What goes on behind the scenes to put on a play?
One of the key members of the production team is the set and costume designer. Sophie Jump (winner of the overall Gold Medal at World Stage Design 2013) is a theatre designer and Associate Director of the internationally renowned Seven Sisters Group. She has designed for productions including Uncle Vanya At the Arcola Theatre, Led Easy for Cardboard Citizens and The Tempest for Shared Experience.
We sat down with her to talk about her latest project, Gauhar Jaan: The Datia Incident, coming to Omnibus 10-29 April.
OMNIBUS THEATRE: What drew you to this particular project?
SOPHIE JUMP: I’ve worked with Mukul before and I thought that the character of Gauhar Jaan, someone far-sighted enough to embrace new technologies, resonates with the fast-changing period we are in now.
OT: What influences did you draw on for the design of this set?
SJ: I researched images of Gauhar Jaan and Maharajas as well as Fred Gaisberg and early gramophone recording sessions to try to get a sense of the worlds these people had inhabited. I also looked at Kalighat paintings and Indian miniature portraits and paintings of court life. I was very taken by the great simplicity and glowing colours of some of these artworks.
“I was very taken by the great simplicity and glowing colours of some of these artworks.”
OT: Describe the key elements of the design and what factors did you have to take into account?
SJ: I knew that we would be projecting some film, and that we needed to be able to move swiftly between locations. I’ve tried to create a space that suggests the locations with elements of set and props, but is flexible enough to be used for all the scenes. So, for example, there are certain features, such as an archway or a chandelier, that give a sense of opulence for the Maharaja’s Palace.
OT: What were the key challenges with this project?
SJ: There are quite a few scene changes and not a very big space to work in. We decided to stage the play in traverse with the audience on two sides of the set, which has it’s own challenges in terms of staging and lighting, but which brings the audience closer to the action, and keeps a sense of dynamism. Perhaps because I often work in site-specific locations I enjoy creating spaces where the audience are close up to the performers.
“I tend to like the kind of theatre that lets the audience engage their imaginations.”
OT: Do you have a design style and how has this influenced this set?
SJ: Each production calls for a different approach but I tend to like the kind of theatre that lets the audience engage their imaginations, and I think that when that happens the audience invests in what they are watching in a way that they don’t when watching a film, for example. Perhaps you could say that my design style reflects this idea. For this piece I’ve tried to find create a space with objects, costumes and colours that suggest the period and places it is taking place.
OT: What was the favourite part of designing this set?
SJ: I enjoyed storyboarding – thinking about and drawing how the characters will move about on the stage I have created.
Catch Gauhar Jaan: The Datia Incident at Omnibus Theatre from 10 – 29 April – grab your tickets HERE
