Biography

Raphaella studied at Wimbledon College of Arts, graduating with First Class Honours in Theatre Design. Audiences are at the heart of her work, where she aims to represent and envelop the people it is for. She enjoys connecting with communities to better understand her subject, digging far and wide with her research. With a focus on poignant moments within a piece, she loves to create escapism and spread positivity and hope through her designs. In line with this, sustainability is a huge consideration throughout every stage of her work. Raphaella aims to show audiences and makers that great things can be achieved with found and reused materials.

Raphaella especially enjoys musicals, opera and Shakespeare’s plays, with music being a strong influence in her design process. Currently developing her knowledge of production processes through assistant work, she is looking to expand her design portfolio with varied performance spaces and subject matters.

A speculative design completed for my final assessment at university.

Set in Florence, 1953, my design encompassed Italian art and its beauty with themes of freedom, love, and life’s beautiful moments.

Frederico Garcia Lorca’s play reimagined in a Ghanaian village. Directed by Jessica Mensah, Co-designed with Peijia Luo, Lighting by Alex Forey.

With a small cast, we used projection to depict the local women gossiping at the village stream. Presenting anonymous silhouettes lit from the blazing sun behind them, the audience eavesdropped on their speculative conversations.

Also responsible for set construction and sourcing, costume sourcing and adjustments, and sound design/operation.