J&C Joel were delighted when they were approached by Leeds Grand Theatre & Opera House to create new unique, appliqued Front of House drapes and pelmet.
The Leeds Grand Theatre & Opera House was built in 1878 and now plays host to a wide variety of performances ranging from dance, drama, comedy and musicals, including touring West End shows.
The challenge for J&C Joel and the team at The Grand was to design and manufacture new drapes that were fresh and vibrant whilst at the same time in keeping with the stunning period interior of the venue.
J&C Joel’s Creative Manufacturing team analysed The Grand’s existing drapes and decided that wine Vegas 620 Velvet Velour (VEL175) would be the right choice to replace them. For the applique gold Regal Satin was selected as it could be orientated to create a shading effect and make the applique appear 3D.
The Front of House Curtain was manufactured from wine Vegas 620 Velvet Velour and lined with J&C Joel’s cream Sateen Lining (LIN001). Each drape measured 5.65m wide x 9.10m drop with 50% fullness. The bespoke gold rope, tassels and bullion embellishments were hand woven from a custom dyed wool.
The pelmet was manufactured from the same Vegas 620 fabric and measured 10.50m wide x 5.50m drop at its highest point. The pelmet was manufactured in two sections with the first section containing the Regal Stain applique with the centrepiece measuring 1.50m at its highest point. The pelmet was then finished with handwoven 17mm diameter cabled rope and tassels together with six, 20.50cm diameter rosettes. The second section of the pelmet gave the swaged effect at the base.
The project involved over 20 people from the J&C Joel team and was a true collaboration between the company and Leeds Grand’s technical crew.
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PRODUCT LIST
Fabrics
Drapes and Shapes
Pelmet and Drape applique design 30m
Embellishments all wool handmade:
Rope 17mm diameter – 40m
6 Rosettes 20.5cm diameter
Braid 9.5cm – 16m
Fringing 66.5cm – 16m
6 Tassels 39cm
Stage Engineering
Timber Frame – 10.05m wide x 4.1m drop
Shaped as CAD diagram
