Gemma Pass, Desktop Mag Fri, 2015-07-03 01:00

at The Butterfly Club, there is little room for elaborate hoo-ha. A set designer must be smart with how they use a confined space, in order to ensure that the set remains true to the dramaturgy of the play, while making sense to its audience. Props used need to be manageable for all stage hands and able to signify multiple scene locations, whilst maintaining the flow of production when props are moved on and off the stage. Easier said than done, but Pluck! nailed it. ... Using nothing but six wooden boxes and a few props hidden within, the audience is transported to all locations within the production, which can only support the strength of the stage play itself, as well as its direction and execution. Looking back, I am impressed at how well I was able to mentally conceptualise the accoutrements missing from the set, which goes to show how extravagant sets are not always a necessity for production success. In fact, the ability for a playwright to write and design a production that will push its audience to create their own imagery, will give a viewer a very personal account of the production that is fluid and limitless. The synergy between dramaturgy and set design, and its ability to encourage the audience to imagine the finer details, becomes the greater tool.