The Elixir of Love July 2014 | Page 19

Returning to the cattle market is exciting for both the performers and the audience! What
challenges does it bring?
I guess one of the biggest design challenges of putting opera in an unconventional space is creating
a heightened environment that allows an audience to accept that for the next two hours all
communication will be sung. Normally an audience walks into a theatre and they know what to
expect. There is also an audience on three sides so my job becomes very detailed, normally the
audience is at the closest about 3 meters away so you can cheat things and be less authentic. But
you can’t get away with anything here!

How did your design process begin?
Well for me it always begins with the score and the emotions that puts across. After that I delve
into the characters and and put together big folders of all sorts of reference images. Sometimes
photos from the period or adverts, sometimes slighly more eclectic images that might inspire a
paint finish or colour choice.
When I have a reasonable idea of what
I feel about the piece and maybe have
made a few rough sketches I sit down
with Ben (the director) and we talk
through everything and piece together a
final design. Usually it goes through quite
an evolution from my first sketches till
what you see on stage.

This year the ladies of the Winterbourne
Chorus have made there own
costumes?
They have indeed. I’m a very lucky
designer! We were able to find a lot of
vintage dress patterns and to source a
lot of authentic fabrics and trims. When
it comes to a period production I’m
very passionate about being as realistic
as possible which is one of the reasons
we have made so much. Almost
everything else in the show is vintage
60s sourced from all over the country.
The Chorus have worked incredibly
hard and I can’t wait to see everything
when it comes together!

Sadly not but we do have a few
surprises up our sleeves!
Carmen 2013

Photographs by Ash Mills © 2014

Does the Quad bike from last year
return?