“For my Design of Shakespeare’s The Tempest I have created an immersive percussion soundscape where the set is an instrument for the characters to interact with. I was intrigued by Shakespeare’s evocative references to sound in the script, so all of the costume designs facilitate the making of sound in a unique way for each character. In my rendition Prospero acts as a ‘conductor’ of the space and all of his actions are heard as repercussions through the set. I was drawn to the constant movement and change in locations and so my design reflects this through the constantly evolving music/soundscape in conjunction with elements of contemporary dance. The set design is composed of tuned piano wire walls, an elevated wire percussion pit, hanging pipes and chimes and instruments on stage such as a glass marimba. The costumes are an integral element with wearable percussion intermeshed with the costume differentiating each character. The characters take control of the environment around them and their actions and emotions are felt on an atmospheric and immersive level by the audience. With this design I am hoping to evoke within the audience an all surrounding experiential version of The Tempest.
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