THEATRE AND SET DESIGN
Images:
Legally Blonde. Photography by Paul Kolnik (main) and From the musical Hairspray, Hairspray’s hefty hideaway. Photography by Rockwell Group (below)
wall of the set is composed of LED panels, shifting videos and images that shape the space and suggest an earlier New York. A sea of desks and a bar are always onstage as every scene is played out within the smoke-filled world of the tabloid journalist. The primary defining element of the space is the hovering grid of the newsroom ceiling. Designed in stark perspective, the ceiling compresses the space and serves as well as a projection surface for images that become a touchstone for many of the scenes. However, this ceiling piece is not a static element, but has been designed to be able to pivot down and forward. It compresses the space in yet another dimension, while also serving as an unexpected projected backdrop for some crucial scenes.
Houdini sees you take on the role of Producer and designer of the set – how did that change your design approach to the project? It is quite a new experience being both the set designer and a producer. I think it’s really important to take risks
outside your normal professional boundaries. It’s certainly been refreshing to try a different seat in the theatre! I’ve been lucky to work with a diverse group of talented people from various creative worlds on this project. I’ve really been approaching the design and overall production through that creative collaboration along with (of course) the life of one of America’s greatest performers and magicians.
Do you think producing and designing go hand-in-hand? Yes, theatre has always been a passion of mine so it seemed like the next step. Rockwell Group is about the intersection of performance and architecture. We love to push the borders of where design ends and experience begins. This underpins all my architecture and design work, be it buildings, products, events, and interiors. And, theatre connects audiences in a shared experience, with speech and scenography combining to drive narrative that fuels our imaginations. Both architecture and theatre are about
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collaboration – putting people of different disciplines together and merging their skills to come up with creative and unexpected solutions to problems. Whether it’s designing a building or interior or producing a show, I strongly believe in nurturing a creative environment that allows people to develop ideas, test them out, and ultimately put things together in new ways.
“Theatre has been an enormous influence in my life and work, since I was very young. It started when I was six or seven years old.”
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