Christianna Mason chats to us about her inspirations and design for BLOOD WEDDING, George Richmond-Scott‘s modern reimagining of Lorca‘s masterpiece. From the surreal to the stark, this has to be one of the most exciting sets Omnibus Theatre has ever been home to.
The Blood Wedding team have agreed to let you have a little sneak peek at Christianna’s set – but if you want to see the whole shebang you’re gonna have to see the show!
OMNIBUS THEATRE: What was the starting point for this design?
CHRISTIANNA MASON: We looked at the background of Lorca and the fact that he was part of ‘Generation 27’ (1927), the name given to a strange bohemian group of highly influential avant-garde artists formed in the Spanish Civil War. Salvador Dali was part of that set, in which surrealism and symbolism and strange abstract art were major thrusts. Visually their work and ideals really informed not only Lorca’s writing but also our set design.
OT: Describe the world you have created?
CM: It’s definitely quite surreal. It’s inspired a lot by Dali and the melting clocks. We are looking at lots of dripping black oil and using symbolism, like how the oil represents the truth coming to the surface. We mix that surrealism with everyday London contemporary textures and cracked pavements you would find on London estates or even outside this building at Omnibus Theatre. We draw on surreal elements but the set is grounded in everyday modern London.
OT: What do you hope audiences are going to feel when they step into the theatre space?
CM: I’m guessing bemusement to begin with, but I’m hoping there will be lots of interesting surprises along the way that will emerge slowly as the set evolves and things come in and out of the set itself. They may have a slightly uneasy feeling. Blood Wedding is such a dramatic play with such strong emotions attached with it that we wanted to play with that stark realism – a grey London estate – and contrast it with surrealism.
BLOOD WEDDING opens tonight at Omnibus Theatre, running until 23 Sept – get your tickets HERE→
