design process
the
Clayesmore School Theatre Department
good design is the result of a creative process
Mistero Buffo by Dario Fo Peter Burke theatre Designer: A H Peters
Stage 1
Analysis
The following questions might help you to analyse the play
Analysis
What is the central theme in the play?
Click to look at the next picture. Can you make any guesses about the plays theme just from this picture?
Top Girls by Caryl Churchill - Bolton Octagon March 1997 Designer: Jocelyn Meall
Is a specific time or place suggested? Is it important that the production maintains that time or place?
Click to look at the following pictures which ones suggest a particular time or place?
Analysis
Laughter on the 23rd Floor by Neil Simon - Touring August 1996 Designer: Judith Croft
The Winslow Boy by Terence Rattigan - Peter Burke Theatre Dec 97 Designer: A H Peters
Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare - Birmingham Rep, November 1997 Designer: Patrick Connellan
What is the mood of the play? Does the mood change during the play?
Click to look at the following images what can you say about the mood of the plays from these pictures?
Analysis
The Visit by Friedrich Durrenmatt - Peter Burke Theatre March 1996 Designer: AH Peters
Dancing at Lughnasa by Brian Friel - Octagon Bolton Sept 1996 Designer: Richard Foxton
The Trial by Franz Kafka Contact Theatre Company The Dancehouse, Manchester April 1997 Designer: Andrew Wood
Are there any particular requirements? Does the play need more than one door, for example?
You will need to read the play very carefully to answer this question.
Analysis
You could also ask:
Does the play fit into a particular genre? Can you identify a subtext? What do you want the audience to go away thinking about?
Analysis
You might find it useful to use a chart like this one
Play:
Act
Scene
Location
Time
No. characters
Notes
Stage 2
Research
Research
Ideas dont descend from space and land in your head They result from careful and intelligent research
Research as widely as you can
Research
You could look at:
Art and photos of the time
Everyday objects
Historical/political events Music of the time/place
Research
Keep all your research material together in a convenient format.
Your black book would be a good place. Some designers like to stick everything onto large boards to keep it all visible see the following slide.
Stage 3
giving form
Now start to think about the play in terms of:
Colour
Shape Texture
Giving form
Scale
colour
Try to find a colour that you think sums up the play for you. Try to find an actual colour just saying blue isnt very helpful!
Look at the following 3 slides what mood or idea is suggested by the colour on each slide?
Giving form
shape
Try to find a shape that you think sums up the play for you. Try to find an actual shape or draw it yourself
Look at the following slide what moods or ideas are suggested by the shapes?
Giving form
Giving form
Romeo & Juliet Sherman Theatre, Cardiff Feb1995 Designer: Claire Lyth
Look at the way a strong shape can become part of a set
texture
The importance of texture as a way of creating a mood or feeling cannot be overstated
Giving form
Dont forget that the floor is probably your biggest area
Look at the way the following examples have used texture
Richard III
Haymarket Theatre, Leicester - October 1998 Designer: Juliet Shillingford
Tidelines by Mary Cooper and Gary Yershon West Yorkshire Playhouse Theatre in Schools Leeds
April 1996
Designer: Madeleine Millar
scale
Manipulating the scale of objects can be a powerful way of engaging the audiences attention.
Look at the following examples.
Giving form
Turandot by Puccini LOpera Nationale de Paris September 1997
Designer: Alison Chitty
The Lion King New Amsterdam Theatre, New York Nov 1997 Designer: Richard Hudson
Now you can start to think about how you could incorporate these qualities into a form on stage. Some people like to do lots of drawing at this stage, others like to play around with very simple models
Giving form
Stage 4
Design style
To simplify things, we think in terms of three design styles:
Design style
Naturalistic Semi-Naturalistic Abstract
Look at the next few pictures and try to say which style the designer has chosen then try to define each style
Heritage by Nicola McCartney Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh Oct 98 Designer: Fiona Watt
A Different Way Home by Jimmy Chin Coliseum Theatre, Oldham Feb 97 Designer: Celia Perkins
Wagner Workshop Peter Burke Theatre December 2000 Designer: Ben Stocken
Shadowlands by William Nicholson Haymarket Theatre, Basingstoke April 96 Designer: Elroy Ashmore
The Daughter in Law by DH Lawrence
Octagon Theatre, Bolton
March 1998
Designer: Dominie Hooper
Lucky Sods by John Godber Coliseum Theatre, Oldham Jan 97 Designer: Rachel Blues
Woyzeck by Georg Buchner Peter Burke Theatre 1998 Designer A H Peters
Design style
Now look back to the notes you made in stage 1. It is important to choose a style that is appropriate to the play and production. Dont just choose a style you fancy working in!
Stage 5
Design format
Think about the space you want to design for. Do you want to work in a proscenium arch,a thrust, a promenade, in-the-round
Make sure you know what these terms mean and then look at the following pictures and decide which space is being used.
Design format
Honk by George Stiles & Anthony Drewe Stephen Joseph Theatre Dec 1997 Designer: Peter McKintosh
The Relapse by John Vanbrugh Swan Theatre, Stratford May 1995 Designer: Tim Goodchild
The Criminals by Jose Triana
Backchat Theatre Company, Lyric Studio, Hammersmith
March 1998
Designer: Anthony Lambie
Venus & Adonis by John Blow The Opera House, Gent, Belgium Designer: Benoit Dugardyn
Our Countrys Good by Timberlake Wertenbaker
Peter Burke Theatre March 2000
Designer: A H Peters
Of course, you dont have to use one of these formats. Look at the following sketch for Grotowskis production of The Prince
How would you feel if you were an audience member having to stretch to peer over a wall at the action?!
Design format
Stage 6
Drawings & models
Now you are ready to start giving form to your ideas.
Drawings & models
Begin by making lots of drawings NEVER throw any away!
Or, if you dont trust your drawing skills, go straight to the next stage and make a white card model a very quick and simple version of your design.
Once you are happy with this stage, go on to make scale drawings using plans of the theatre you are designing for
The final stage is to make a model of your set.
Drawings & models
It should be to 1:25 scale, to fit in the model-box of the theatre
Your aim is to make a model that looks exactly like your finished set will/would look on stage.
Look at some of the examples in the Art Department to see what you are aiming at. Or look at the next slide which is a model?
Jenufa by Janacek
Royal Northern College of Music Manchester March 1999
Designer: Peter Ruthven Hall
The Storm By Alexander Ostrovsky
Almeida Theatre, London
November 1998 Designer: Robin Don
Most important
Remember that we go to SEE a play. The Designer is absolutely crucial to the success of a production.
Have Fun!
