Welcome to Rhubarb! the home of CP's gossip, chat, news and interviews. lovingly maintained by Lucy Wills.

Lucy's Lists:
Drama with an Irish and or Gothic connection...

In honour of St Patrick's Day this month and our gothic and ghostly seasonal theme, I’ve collected a few examples of dramatisations with Celtic and gothic twists.....can you think for anymore?

Jim Cartwright’s ROAD – ok, so this isn’t in any way whatsoever Irish but Conor McPherson, the writer of The Weir, one of CP’s next productions, is known as the ‘Monarch of the Monologue’ and ROAD is a treasure trove of wonderfully sharp, witty and sad monologues that have you laughing and crying all at once!

The Playboy of the Western World – very on topic and recently played at the Old Vic starring a whole host of Irish stars including Irish acting royalty Niamh Cusack – a splendid evening of entertainment and one hell of a set!

Frankenstein – this gruesome tale is one of the originals in the gothic horror genre combining tragedy, science and of course lots and lots of body parts. Try walking through a graveyard after reading this – I wouldn’t fancy it, would you? Dracula – yes, the most famous Vampire story of all time, before Twilight that is! Bram Stoker created the ultimate horror icon in the form of Count Dracula . Now who do you prefer? Christopher Lee or the one and only Gary Oldman... I know who my favourite is!

Jane Eyre – a set text favourite combining mystery, dark symbolism and intrigue with just the right amount of romance: the perfect gothic mix!

Wide Sargasso Sea – prequel to Jane Eyre, emphasising the darkness of the former and highlighting the tragic spiral into madness of the first Mrs Rochester!

In a Glass Darkly – a collection of horror stories by Sheridan Le Fanu. One of the stories, The Familiar, is based around a Sea Captain living in Dublin which links in rather nicely with St Patricks Day and CP’s production of The Weir coming soon! Carmilla, another one in the collection, is a Vampire based tale that also ties in perfectly with the next production of the season: Snoo Wilson’s Vampire! What a jolly coincidence!

Francesca Rodrigues is currently working on CP’s March production of Snoo Wilson’s Vampire. This quirky show is a designer’s playground and one that Francesca is relishing working on. With its various time settings and kooky story line, the scope for adventurous design is huge! To continue further with our research into the many aspects of theatre production, CP has spoken to Francesca, and experienced and talented stage and costume designer, exclusively about the intricate detail and effort that goes into working on such ambitious productions.

It is clear that in order to pack a punch as a designer, a solid and trusting working relationship with your director is essential. Francesca describes it as a layering process, a process whereby the designer and director research and interpret the production themes together in order to come up with a well judged design concept. A third dimension is then added when the actors themselves are requested to give their ideas and feedback.

Personally, Francesca finds more challenging projects most interesting and enjoyable to work on, as demonstrated by the variety of projects within her portfolio: theatre, opera, TV, commercials, film and dance. In order to manage such a wide spectrum of work the mastering of an array of disciplines is required, something Francesca has clearly achieved throughout her career. She was nominated for the OFFIES 2011 (Off West End Awards) in the Best Set Designer category for her costume and stage design work on Irish Blood, English Heart which was performed at the Union Theatre and eventually Trafalgar Studios in the West End. In this particular production, she was required to work on a minuscule budget, having to improvise with materials whenever she could and however she could, delving into the depths of derelict ironmongery shops and mechanic’s rubbish car part piles – that’s dedication to art no mistake!

I think the main thing taken away from the interview with Francesca, was that an element of passion and obsession when working in the design field is a must. She spoke a lot about the attention to detail, and the willingness to go above and beyond when trying to create a world on stage, to give the audience a true sense of reality in a relatively short time. Extensive research into the historical setting of a production, the visual artistry and the creation of a strong and believable foundation through the use metaphors and symbolism are necessary ingredients if a designer is to create a fine tuned back drop, leaving a positive and lasting impression on the audience.

Vampire opens at Baron’s Court Theatre on 6 March and will run until 11 March. Please see the Vampire page for further production details.

Take a look at some of Francesca's work online here.

Lucy
Editor