Ralph Koltai

Unsure what to do after he was demobilised from the British Army in 1948, Ralph Koltai applied to the Theatre Department of the Central School of Arts and Crafts in Holborn. It was suggested at his interview that he should study on the stage design course. The department at that time was run by Jeanetta Cochrane. In this interview, Koltai discusses the life-long philosophy that has guided his approach to stage design throughout his career and explains how, even today, he is unsure how Marie Rambert decided that a partnership between himself and Norman Morrice would be successful. They collaborated on six works together starting with ‘Two Brothers’ in 1958.

Through these works Koltai contributed to the development of design at Rambert and was influential in the move away from painted cloths to constructed sets for stage. His final work for Rambert was in 1977 for full-length work ‘Cruel Garden’ when he worked with Christopher Bruce and Lindsay Kemp. Koltai recalls working with other companies such as the Royal Opera, the Royal Ballet, Scottish Opera and the Royal Shakespeare Company. In addition, he discusses his more recent sculptural work and how this, as with all his work, he was led to ‘by accident’.

00:02:38 Central School of Arts and Crafts
00:18:44 Norman Morrice
00:25:57 ‘Conflicts’ (Morrice, 1962)
00:36:21 ‘Pierrot Lunaire’ (Tetley, 1962/1967)
00:39:50 ‘As You Like It’ (1967)
00:59:02 Nuremberg Trials
01:03:11 Scottish Opera

Interview recorded on 10 October 2016 at Rambert, London.
Interviewer: Claire Izzard; Filmmaker: Paul Izzard

The Rambert Voices oral history project is part of Rambert at 90, a project marking the company’s 90th anniversary, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund.