The Society of British Theatre Designers

The show was produced by the Contemporary Stage Company in a new translation by the director David Graham-Young. As the theatre is so small, (made more claustrophobic by completely black floor, walls and ceiling), and all the implied locations were exteriors - the park and the beach - I concentrated on suggesting an expansive acting area, principally by using a series of 8' high, 4 metres wide mirrors. I also introduced a slightly raised (25mm) stage floor of laminated oak planking, surrounded by a similarly toned 1.1m border of carpet. The carpet was intended principally for the entrance of the Lady who glided silently, in a dappled green light, around the two transfixed men. I hadn't worked for the Contemporary Stage Company before and I was impressed by the overall thoroughness and professionalism of its organisation. The budget was good and everyone was paid, unusually in those days of proliferating profit shares. There's a Quicktime movie clip and more photos of this show at: http://www.davidburrows.com/summer.html