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I used to fly everywhere all the time. But now I don’t live in London any more – my studio is out of London – and I have the freedom to work from home and connect with people online. How does AV technology bring your work to life? I work closely with light designers, and an idea I find very interesting is using projection as a light source. I also get excited by video, especially when it’s used conceptually and feels like it’s part of the design and helps to tell the story. When I worked on 1984 a few years ago, we needed a concealed CCTV camera and a hidden set on stage that was only revealed at one point. Although the projection was part of the set, it was accepted as part of the theatre. The concept was a play that falls apart, with the set gradually dismantling to reveal everything had been filmed all along – offering a deeper understanding of the Big Brother element in the story. I love it when different strands of theatre become meshed together; it’s like one part can’t function properly without the other. Technology can end up becoming an important part of theatre’s language. Do decisions on set design have a domino effect on lighting? I have to think about lighting a lot, and I want to work with lighting designers in the process sooner so we can build things in together from an earlier stage. For example, I have a set coming up
forth among the team and the director. We build on them as we get more information coming through. It then evolves into a bit of a digital profile, which is later built into a storyboard. It’s changed a lot because we work differently – and more digitally. We used to sit with a physical cardboard model with a director, but since Covid-19 it’s so much more online. We’ve stepped up our studio’s digital work and how we render. I’m now working with architects a fair bit who have left architecture and moved into set design. That’s been an interesting shift in theatre design. When I was at school, there was less focus on software training. I believe that’s now evolving because everyone is more technically savvy. That’s probably why there’s been a lot of interest in set design from the architectural industry. I’ve worked with architects on two projects now, where I come in and bring a theatre head or my dramaturgy of how a space can be used, and it’s usually a really exciting and dynamic conversation. The world of live entertainment ground to a sudden halt thanks to the global pandemic in 2020. Do you still feel its impact five years on? The toughest thing was that there was just nothing happening, which was so heartbreaking. I think we are all still processing and evolving from that. A lot of my work is abroad, in both Europe and the US. Now, I use Zoom a lot more, so that felt like a massive shift.
I’m now working with architects a fair bit who have left architecture and moved into set design. That’s been an interesting shift”
Jamie Parker, Jack Wolfe and the band in the musical Next to Normal at Donmar Warehouse
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