Haven’t blogged in ages don’t why really I do have stuff to say just not really had an opportunity to say it. So I guess this can be a bit of a catch up.
Last week a few of us went to see Bright Black at the Tron. It was really good to watch stylistically and there were some moments that were really moving. The design was quite quirky and it fitted in well with the mood of the play. It was quite a depressing show but all of us really were impressed by it.
On Thursday night I went to the Tramway with Gemma to see The Beggars Opera. Fuckin amazing! Really enjoyed it. The set was interesting and the costumes where stunning. It was a great surprise to go to a show like that and really enjoy. After my last modern opera experience which was fanastic design wise but dramatically slow this was really enjoyable.
Last night I went to the Theatre Royal to watch The Steamie. I know this play from the TV version and so I was quite looking forward to seeing it. It was an ok show but I was a bit disappointed with it. The set and lighting was quite disappointing because it just didn’t feel like it was set in a Glasgow steamie. It was so white and bright and I think the design was meant to incorporate some of the characters dreams of escaping Glasgow and living a Hollywood dream. However it felt wrong that the steamie was an airy shining place with a marble pillars against the walls etc. I don’t know but I just felt the set and the lights didn’t express any of the nostalgia or the sadness of the play. The tv version showed a bleak pretty grim place where the woman made the best of it and had a laugh despite the drudgery of their lives which could be symbolic of their situation in general. I didn’t get that feeling from this production however. That said the audience were killing themselves laughing and the Magrit character was still really funny too.
Going to see The Seagull on Friday night. I know nothing about the plot but I’ve heard good things in the Herald and off students. Looking forward to it.

Also this week I’ve been busy working on Maw Broon. It’s been such a good experience for me designing for this show. It’s given me the chance to get some proper theatre experience and understand more the different roles in theatre and other peoples jobs. That’s a really valuable thing and something that I’ve always felt I’m pretty unsure about. It’s also been great to see how a play comes about all the way through the production process. Seeing something that I had designed actually being built was weird. I was quite calm throughout the experience and never really felt nervous or under pressure while doing the design. For me the main thing that got me nervous was talking about my design in front of people I didn’t know at all and feeling like I’ve not got enough experience to be there but nobody ever made me feel like that whatsoever. It was good to feel that people had confidence that you were capable. Maggie and Robin in particular were great to work with and gave us all so much encouragement.
Anyway sitting in the train station now and it’s Saturday. Ended up not going to the Seagull as I was not feeling in the mood to try and concentrate for that length of time so I’m going to go tonight and sit in on it.
Now I’ve got to focus on Pericles and getting my white card model ready. I think I’m going to use the Ath instead of the Chandler because it think it’s probably the best place. I wanted a space where the actors and the set were close to the audience and I think that can still be achieved in the Ath if I design it properly but at the same time it will allow for the set to ascend above the sinful and corrupt word below.
At the moment I need to refine my idea’s and decide what I can actually achieve with the limited budget available. I don’t want to give up on the creative process and stop thinking about what would be good and I think I’m going to draw up a re-design for the Ath as I would like to have it and then at the same time refine that idea. This is tricky because I’m always concerned that I’m going to go to far and then the design would be left soul-less but it’s also a cool challenge to try and create a design that says everything you want it to simply.