1. What was your impression of In the Night Time (Before the Sun Rises) when you first read it?
Original and intriguing. There are no stage directions or indications of staging at all which is always exciting.
2. Tell us about how you worked with the Director Ben Kidd to develop the design?
Partly due to the above, it was a big (fun) journey, we interrogated the design in-depth. Often having endless possibilities can be much more challenging than working within restrictions. It wasn't a case of knowing exactly what we wanted to do – there were many options we wanted to explore. We also worked closely with the rest of the creative team to create a lighting aesthetic and sound world that felt integral to what we were creating.
3. What detail in the design for the production are you most proud of?
Simplicity of image, and allowing room for ideas/images to develop in rehearsals. I enjoy creating spaces that give possibilities for play.
4. How did you get into design?
I was waitressing in a place in Forest Hill having just finished a drama degree, and got offered a job by a producer to design a musical version of A Clockwork Orange. I had to google how to make a model box. After a few years of blagging it, I trained on the Motley Theatre design course.
5. What’s the most exciting thing about being a designer? And what are the challenges?
The biggest challenge for designers is probably the low pay. The most exciting thing for me is the collaboration. Developing successful working relationships within creative teams can be incredibly rewarding and in my experience often makes the best work.
6. Is there a production that you wish you had been involved with?
Einstein on the Beach by Robert Wilson & Phillip Glass. Bit before my time, but it's an incredible production that I'm totally in awe of. It did come back in London a few years ago, luckily, and I paid a silly amount of money for a ticket.
The role of Designer is funded by the Jerwood Charitable Foundation, as part of the Jerwood Young Designers Programme at the Gate.
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