Roderick Ham: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 20:12, 28 October 2021

Revision as of 20:13, 28 October 2021

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When he was demobbed in 1947, Ham joined the [[Architectural Association]] to start his studies as an architect, where he would return later in his career to teach.<ref name=guardian/>

In 1954 he set up his own practice, and due to his love of amateur dramatics, decided to concentrate on theatre design.<ref name=guardian/> His early work included alterations to the Festival theatre in Battersea Park and additions to the Royal Court. His first major project was designing, with George Finch, the [[Thorndike Theatre]] in [[Leatherhead]] within the shell of the disused 1930s Crescent Cinema, which opened in 1969.<ref name="c20society1"/><ref name="Fair2016" /> The building is now Grade II listed.<ref name=guardian/>

Ham would go onto design the [[Derby Playhouse]] with George Finch, which opened in 1975, <ref name="Fair2016">{{cite book|author=Alistair Fair|title=Setting the Scene: Perspectives on Twentieth-Century Theatre Architecture|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iU2rCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA20|date=3 March 2016|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-317-05692-8|page=20}}</ref> and the [[New Wolsey Theatre]] in [[Ipswich]], which was built from 1977 to 1979, followed by the Sackville theatre at Sevenoaks school in Kent, in 1981.<ref name=guardian/>

In 1961, Ham was one of the founding members of the [[Association of British Theatre Technicians]] and would go onto be elected a Fellow in 2012.<ref name=guardian/> With Peter Moro, Ham produced a series of information sheets on aspects of theatre design that were published by the Architects’ Journal. Ham would go onto develop this work into his 1972 book "Theatre Planning", and his 1987 publication "Theatres: Planning Guidance for Design and Adaptation". He was elected Master of the [[Art Workers' Guild]] in 1989.<ref name=guardian/>