My visit at The Victoria and Albert Museum was nothing short of spectacular! I was fascinated as I walked through the grand hallways lined with historical artwork and pieces, all connecting to a story. One of the exhibits that drew me in the most was the theatrical exhibit…typical, but true! I loved learning how props and prosthetics were made for shows along with wigs and costumes. There was a lovely display of theatre costumes throughout the years describing who wore them, when, and where, including Elphaba from the popular show, Wicked.
As I walked through the painting rooms, one of them really stuck out to me and as I read its description, it reminded me of the show we had just experienced the night prior called, War Horse. This oil-on-panel painting done by John Callcott Horsley in 1839 showcased a woman silencing her companion’s flute to listen to the caged bird, the bird seemingly outperforming the musician. I saw the caged bird as Joey, the horse, and the woman as Albert. For the entirety of the show, Albert is constantly trying to silence others above himself, who are misjudging Joey. The bird singing is Joey trying to tell the others, without the simplicity of the human language, the right way to do things. He even silences the tension and violence of war between the two opposing sides of World War 1, with each party deciding to stop fighting and help Joey out of a death trap. In this instance the woman in the painting could be perceived as peace and the musician could be seen as war. The bird out-performing the musician reminded me of Joey out-performing war and showing us the humanity of the world, even during hard times of battle and suffering, they were able to reach common ground and work together to save Joey’s life.
Theatre in London U of A 