BA Theatre Design students take on Shakespeare’s Macbeth

BA Theatre Design second year students have been tasked this term with creating and performing their own interpretation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth.

Working in groups which mixed students working both online and on-site, the project culminated in a series of performances here at Wimbledon’s lecture theatre in front of a small (Covid-19 safe) audience.

Second-year tutor, Sophie Jump led the project. Students created all elements of the production from the props and costumes to the digital design for the performance as well as rehearsing with professional actors and director to realise the performances.

We spoke to Ieva Ievina who worked in a group alongside Sahar Gilabadi, Dakshini Niyathapala, Chon Hang Fong and Zhenhong Yang. She told us about their group’s experience.

This was a challenging yet invaluable experience since the creative process of theatre making is deeply collaborative.

We were provided with 2 directors, Glen Neath, Franny Rafferty, and 3 actors to work with us. It all started with profound research and analysis of the play. We were discussing Shakespeare and dissecting the themes within our groups. We presented our findings and thoughts to other groups, and then created a final mood board to take to our first meeting with our given director.

After an onsite meeting with director and actors, we started creating the props, costumes, testing the projection designs and lights and sound. After an intense but very fun week we had our tech rehearsal and dress run.

It was an extremely fast- paced project that involved various challenges including the strict onsite Covid restrictions. Nevertheless, it was incredible! I missed live theatre so much!

It was wonderful to see how different the outcomes were. Each group’s performance looked at a unique angle of the play. We each had to create a 20 min live performance. There were some very intimate, suspenseful, and dramatic adaptations and some comical, interactive, and immersive.

I would say it was the dress run because that was the first time we saw the finished outcome with complete set, costumes, light, sound, visual media, actors off-script etc. I was so proud of my group!

It feels very lovely! As much I enjoy virtual work and creating a digital design, there is just something so magical in people being together in a room brainstorming ideas, discussing, experimenting with materials, and producing wonderful results just through improvisation.

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