21 November – 9 December 2016
Leica Store City, 18 The Royal Exchange, London EC3V 3LP
For this body of work, Humphrey was granted unprecedented access to leading shows across the capital, including American Buffalo, Gypsy, Richard III and Billy Elliot, featuring stars such as John Goodman and Ralph Fiennes. Many of the black and white photographs featured in the exhibition have never been made available for public viewing before.
Matt Humphrey said, “This is by far the most in-depth photographic project I have taken on. It was such a privilege to be as close to the actors and the action as I was. Rarely do photographers get a glimpse of actors and technicians at work in the theatre, and it’s an experience I will always savour. It also means so much to be exhibiting at Leica, who make the incredible and unobtrusive cameras that make my work possible.”
Humphrey shot the complete project using Leica equipment, including the Leica M-P (Typ 240), Leica Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 lens, Leica Summarit-M 90mm f/2.4 lens and the Leica Q.
About Matt Humphrey
Matt Humphrey is a portrait and production photographer who has worked in theatres throughout the West End and on international film productions. His intimate portraits and insightful backstage photography reflect the sensitivity to the process, and he has worked with some of the industry’s top actors and creatives, reflecting life on and off stage.
Humphrey has held three solo exhibitions, including the 31thirtyone project, photographing 31 artists in 31 days. The first year of this project featured 31 actors, including Kevin Spacey, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jeremy Irons, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Dockery and several others. In 2013, he was commissioned by the Hackney Empire to document a year in the life of the theatre, shooting regularly behind the scenes and backstage on a variety of productions.
Furthermore, Humphrey was the official backstage photographer for the MasterCard Olivier Awards in 2015 and 2016. Other commissioned work and clients include Working Title, Lions Gate Films, Universal, Samsung, Burn (Coca-Cola), FatFace, British Library, Royal Academy, Financial Times, You Magazine and National Theatre. His first book, Curtain Call: A Year Backstage in London Theatre, was published in 2016. He runs CurtainCallOnline.com – a social networking platform for the theatre industry – with his business partner and collaborator, John Schwab.
The exhibition ‘Curtain Call’ runs from 21 November to 9 December 2016. Prints and the Curtain Call book are available for purchase.
Leica Store City is located at 18 The Royal Exchange, London EC3V 3LP.
