DANTE'S INFERNO
Wsions of Hell (main picture and top right), directed by the inimitable Andy Arnold (below)
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Steve Cramer talks to Francis Gallup, the designer who’s creating hell at the Arches for Andy Arnold’s latest epic, a version of Dante’s Inferno.
‘ h lli_\ (iod. look at thixl' :\lit| ax he \tt)\ llllx. l't‘ulieix (iallllp ltlke\ ltlx litigerlipx out ol’ the hair he'x heen
xeralehing aua} at. .\ great lump ol~ hlaek. lilm} matter dropx lrom hix hand and onto the tahle hemeen ux in lidinhurgh‘x laxhionahle .\le// har. I'm about to raixe a delieate xuhieet \\ ith (iallup. ax he xitx hel'ore rue. a hit meat) lrom a dafx “mix. the led Iii-\ll‘ll'l he hax on a hit \lilllik‘kl. ill\ old ehinox equail} xoiled.
I‘m not going to .txk him almut perxonal Ingieue; (iallup. \\ho l'xe knomi lor Marx. ix aetuall) a prett} laxtidioux xorl ol eo\e. Ile'x xmile} and axuueular. and \\ ith an arueulae} and xharpnexx in eon\erxation matehed h) a neat. hrtIxhed. hut ue\er mel'dt'exxed aplk'aranee. \o. liiL‘ \lttlL‘liiL‘lil lilttl L‘\ en )tlttl' Cltlxefl l.t'lClld\
18THE LIST. 'v ‘.' a.
\xon't make ix about religion. hea\ en and Hell. .-\hd Hell. tiletaphot‘ieall} at leaxt. ix the
e\p|anation l‘or(ial|up'x temporar} elart_\nexx. "l‘oda_\ me new in the haxement \xorking \xith
iigxaux.~ he e\p|ainx. "I'Iie ail‘ \\ax lilled \xitll
xaxxduxt. .\t the xame titue the ehiel’ earpenter \xax aetuall_\ demolixhing a hriek \\all. in order
to ereate a ne\\ route lor the audieuee. ll' )ou turn the halogen xpotlightx out \xe're in total hlaeknexx; like heing doun a mine. .\I the one tune there'x the itgxaxxx ereating din. and the xame tune theiex the rh_\thmie xound ol a hriek \\a|| heing demolixhed. Your hair ix xo eruxt} )ou ean break it \xith )our handx. 'l‘here’x one eorridor I‘m \xalking doun ex er) da} that juxt xmellx xtrongl} ol \omit. But \xe ean xee the theatrieal ax \te're making it. The xmellx.
‘0
te\turex. lighlx: )ou rea|l_\ l'eel like _\ou're in “CH. \Villl \llt‘-\[3L‘Clil( lliL‘tlll'L‘. (ili'i (ii llit‘ \ktil'k ix the xite. llere. .'\nd_\ hax ehoxen the perleet matei ial lor the xp;iee.'
lle'x talking about ,-\nd} .\rnold. the ereati\e d_\ namo at the eentre ol' the .-\rehex. a pioneer ol rough and ol'teu immeuxel} iiixpiring \\ot‘k uhieh. on a heggarK hudget. has punehed lar aho\e ilx \xeight l'or l5 _\earx. (iallup. ax dexigner. hax heen on hoard \\ ith a xueeexxion ol' admirahle xetx o\ er the laxt deeade. 'I‘he )ottthliil ereame L‘liL‘l'g} til lllL‘ :\l‘L‘liL‘\ \L'L'Ili\ ltl xltil the man. \\ ho numherx A'i‘u/i/i'x lux/ 'Iit/u' and I 'm/vr .lIi/A llom/ among hix dexign ereditx oxer the _\earx. So too. _\ou might rememher hix xpleltdid xile-xpeeilie dexignx lot‘ (il'id lt‘on'x (linen/111m and .ilmmmwiml.
.-\ll ol' thix e\perieuee xeemx to augur \xell l'or hix recitation ol' I)ante\ III/(WIN. pei'hapx the moxt amhitioux proieet _\et mounted h} tliexe