The Society of British Theatre Designers

I thought there was only one photograph in existence of this show until, nearly thirty years later, I received this from Angelique Rockas' (who played the title role) agent, reminding me of an enjoyable first experience of working with Alkis Kritikos as director. A miniscule budget and one day fit-up meant some ingenuity to avoid building the interior kitchen set ostensibly required for the play. We set it just outside in the yard. The door to the kitchen was the dressing room's, downstage right. Slightly upstage of the door was a pine icebox of the period kindly loaned from an antiques shop in Teddington. Jean's wash-basin on a metal stand was set a little further still upstage (visible here). I built the central Scandinavian style bench with the wide surrounding arm rest which served as alternative, louche seating for Jean. A rocking chair was set upstage of the washing line for Christine, the housekeeper, in which she could rest and doze. The theatre's walls (originally black) were painted in a broken grey and, to break the floor's harsh junction with the walls, garden peat was heaped around the perimeter of the acting area with bracken/kindling wood scattered within it. The stage floor was also painted grey.