Our Provincial Town
Set Design by Narelle Sissons | Props by Jose Nunez and Jason Dearing
The stage design for Beauty and The Beast, started back in early January 2020, before the pandemic had really reached us in any significant way. We all met in the theatre to talk about the story and the world that we were considering for the production and the design. Cut to spring 2021, we had seen the effects of the pandemic for over a year and witnessed on TV the terrible images of George Floyd's death. So for me, this was the moment the work on the design really began. What is the stage design now?
From the onset, we the audience, look through the translucent curtains into the Castle which was once full of life, as the curtains open we see the reality of what the place has become. The Castle is decayed and overgrown, the walls are crumbling and the Beast is in despair. The world of the stage embodies the spell that the Beast has fallen prey to. The decayed space reminds us that we need to step out of our own fear and isolation and learn to come together, as the story tells us, we need to love and be loved and feel whole again.
The setting and the characters are on a journey, we see things transform as the evening progresses; the Castle library opens up to the possibility for learning, the forest makes us think about our own demons and the hard working villagers make us think about community learning to accept each other and Belle shows the Beast how to trust again. On purpose I placed all of these scenes inside the large hall of the Castle so we are reminded of the ills that could befall us if we don't act. Time is an important element in the story and in the design; the 'ticking' rose window reminds the characters and the audience that we need to act now, if not we will turn to stone, we are in danger and the moment is upon us. Our world is in danger and we need to pay attention. I love the themes in this play, the story asks us to change, it feels very of our moment in time.
-- Narelle Sissons, Set Designer
View draftings of Jose and Jason's props below!
