Nottingham Playhouse | Painting the Model Box

I have darkened the the set by dry brushing grey onto the textured gesso surface of the arches. By darkening the side more I aim and hope to make the transition between stage and black tab more camouflaged, therefore making the space look like it goes one endlessly either side.

I need to make the columns the same colour and need to make the skulls withered.
I have played around with mirror at either side of the stage to see whether I can make it appear like a vast amount of space. This is still in concept and may or may not be the correct and final thing I choose.

Although I originally thought that a lighter background would bold best for bright colourful costumes based around the 1930's era I feel that having a darker, but muted set still allows for the attention to be drawn in on the costumes.

I am currently working on a back flat, something to close of the set from the back of the stage. At the moment I am thinking of having large church like windows, inspired from my earlier research. However I am not sure whether I need to further impact on the idea of persecutive by only having one window in the centre arch, or whether to have three large windows.

MRP | 2

• Pick up on the words.... Lines of enquirery - 'Convincing' ? what does it really mean?

• Break down the specifics

• On stage / Off stage death

• Representation of death

• Tragedies : Jacobean play text/ Theories of death 

• Method of death and what the director is trying to say and why? 

•  What are the play writes trying to do?

Look at:

• Violence of stage

• Dying on stage

• Western culture / theatre - Classsics  - Greek/ Roman/ 17th century 

• Biblical/ Mythical stories

• What is the play write trying to do? - Dramatical?  - The audience of the time?

• Before death

• Dr Faustas

• White Devil

• Edward Bond

• Greek Theatre - Western Drama

• Roman Theatre - Western drama 

Nottingham Playhouse | Development of Design

Moving on from the last design idea and playing with space, I have removed some of the bulk of the portals but kept the pillars. I decided that I wanted more space to play with and that the script needed more space for hiding, sneaking and the initial design gave a very distinctive focal point, there wasnt much place for sneakiness.

I feel that the skulls on the columns are very interesting and not very distinctive until closer inspection, which I feel links well with the play, as not all is what it seems. Corruption sneaks in and over powers Ferdinand and all secret are soon revealed. I feel that the column show that on the surface we are all just for show, but as you look further into the world of somebody, perhaps in this case the Cardinal and Ferdinand we see that there are darker sides and toe curling secrets hidden in their pasts.

This design helps with the idea of vastness, it does however need to extend more at the sides to give the illusion that it goes on and on. The spacing between the portals gives way to spot lights and blacking off the set to create intense scenes, like when Ferdinand is torture the Duchess with fake body parts of her family. Ideally i see that scene down stage, spot lighted harshly on the duchess, only seeing Ferdinand when he steps within the light.

If i want to blacken of the set during the show, the colour of the walls will have to be darker as it will pick up any light source.