The Alchemist
Let Them Call It Mischief
The White Bear Theatre, London​
Mar 2012
The production was playful and physical, so the set allowed a lot of open playing space in a very small theatre. The wall of the set adapted to create furniture, reveal a crowd of puppet people, frame the outside street scenes, show a snippet of what could be a large maze of rooms, and provide a curiosity shop like world of illusions, all emerging from one panelled wall.
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The costumes were inspired by Victorian Circus performers and the stock character nature of the play's characters.
Set & Costume design & construction: Ele Slade
Director: Danny Wainwright
Lighting Design: Dan Swerdlow
Photography: Dan Swerdlow
Performers: Stephanie Hampton, Andrew Venning, Danny Wainwright, Richard, Tom, Alyssa Nobel, Robert Rowe, Edward Cartwright, Claire Cartwright, Holly Blair, James Clark.
"Ele Slade’s intriguing, innovative and ingenious set design provides the perfect background to a world of illusions"
whatsonstage.com - 4 stars.
"the design and direction show glimmers of real inventiveness" onestoparts.com - 3 stars.
"Some innovative staging concepts stand out, including the rather brilliant evocation of a crowd of noisy neighbours delivered by hands with hats on and a variety of swiftly shifting accents."
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