Tears, laughs captured in portrait of London's theater district

Emmie Ray and Carl Man, ensemble members of the musical "Wicked" at the Apollo Victoria Theater in London, pose in this photo taken by British photographer Rankin. Rankin photographed over 150 actors, theater owners and backstage workers for his book, "Performance by Rankin." Courtesy of Rankin

UK photographer Rankin who photographed actors, theater workers in West End releases book, displays his works in London

By Kang Hyun-kyung

U.K. photographer Rankin / Courtesy of Rankin

In Britain, the 18-month-long shutdown of London's West End theater district has been a harsh but bittersweet experience for those involved in the creative industry.

The pandemic ― despite being painful― has given them a rare chance to contemplate and discover their true selves.

Waiting anxiously and endlessly for the day they could return to the stage while going through the pandemic, many of them realized that their lives were inseparable from theatrical shows. They found their passion for their work has grown further while going through the pandemic.

Renowned U.K. photographer and film director John Rankin Waddell, better known to the public by his middle name Rankin, characterized people in the theater industry as those who "live to work," as opposed to "work to live."

"When you are passionate about something in the way that most creative people are, it's not just a job you're losing but the thing that keeps you excited about life," he said during a recent interview with The Korea Times. "Unlike photography, theater is something you can't really do on your own. So, where I had my home studio, photographing flowers, most people in theater were deprived of their passion and ability to earn a living."

In collaboration with the mayor of London and the Society of London Theatre, the U.K. photographer launched an ambitious photography project. He photographed over 150 people involved in the world's leading theater industry in London, including actors, theater owners, makeup artists and backstage workers, and published their portraits in a book titled "Performance by Rankin."

According to him, the book is a "celebration of the enormous talent and resilience of London's theaterland, the cultural heart of the city, as it emerged from a devastating pandemic shutdown."

"I was approached to do this project by a friend of mine before the pandemic and I said it would be too much of a mountain to climb. But once we both realized that theater was going be so massively hit, we reignited the concept," he said, explaining how he came across the idea of publishing the "portrait of the West End" after an 18-month hiatus during the pandemic.

Rankin's portraits of actors, theater owners and workers are on display at the FUJIFILM House of Photography in London. Courtesy of Rankin

His photography was inspired by resilience that has come back to West End earlier this year as shows were resumed from May one after another.

Rankin captured the emotions and excitement as the artists returned to the stage and interacted with audiences again.

"It was very emotional," he said. "A lot of the people I was photographing had really not seen more than a few people for almost a year and a half. Their lives were entirely shifted and they just couldn't believe that they were back. It was probably one of the most meaningful experiences I've had. There were definitely a few tears. But also lots of laughs."

British theater actors' and workers' mixed emotions as portrayed in Rankin's photography are reminiscent of the tears and joy of South Korean performers of the theatrical show "Nanta," which were revealed during a news conference held Nov. 18.

During the event to announce the return of the theatrical show in early December, some of the performers became emotional when they recounted the past two years when the pandemic forced them to stay out of work.

Losing their jobs, some worked as couriers and delivery service workers to earn income. With the return of the show, they all came back and found their passion for their work has been further intensified as opposed to weakened.

Britain and South Korea's creative industries have had similar experiences throughout the pandemic.

Rankin noted theater and live music are the two most hit sectors in London's creative industry.

Over the past three decades, Rankin has photographed many celebrities, including the Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Kate Moss and Queen Elizabeth II, to name a few.

Like many other artists, Rankin's career was also put on hold by the pandemic. He said he made the most of the free time given to him photographing flowers in his spare room.

"For me, it has certainly made me slow down and be more contemplative about the projects I'm doing," he said. "I was very lucky because I was photographing flowers in my spare room and it became a kind of therapy for me. It also reminded me how much I need photography, how passionate I am about it and that I don't just do it to be paid but because I love it."

Rankin's portraits of the West End are on display at the FUJIFILM House of Photography in London's Covent Garden. The exhibition will run through Jan. 31 next year.

Courtesy of Rankin