Set and Costume Design & Build

Dip a rag in the burn, 

knot it to the tree,

in its decay, 

will come the remedy

Set by a lone clootie tree with a story that reaches across centuries  this play asks unsettling questions about the spaces between trust, belief and recovery. 

Written by emerging playwright Annie Macdonald, commissioned by Vivid Roots Collective this piece explored gender inequalities in medicine. 

The design reflected the script in use of fabric as a key component which extended into the auditorium, drawing the audience in to where boundaries of time and place merge.

The set was built with predominantly recycled and recyclable materials making use of real trees sourced from local storm damage. Each element was considered carefully as the trees were cut down as part of the action (then needed to be reset).

Performed at Eden Court Theatre on May 4th 2024.

Photograph: alexanderwilliamson.com

The set was destroyed as part of the action, this was a key challenge that dictated the parameters of the design.

Model box and life size set during production week.