Shakespeare Sculptures - Prescot, Liverpool
This series of sculptures was commissioned to mark the opening of the Shakespeare North Playhouse in Prescot, Liverpool. The initial approach was to create a series of animal sculptures that each represented an ingredient used in the Witches’ Chant in Macbeth. These were all fabricated in stainless steel then installed in various locations in Prescot town centre to form a sculpture trail. The popularity of these sculptures led to there being further commissions for inside the Playhouse, including a raven and a depiction of Titania from “Midsummer Night’s Dream” installed on the exterior wall of the theatre. This commission ultimately consisted of 19 individual sculptures, below are the pieces made by George Fell, to see the complete set including those also made by George’s father Brian Fell, visit https://brianfell.org.uk
Toad (stainless steel)
“Toad that under cold stone, Days and nights has thirty-one.” - Macbeth
Toad Texture
Video showing the decorative welding techniques used to create the texture on the sculpture’s surface.
Goat (stainless steel)
“Gall of goat ; andslips of yew silver’d in the moon’s eclipse” - Macbeth
Photography by Steve Samosa
The Making of “Goat” - Video
Titania (stainless steel)
This sculpture depicting Titania is installed on the wall of Shakespeare North Playhouse. It was featured in The Guardian following the opening of the theatre.
The Making of “Titania”
Howlet (stainless steel)
“Adder’s fork and blindworm’s sting, Lizard’s leg and howlet’s wing” - Macbeth
Hedge-Pig (stainless steel)
“Thrice and once the hedge-pig whined. " ‘Tis time, ‘Tis time.”
Photography by Steve Samosa
The Making of “Hedge-pig”
Baboon (stainless steel)
“Cool it with a baboon’s blood. Then the charm is firm and good.”
Raven (mild steel)
This sculpture was commissioned to be installed in the Shakespeare North Playhouse’s education space. It was chosen as a subject due to the frequent use of ravens in Shakespeare’s prose.
“Who will not change a raven for a dove?” - A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Newt and Frog (stainless steel)
These were the first two pieces to be commissioned in the series. They are installed onto a water fountain in Prescot Town Centre.
“Eye of newt and toe of frog, Wool of bat and tongue of dog.”