The Abd’Elkader Farrah Collection

1.1 Reference code: 
Farrah
1.3 Dates: 
1949 [recent photocopies of material from 1949] onwards
1.5 Extent and media: 
2 archive boxes plus oversized items (box 1: available to researchers; box 2: restricted, no public access).
2.1 Creator: 
Farrah, Abd'Elkader Farrah
2.2 Administrative History: 
Born in Algeria, Abd'Elkader Farrah (1926–2005) was a self-taught painter who later became an important theatre designer. He undertook freelance work in France before collaborating with director Michel Saint Denis in 1960, famously designing Saint Denis' production of Oedipus Rex at Sadlers Wells (pictured). The following year, Saint Denis introduced Farrah to the Royal Shakespeare Company, where he stayed for thirty years as the resident associate designer and as honorary associate artist thereafter. Farrah also taught theatre design at Strasbourg (1955-1961) and, as a guest, at the National Theatre School of Canada (1968-1969). In over three decades of designing, Farrah worked with some thirty directors on more than 250 productions which included designs for plays, operas, musicals, ballets around the world. The collection held at the APGRD contains some of Farrah's original designs and research for several of his Greek and Shakespearian productions at the RSC and elsewhere.
2.3 Archival History: 
The items in this collection were donated to the APGRD by Abd’Elkader Farrah and Leila Farrah (Abd'Elkader Farrah's daughter) and Fiona Macintosh.
3.1 Scope and Content: 
Original colour drawings and designs, photocopies of photographs and early work, newspaper clippings, programmes, production flyers
3.4 System of Arrangement: 
SERIES: APGRD FARRAH EXHIBITION 2002 > File: 1 - Farrah exhibition 2002 SERIES: FARRAH’S ART > File: 2 -Algeria > File: 2A - Algeria (Oversized) > File: 3 - Family > File: 4 - Art School > File: 4A - Art School (Oversized) SERIES: ROYAL SHAKESPEARE COMPANY > File: 5 - RSC Studio > File: 5a - RSC Studio (Oversized) > File: 6 - The Tempest > File: 7 - Richard III > File: 7A Richard III (Oversized) > File: 8 -Troilus and Cressida > File: 9 - Julius Caesar > File: 10 - Coriolanus 1 > File: 10A - Coriolanus (Oversized) SERIES: INDEPENDENT PRODUCTIONS > File: 11 - Antigone > File: 12 - Oedipus Rex > File: 12A - Oedipus Rex 2015 APGRD Exhibition and Study Day > File 12B - Oedipus Rex (Oversized) > File: 13 - The Burdies > File: 13A - The Burdies (Oversized) > File: 14 - Ecole Nationale de Théâtre, Canada SERIES: THIASOS PRODUCTIONS > File: 15 - Wealth > File: 16 - Peace 1 > File: 16A – Peace (Oversized) SERIES: OBITUARY >File: 17 - Obituaries and in memoriam
4.1 Conditions of Access: 
Consult archivist
4.3 Languages and Scripts: 
English, French, Arabic
4.5 Finding Aids: 
Box list available
6.1 Archivist's note: 
Copyright for Farrah's designs resides with his children Leila Farrah and Safi Farrah.

How to cite this subfonds

The Abd’Elkader Farrah Collection, accessed at http://www.apgrd.ox.ac.uk/archive/Farrah <25 April 2024>