Reconsidering stage space: Orpheus.

Now knowing which play I'll be focussing on for this theatre festival, myself and a few of the acting and other design students re-visited Farnham Maltings to look over the potential theatre spaces again. Taking panoramic photos allowed me to look at the rooms as a whole after leaving, as opposed to lots of little images. This also lets me see the composition of the room a lot better than serparate images would do.

1) Top image: This room was agreed to being too open and light for a burlesque club scene. There where also no rigs for lighting up, which would mean additional rigging for an entire room. However, use of a mirror would make the room appear more crowded and may be very useful if the audience are to be immersed in this?

2) Middle image: So far this is our first choice for the Orpheus production to take place. The layout of the room is suitable for the potential staging plans that the Performing Arts students had in mind, it isn't too bright, and it already has rigs in place. From spending time talking about lighting with the students, it's clear that lighting, specifically at least five spot lights will be needed, so this is also ideal for that aspect of the production. The depth and dimensions of the room are also suitable, as I think that a gigantic space would feel too impersonal for the immersive club experience they wish to create. This space is also suitable for the seating they've chosen to use.

3) Bottom image: The Great Hall was the biggest space of the three, with prebuilt seating and stage area. It was very dark in here when I took the photo, which is why the quality of the image is so low and had to be edited! There was mention of potentially lowering set down onto the stage, which would be difficult in this environment as the ceiling is so high. However, with a possible flight deck/ flying plan, this could be possible; that is something I will need to enquire into. Again, it is harder to make this space personal as it's so large and open, but perhaps with the corridor leading into it dressed as well as use of the walk way the students can be seen standing on in the image, this could be achieved?

Overall, either the environments in the middle or bottom images could work with 'Orpheus' but ideas will be discussed with both the Performing Arts students and the rest of the design team.