We wanted to create an immersive stage environment that could translate the artist’s poetic voice into a living landscape ambiguous; its forms can suggest shelter, isolation or scale, depending on how they are revealed. The setting is not fixed to one interpretation, it evolves with the performance, allowing the same physical environment to communicate contrasting moods. “We wanted this to relate to the woods,” says Lipson, “but in a slightly stylised way that evokes scale and intimacy at the same time, without being too literal.” suggested a more organic, atmospheric direction, one that could accommodate the intimacy of a solo vocal as readily as the full force of a live band. “As we heard the new music from the album and were shown all the beautiful photography by Joel Stagg – which had a more analogue film aesthetic – we realised that the design for the tour needed to feel organic and layered, and to take a more theatrical direction,” Lipson explains. “We were very pleased to learn that Dermot himself was also very keen to create a world around him and the band on stage that feels like an organic artwork which simultaneously reflects the music.” That idea became the foundation of the scenography, where instead of using the forest as a literal backdrop, STUFISH approached it as an expressive environment, drawing on Irish landscapes, mythology and the emotional associations of the natural world. The forest is also deliberately
ONE, TWO, (TREE), FOUR The stage scenery and effects for the tour had to work equally well across a variety of venues, from theatres to stadiums
In the middle of the stage is a multi-layered forest floor punctuated by ten large tree trunks, which are positioned to establish depth and create a sense of enclosure. Rock-like formations and sculptural terrain extend the landscape, while transparent screens are distributed between the physical elements. The screens are positioned at varying depths, allowing imagery to sit within the forest, extending its boundaries without obscuring the scenery behind it. The result is a multidimensional canvas in which video, lighting and the performers can occupy the same visual space. The physical set has also been hand-painted, giving it a tactile quality. This treatment helps the scenery sit comfortably alongside the album’s analogue-inspired visual identity, avoiding the sense of an overly polished, digitally constructed environment. Fabrics are used to create the trees and rocks, providing visual texture while keeping the scenery lightweight and adaptable. With such a variety of components and textures to the design, it was crucial to make sure all the different elements worked together as one coherent environment. This job was left up to lighting and production designer Owen Pritchard-Smith, video content designer James Lockey and live video director Glenn Leyser, who helped to establish a consistent visual language. “We wanted to create an immersive stage environment that could translate the artist’s poetic voice into a living landscape,” Lipson continues. “Drawing direct inspiration from his latest album, the creative direction and scenography embraced Dermot and the band within a world that reflected and transformed with the narrative and emotional weight of the music.”
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