CharlieFonePerformance: Theatre Designers from SBTD that I like

Naomi Wilkinson

Production: Happy Yet?
Venue: Gate Theatre
Year: 2005
Directed by: Ed Woodall
Lighting Design by: Charles Balfour
Scenography by: Naomi Wilkinson
Image © Naomi Wilkinson

"Domestic disharmony provides the common thread running through these four short plays by French writer Georges Feydeau, updated and conflated by Linda McLean the four are played simultaneously and claustrophobically in a goldfish bowl."

So here I come across my first hurdle - its difficult to comment on a set design without having seen the production. But this afternoon is about being inspired by what can be done so I think maybe just ot go with the aesthetic and any interesting devices used.

Production: La Dispute
Venue: Abbey Theatre, Dublin
Year: 2009
Directed by: Wayne Jordan
Lighting Design by: Sinead Wallace
Scenography by: Naomi Wilkinson
Image © Naomi Wilkinson

The conceit is at once airily cute and steadily unsettling, something that designer Naomi Wilkinson encapsulates with a forest scene stretched across imprisoning walls. Not even a giant bunny sculpture, sitting happily at the rear of the stage, distracts from the sense of a laboratory maze viewed through the frame of a two-way mirror, as though the audience are co-conspirators in placing love under a microscope Irish Times

Kimie Nakano

Production: Va et Vient
Company: Théâtre National Populaire and Théâtre de Vienne - France
Venue: Théâtre National Populaire and Théâtre de Vienne - France
Year: 2007
Author: Samuel Beckett
Directed by: Yvonne Mc Devitt
Lighting Design by: Julia Grand
Costume Design by: Kimie Nakano and Matt Deely
Set designed by: Kimie Nakano and Matt Deely
Scenography by: Kimie Nakano and Matt Deely
Photography by: Kimie Nakano and Matt Deely
Design © Kimie Nakano and Matt Deely
Image © Kimie Nakano and Matt Deely

Three vividly coloured women. Universal Beckett World

Production: Ali to Karim - a tribute to the Ismaili Imams
Company: A Golden Jubilee International Programme commemorating His Highness the Aga Khan's 50th Anniversary as Imam to the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims
Venue: USA tour
Year: 2008
Author: Hafiz Karmali and Jon Stephen Fink
Directed by: Hafiz Karmali
Lighting Design by: Mark Doubleday
Projection Design by: Finn Ross and Dick Straker for Mesmer
Costume Design by: Kimie Nakano and Matt Deely
Set designed by: Kimie Nakano and Matt Deely
Scenography by: Kimie Nakano and Matt Deely

Set in a library - Ali to Karim tells the story of 1400 years of Ismaili History. White being the colour of infinity the design was inspired by the White on White painting of Russian artist Kazimir Malevich. The white set formed a blank canvas onto which visual elements (such as geometric patterns and calligraphy) drawn from Islamic literary sources, manuscript paintings, art and architecture of the Arabic, Persian and Indic worlds interacted through the use of clever projections and lighting, vivid costumes, scenery and props.

Production: Festival For Fish
Company: Yellow earth company
Venue: New Wimbledon Theatre
Year: 2004
Author: Yu Miri
Directed by: Kwong Loke
Composer : Fung Lam
Lighting Design by: Adam Crosthwaite
Projection Design by: Kimie Nakano and Matt Deely
Costume Design by: Kimie Nakano
Set designed by: Kimie Nakano
Scenography by: Kimie Nakano
Photography by: Kimie Nakano
Design © Kimie Nakano
Image © Kimie Nakano

Once the youngest son commits suicide, the play becomes a ritual to try to bring his estranged family back together. It starts with 6 chairs in silhouette and a projection of a swimming koi fish on movable Japanese screens. Koi fish is used as a symbol of the son’s spirit (boy’s day in Japan). A real fish in a tank could represent the son’s body in a coffin. The play finishes showing a shadow image of the family portrait combined with an image of Koi fish flying through the blue sky.

Production: Yabu no naka
Company: Mansaku no kai
Venue: Cocoon Theatre and Tour - Japan
Year: 1999
Author: Ryunosuke Akutagawa
Directed by: Mansai Nomura
Lighting Design by: Yonsu Kim
Set designed by: Kimie Nakano
Scenography by: Kimie Nakano
Photography by: Naoki Hashimoto
Design © Kimie Nakano
Image © Kimie Nakano

The first challenge was to present the play in a new set evolving from a Noh-Kyogen traditional empty space. It starts in an empty theatre space and finishes in a Tokyo city street, achieved by opening a back stage door. Two flown-in panels transform to create a traditional garden, bamboo groves, a prison, temple and a galvanized iron sheet house. Tokyo Art Festival Award 1999.

Production: sandflower - l’homme blanc
Venue: Korzo - Den Haag
Year: 2000
Directed by: Kimie Nakano and Megumi Nakamura
Choreography by : Megumi Nakanura
Lighting Design by: Peter Lemmens
Costume Design by: Kimie Nakano
Set designed by: Kimie Nakano
Scenography by: Kimie Nakano
Photography by: Kimie Nakano
Design © Kimie Nakano
Image © Kimie Nakano

L’homme blanc is sleeping in the oasis. He wakes up and leaves his safe space to find himself; like birth from the protection of a mother’s womb. In the darkness a floating circle of 12 white balloons could suggest water drops, sea or desert plants and a symbol of hope and eternity. Sand Flower was chosen as one of ten best dances in the Netherlands in 2000. 2000 Maastricht festival award

Production: Vertical Road
Company: Akram Khan company
Venue: world tour 2010 - 2011
Year: 2010
Directed by: Akram Khan
Choreography by : Akram Khan
Composer : Nitin Sawhney
Lighting Design by: Jesper Kongshaug
Costume Design by: Kimie Nakano
Set designed by: set conceived by Akram Khan, Kimie Nakano, Jesper Kongshaug
Photography by: richard haughton

Vertical Road draws inspiration from the Sufi tradition and the Persian poet and philosopher Rumi. Exploring man's earthly nature, his rituals and the consequences of human actions, Vertical Road becomes a meditation on the journey from gravity to grace.

Production: Mural Studies
Company: Dam Van Huynh Company
Venue: Rich Mix
Year: 2010
Choreography by : Dam van Huynh
Composer : Jamie Hamilton
Lighting Design by: Antony Hateley
Costume Design by: Kimie Nakano
Photography by: Agnieszka Janiszewska

The empty space becomes a canvas on which movement is spilt, flung, dripped and scraped. The meaning cannot be imposed but results from a total immersion. The dancer stands at the core.

Jia-Chiann Ingrid Hu

Production: Troilus and Cressida
Year: 2002
Author: Shakespeare
Directed by: Roberta Barker
Scenography by: Ingrid Hu
Photography by: Ingrid Hu

A surreal world where the Greeks and the Trojans met. A layer of cloud separated the gods and mortals, at times transforming into battlefield tents, Troy's gown, the manifestation of destiny, and so forth.