Round & Round

With any theatre production, how the audience sees and experiences the show matters.

Staging

The set design for the Royal Exchange Theatre had to be in-the-round, whilst for the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, it had to be end-on. The creative team had to find a visual language which created a similar theatrical world and atmosphere in both theatres.

There is an intimacy when you perform in the round, which lends itself to a very simple set design.

Model Box for King Lear - Royal Exchange Theatre

This is a picture of the model box created for the Royal Exchange Theatre

Notice the circular discs (suggesting a solar eclipse) on the stage and the compacted earth floor.

Signe the production designer and Michael the director were keen to recreate some of this intimacy at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, while keeping the simplicity of the design.

Model box for King Lear - Birmingham Repertory Theatre

This is a picture of the model box created for the Birmingham Repertory Theatre

Notice how the circular discs have been adapted slightly for the stage floor, and the addition of pillars at the back to give the set design some height.

Work started in earnest on Monday 16th May.

KING LEAR is a Royal Exchange Theatre and Talawa Theatre Company co-production in association with Birmingham Repertory Theatre

Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Michael Buffong

KING LEAR played at Manchester's Royal Exchange Theatre from 1 April to 7 May 2016 and plays at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre from 19 - 28 May. Book now.