therapy pool for severely handicapped children. His work was pioneering and the results were astounding. Here were children for whom the world held no interest and yet, once bathed in a world of colour, watching coloured forms move and blend and coalesce, the handicap would retire. For a brief time the child could engage with his surroundings. In a moment of respite a window would open and a dialogue with the world and others would be possible.
His daughter Diana still carries on the research at Clent; the old colour therapy room has been rebuilt from scratch and once again severely handicapped children are receiving this pioneering form of treatment.
For me working with Michael was breath of fresh air. Accompanying and assisting Michael on his many lectures was a joy. In his 80's he could hold an audience, entertain and educate them, lead them into a world of living colour. Whether helping him recover after his heart attack by walking the Clent hills, trying new experiments or working out new ideas his energy and enthusiasm was astounding and, until the day he died on the 22nd December 1985, his thinking was clear as a bell.
