Unique showcase at Studio Voltaire salutes visionary British playwright Dennis Potter, presenting an unconventional take on his groundbreaking work
English artist Hilary Lloyd's latest exhibition, 'Very High Frequency', is running until 11 January 2026 at Studio Voltaire. The exhibition is a unique exploration of the life and work of playwright Dennis Potter (b 1935-d 1994), who was known for his groundbreaking television dramas such as The Singing Detective (1986), Pennies from Heaven (1978), Lipstick on Your Collar (1993), and a film created with Melvyn Bragg.
Lloyd was captivated by the visual aspects of Potter's work, including the colours, the unexpected narratives, the bizarre content, and the performances of the characters. She was particularly intrigued by the way the camera moved (or didn't) in Potter's work, and the outrageousness of the content and the actions of the characters.
The exhibition features a series of short films where Lloyd positions screens in unexpected locations, creating an unnerving effect similar to Potter's flitting between reality and fantasy in his work. Collaborators, producers, and actors who were close to Potter, such as Gina Bellman, Alison Steadman, Richard E Grant, and Kenith Trodd, are included in the exhibition.
In Lloyd's films, actors like Richard E Grant lip-sync in Soho, and Alison Steadman is filmed in a park. The films consider Potter's chronic health problems and his thoughts on class inequality and power structures. Potter often used music to describe what a character wanted to say but couldn't.
Lloyd treats each aspect of the footage from Potter's interviews differently in her exhibition. She constructs a theatrical biography of Potter's life and enduring influence in her films, defying easy classification. Her film works often scatter monitors and screens around a space, forcing the viewer to move through an exhibition differently.
There is a distinctively Brechtian undertaking in Potter's depiction of postwar nostalgia embedded in the British psyche. The exhibition at Studio Voltaire is a multi-faceted performance that questions why Potter is significant.
Lloyd was influenced by Potter's work when she was young, appreciating his use of dance, music, and his ability to shift from fiction to reality. The person seen alongside Lloyd in the films of her exhibition is one of her collaborators, chosen for their connection to Dennis Potter’s life and work, reflecting the themes and legacy of the playwright which Lloyd’s films explore.
At the time, UK TV was broadcasting adventurous content, including Fassbinder's 'Alexanderplatz' and films by Ken Russell, Fellini, Godard, Pasolini, and Warhol. Lloyd's new exhibition at Studio Voltaire is a testament to Potter's influence on contemporary art and a must-see for fans of his work and those interested in exploring the intersection of art, television, and politics. The exhibition runs until 11 January 2026.
