Examples of work – Coppelius

The Tales of Hoffmann

Coppelius

The Tales of Hoffmann, an opera by Jacques Offenbach written in the 1880s, was based on three stories of German writer and composer, E.T.A. Hoffmann. In this collaborative project across all three course pathways of the BA, the brief required us to work to a chosen theme (inherent throughout the group’s designs and realised work) culminating in a staged moment within the first act of the opera, and the restriction of a black and white colour palette.

In Act One, Hoffmann’s first love is Olympia, an automaton created by the scientist Spalanzani. Coppélius, Olympia’s co-maker and the act’s evil incarnation, sells Hoffmann magic glasses which make Olympia appear as a real woman. Hoffmann is tricked into believing his affections are returned, to the bemusement of Nicklausse. While dancing with Olympia, Hoffmann falls on the ground and his glasses break. At the same time, Coppélius appears and tears Olympia apart, in retaliation for having been tricked out of his just dues by Spalanzani. In the middle of the crowd laughing at him, Hoffmann realises that he was in love with an automaton.

The design concept stages the characters within a bizarre peculiar and grotesque travelling circus, with each character representing a different ‘performer’.

The character of Coppélius (in the original Sandman, Coppélius takes the eyes of children and feeds them to his own deformed, beaked children who live on the moon), is presented as an inflicted, beastly ringmaster, in the form of a human puppet.

Coppélius Human Puppet Design

The puppeteer acting as Coppélius’ body – operating his head and neck – and the eyeless head of a freshly picked child circus performer nestled within the ringmaster’s hairy bosom.