Edexcel GCSE Drama: Designing Drama

CREATING YOUR DESIGN FOR THE STAGE Your responsibility The exam specification states that you should supervise the construction of the finished set, but that you do not necessarily have to build it yourself. Before you begin, there are some points to consider. Which parts of the set need to function? The most important thing to remember is that you are creating an illusion when you make a theatre set. Many aspects of your set will not need to ‘do’ anything. A painted shop front, for example, might not need to have a door that opens, it simply gives the illusion of a shop. Some parts of your set, however, might need to be bear the weight of an actor, or a window might need to open and close. If this is the case, ask yourself: • What am I making? • How will it be used? • Who is using it? The answers will guide you towards the materials to use and how sturdy your construction needs to be. Scenery on flats You might need to make flats: upright pieces of scenery. Usually made from sheets of plywood about 1.2 metres by 2.4 metres, flats are braced and weighted so that they stand securely. Another way of making a flat is to stretch canvas over a wooden frame. Both types can then be painted. Painted backcloths and panels Traditionally, many stage sets had a painted cloth at the back of the acting area. It depicted the location for the play. If you have the time and resources, you could use a canvas or canvas-stretched frames. You would need to have a way of hanging them from the lighting bars or make them free-standing. Or, a run of painted flats could work just as well. Your human resources will help you to establish what is possible. Be creative! Some of the best set designs are made with non-standard materials. Try the following crafty shortcuts. • Reinforce large cardboard boxes with gaffer tape. Use them to build pieces of scenery. Paint different sides to give varied scenes and you have an original way of changing the set. • Borrow a metal trolley from the school canteen. You could attach two different pieces of flat scenery (made from cardboard perhaps) with cable ties. Just swivel them as needed. ASSESSMENT CHECK Building a set shows that you can ‘Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of how theatre is developed and performed’ (AO3). In creating a set from your design, you are ‘using, applying and combining design skills to contribute and support the performance as a whole.’ FOCUS Pointers for constructing the set once the design has been agreed. DESIGN TIP Make sure that your set is completed in good time. The performers need time to rehearse on it! LOOK HERE See page 27 for health and safety tips for set construction, and page 215 for advice on including different levels. This painted cloth of a riverbank scene was created for, and can be hired from, the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre. Chapter 1 Practical Guide to Set Design 28