Peter Farmer, a leading figure in British theatre design, has passed away. Farmer worked with The Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, and other major international ballet companies throughout his career, according to Royal Opera House.
Farmer began his career at The Royal Ballet designing Peter Wright's 1971 production of Giselle. He returned two years later to design sets and costumes for Kenneth MacMillan's The Sleeping Beauty. Farmer also designed for Robert North's Troy Game and MacMillan's Winter Dreams.
In honor of Frederick Ashton's centenary in 2004, Farmer redesigned the Robin Ironside's famous original designs for Act II in Sylvia. Perhaps his most important contribution to The Royal Ballet occurred in 2006 when he recreated Oliver Messel's iconic designs for the 1946 production of The Sleeping Beauty. The Guardian praised the "more fluidly modern style of Peter Farmer's reworked designs."
A month after the premiere came Homage To The Queen, celebrating Her Majesty's 80th birthday. Farmer's last production with The Royal Ballet was George Balanchine's Theme And Variations in 2007.
The Royal Ballet's performance of The Sleeping Beauty on January 3 was dedicated to Peter Farmer.
Read the full obituary on the Royal Opera House website. For more of his design credits, visit the Bolshoi Theatre website and the Ballet Theatre Foundation.