Jocelyn Herbert
Herbert, Jocelyn (1917-2003), Theatre Designer
Jocelyn Herbert was born on 22 February 1917 in Hammersmith, London to Alan Patrick Herbert and Gwendolen Harriet Quilter. She studied at St Paul’s Girls’ School, London until 1932 when she went to Paris to study painting with cubist artist, André Lhote. Herbert saw the theatre company, La Compagnie des Quinze, directed by Michel Saint-Denis, perform at the Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier in Paris. This was an influential performance which inspired her interest in theatre. Herbert returned to London where she studied drawing at Leon Underwood’s school, followed by enrolling at the Slade School of Fine Art to study theatre design.
In 1935 Saint-Denis and fellow theatre director, George Devine, cofounded the innovative London Theatre Studio (LTS). The LTS taught a collaborative and professional approach to theatre by training actors, directors, technicians and designers in conjunction to form an ensemble company. Herbert felt restricted within her traditional study of theatre and transferred to the LTS in 1936. There, she studied theatre design tutored by Motley, the notable design firm consisting of Sophie Harris, Margaret Harris and Elizabeth Montgomery. Motley’s scenography was characterised by its simplicity, while Saint-Denis aimed to reduce clutter from the stage. These principles underpinned Herbert’s scenographic training.
On 11 November 1937 Herbert married Anthony Baruh Lousada (1907–1994), a lawyer and arts administrator. Herbert finished training in 1938 and started a family. Soon after the LTS closed with the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939. Herbert and Lousada had four children together.
In 1956 Herbert began her professional career as a scene painter at the English stage Company (ESC) at the Royal Court Theatre, under the artistic direction of George Devine. Herbert was one of many former LTS pupils reunited at the ESC. In 1957 she made her debut as a set designer with the ESC’s production of ‘The Chairs’ by playwright Eugène Ionesco. This production was considered to have set a bench mark in stage design. Herbert’s style has been described as minimalistic and haunting. Her strategy was to be as attentive as possible to the text of the play.
The ESC aimed to be a writer’s theatre which staged material by new modern writers. Consequently, Herbert worked with many major playwrights and directors as they were beginning their careers. Herbert herself became a leading and respected figure in post war theatre. She designed around 40 productions with the ESC.
In 1958 Herbert designed the set for the first production of Samuel Beckett’s ‘Endgame’ in English at the Royal Court Theatre. She developed a strong friendship and working relationship with Beckett. At the Royal Court Theatre, Herbert designed the world premières of ‘Krapp's Last Tape’ (1958) and ‘Footfalls’ (1976), as well as the first English productions of ‘Happy Days’ (1962) and ‘Not I’ (1973).
In 1957 Herbert first worked with theatre director, John Dexter. They collaborated on ESC productions of Arnold Wesker’s first five plays, beginning with ‘Root’ (1959). The same year Herbert and Dexter produced Wesker’s ‘The Kitchen’ to great acclaim. Herbert made the decision to leave the stage wall entirely bare, exposing the pipes and the light rig. This set was ground-breaking and had a lasting impact on theatre design.
Herbert and Lousada divorced in 1960. Herbert was now in a relationship with George Devine and the pair lived together at Rossetti Studios in Chelsea, London. Herbert and Devine both worked on Tony Richardson’s film ‘Tom Jones’ (1962). The success of the film helped them to fund the rebuilding of a sixteenth-century farm house in Hampshire, called Andrews Farm, which became their new home.
The early 60s saw Herbert work with the new star playwright, John Osborne. She designed the sets for ‘Luther’ (1961) and ‘A Patriot for me’ (1965), in which Devine was acting. Towards the end of the season Devine suffered a stroke. His health deteriorated and he died in 1966. Herbert helped to honour his memory with her work on the annual George Devine award.
Herbert had a long standing creative partnership with director, Lindsay Anderson. They first worked together when Herbert designed for his production of John Arden’s ‘Serjeant Musgrave’s Dance’ at the Royal Court (1959). Herbert and Anderson went on to stage many of David Storey’s plays including ‘Home’ (1970), ‘The Changing Room’ (1971) and ‘Life Class’ (1974) at the Royal Court.
Herbert remained an active member of the ESC council until 1987. The Royal Court Theatre played a fundamental role in Herbert’s career. Nonetheless, she also designed for productions at the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal National Theatre and the Haymarket Theatre. Herbert designed sets for opera at Sadler’s Well, the Paris Opera House and the Metropolitan Opera in New York. She preferred theatre but designed for films including ‘If …’ (1968), ‘O Lucky Man!’ (1973), and ‘The Whales of August’ (1987), all directed by Anderson.
Later in her career, Herbert collaborated with poet, Tony Harrison. First, she designed for Harrison’s translation of ‘The Oresteia’, directed by Peter Hall at the National Theatre (1981-2). The team worked together creatively for the next 20 years on productions of Harrison’s plays. In 1998 Herbert designed for Harrison’s film ‘Prometheus’ which entailed travelling across eight countries from Doncaster to Greece.
On 6 May 2003 Herbert died of heart disease at Andrews Farm, aged 86. The Jocelyn Herbert Award is given every second year at the Linbury Prize for Stage Design prize-giving. Jocelyn’s family help to judge the winning designer.