Dressing

The designer, technical manager and I spent the day dressing our set. It was hugely creative and there was great freedom in doing so. Two of our actors also popped by and played; they were very excited.

I mapped out the route through the piece of forest trees, trunks, chairs and cottages.

One of our actors from last year also dropped in and assisted; it was good to be able to sit out front to see if one or two moments were going to work.

It is curious what happens to stages once they have been defined by structures and objects and once they have been lit in a certain way.

As progress was made yesterday the design concept was put to the test: would the 'play-within-a-play' / 'theatre-within-a-theatre' idea work?

It did!

And it all looks beautiful: adventurous, picture book, enticing, pop-up, child-like, toy town, reminiscent of a time way-back and almost a little like Watch with Mother from the 1950's in quality and tone but with a very theatrically Parisian atmosphere - if that is imaginable!

Perfect, perhaps, for a family Christmas show. 

The whole space - stage and auditorium - already has an atmosphere and it has yet to be inhabited by actors.

Today will be the start of technical logistics and where the gear now has to shift.