Historic property all lit up in honour of architect Vanbrugh

Local people play their part

Seaton Delaval Hall illuminated by The Cast of Players. Credit The House Of Hues

One of the region’s historic buildings is being dressed in its finest to remember the architect who designed it in the early 18^th Century.

Thanks to the arts of photography and projection, Seaton Delaval Hall is appearing as never before – all to mark the genius of Sir John Vanbrugh who died 300 years ago.

It was Sir John who was commissioned by Admiral George Delaval back in 1718 to advise on the modernisation of his newly acquired property near the Northumberland coast.

The prodigiously talented architect, also a renowned playwright, took a look and advised him to knock it down.

Rather than take the huff, the admiral told him he’d better design a new home to replace it.

This Sir John did, and although the grand property wasn’t finished until two years after his death in 1726 (by which time the admiral had gone too), it is one of his acknowledged masterpieces.

Now in the capable hands of the National Trust, Seaton Delaval Hall has thrown itself into the tercentenary celebrations with part of its grey exterior becoming a temporary ‘canvas’ for The Cast of Players.

Seaton Delaval Hall in a new light. Credit The House Of Hues

This is currently living up to its billing as “a spectacular night-time projection-mapped artwork… animating the central block of the Hall with humour, drama and decadence drawn from its notorious historic residents and Vanbrugh’s theatrical imagination”.

This work of modern magic is attributable to Illuminos, a specialist illumination enterprise set up by artists Matt and Rob Vale just outside Manchester.

But it also features 300 local people whose portraits were taken by North East documentary photographer Richard Eyers.

Those “notorious historic residents” were the so-called ‘Gay Delavals’ who, throughout the 18^th Century, made Seaton Delaval a lively, and sometimes probably alarming, place to stay as a guest.

They loved theatrical spectacle and practical jokes of a fairly extreme kind.

Probably they would have loved The Cast of Players which, while reflecting the “unique blend of grandeur and irreverence” of the building, reimagines it as “a vast magical toy theatre, staged and prepared by the flamboyant Delavals”.

You can see The Cast of Players today (Friday, March 27) and tomorrow (Saturday, March 28) with projections timed for 7.30pm, 7.50pm, 8.10pm and 8.50pm.

Lasting a little over 10 minutes, it is, as one National Trust employee confided enthusiastically, “small but perfectly formed”.

Seaton Delaval Hall as it usually appears

It coincides with an exhibition called Vanbrugh 300: A Celebration of England’s Boldest Baroque which has just opened in the property’s Central Hall and will run until October 18.

All are included in the normal price of admission – and there is more to come as the year rolls on.

Vanbrugh 300, a year of exhibitions and activities at this and five other of the architect’s significant creations (Castle Howard, Blenheim Palace, Grimsthorpe Castle, Kimbolton Castle and Stowe House), is presented by The Georgian Group with support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.