Animation prop model of a gold laurel crown

Animation prop of a gold laurel crown from film 'Next', by Barry Purves, a Channel 4 - Aardman Animations production, 1989.

‘Next’, made by Barry Purves, and produced by Aardman Animations in 1989 is a short film in which William Shakespeare auditions for a theatre director, presenting scenes from his plays in only 5 minutes.

Barry Purves is a stop motion animator, director and screenwriter. Alongside subject matter for a largely adult audience he has also directed hundreds of episodes of children’s television animation. He has worked either as animator or director, on TV series including The Wind in the Willows, Rupert Bear and Postman Pat. His own films have won more than 60 awards around the world and he has been nominated for BAFTAs and an Oscar.

He is a creative who has frequently worked in conjunction with other media, particularly theatre, which can be seen in both his subject choices (Shakespeare, Gilbert and Sullivan) as well as in his aesthetic. Whilst ‘realistic’ movement is important in stop motion (realistic for the character), his work incorporates an additional level of performance drawn from theatre, dance and music. He has said “All my puppets perform and what’s what I encourage other people to do. He is one of a group of British animators who came to prominence in the 1980s/1990s, when funding for what might be considered non-commercial works was available through funders such as Channel 4.